Yes. I lived on a houseboat (the kind like a RV type, primarily flat hull with twin outboard motors) briefly in Key Largo, FL. I have also lived aboard a "regular" boat (different shaped hull). And I even worked someplace where our offices where on a two story flat barge tied up in our (boat) basin in Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale), FL. I have never lived on board any kind of boat north of Florida but I have heard some stories. The "advantage" a houseboat has (I think) over a conventional boat as far as living up north is insulation in the walls (bulkheads I guess). I miss being rocked to sleep living on a boat. The think about a houseboat to me is they aren’t really as mobile (seaworthy) as a regular boat. I wouldn’t take one out in any thing over a light chop. That advantage of the "barge" type houseboats is they’re more "stable" and you can build on the barge very similar to a standard wood from "stick" house. I’ve seen some great "barge" type houseboats both in Florida and in Seattle (remember the Tom Hanks movie "You’ve Got Mail"?). But the barge style of houseboat are not super easy to move since you need to tow them.