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Floating residence in Santa Barbara, California, harbor on the market

Home is where you drop anchor — especially when it comes to a floating home in the Santa Barbara Harbor that was built by an engineer and his son, a carpenter, over a four-year period.

With a unique address — Santa Barbara Harbor, Marina 3C, Slip ST-13 — the 1,290-square-foot Thomas Jefferson has hit the market for $4.9 million. The home is more than 50 years old, but has been heavily renovated.

“As the Municipal Code has imposed restrictions on similar structures, it emphasizes the inherent value, exclusivity, and rarity of this floating home,” according to the listing.

With two bedrooms and one bathroom, the California masterpiece displays handcrafted carpentry throughout, with durable and hard quartered-and-rift white oak floors and staircase. The home has bursts of beautiful burlwood, mahogany, brass and wool.

An interior roof deck access allows for miles of views, from the ocean to the mountains.

Privacy has been considered in design.

“Between the tint on the glazing and numerous interior lighting options, it’s easy to remain invisible indoors; keeping the inside in and the outside out,” the listing states. “Nothing compares.”

The floating home contains all the modern amenities one could want, such as electricity, plumbing, a dining room that seats 10 and a laundry room.

Patricia Ruben of Sotheby’s International Realty – Los Feliz Brokerage is the listing agent.

The owner is Jeffrey Wapner, a surfer who grew up in the Santa Barbara area, according to Mansion Global. He owns a company called Paradise Is Divided Into Blue And Green, which makes beach and surfboard bags out of sails, according to the real estate website.

He and his father Mike rebuilt the home top to bottom, according to Architectural Digest.

“My father and I share many interests and hobbies,” Jeffrey, who has worked in many fields, told AD. “Building and executing projects being one of them. Throughout my life and many careers, I got to apply a lot of what I learned from my dad.”

The floating house in Santa Barbara, California.
The floating home in Santa Barbara, California. Roy Hathon for Sotheby’s Worldwide Realty

David Caraccio is a video producer for The Sacramento Bee who was born and raised in Sacramento. He’s a graduate of San Diego State College and longtime journalist who has labored for newspapers as a reporter, editor, web page designer and digital content material producer.

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