When it comes to street names, pay attention if the address for a waterfront property includes the word 'Walk'. Freeways may not be free. Highways may not be high. Boulevards, avenues, streets, and roads have distinctions we ignore. A Walk, however, can be a very literal thing; like for this tiny house on Vashon's waterfront. Of course, for some people, excluding cars and inviting whales is a very good thing.
There's more than the walk making this cabin unique. It was built in 1947, probably by someone who wanted to get away from it all and just watch the water go by in Paradise Cove and Colvos Passage, not on the way to anywhere. It is a log cabin; but, instead of the stacking logs on top of each other, they stood them up making a fence of a wall. At least that matches the bulkhead. Maybe that's where they got the inspiration.
The windows are so large, relatively, that the expansive deck seems to extend inside. Parts of the deck are covered, parts aren't. Take your pick depending on the weather. Go indoors when it gets nasty, or at least uncomfortable. The dining area is surrounded by windows on three sides, so you may feel as if you're still outdoors. They're asking $495,000 for the one bedroom, 0.75 bath, 760 square foot cabin which looks like it has been well-maintained, or at least nicely stained and painted.
You'll own a bit of the outdoors, 0.52 acres of land and 50 feet of shoreline. That suggests a very long skinny lot. Check to see if that includes tidelands. It does include a steep-sloped forest. In any case, you won't be restricted to staying indoors; but it is probably quickly apparent why there's no room for a road. Some Walks are along beaches that are driveable at low tide, which can help when you have to move.
An irony: a house on a Walk gets a Walk Score of 0. But, what about the swim score?
· 25822 Bates Walk SW, Vashon [Estately]