I lived in the Marina until last year. It is without doubt one of the nicest 'living' experiences that I have come across in HK. For a family it proves far more satisfying than a shoebox apartment could ever provide. My boat had a huge outer deck on the top level with bbq, wet bar and enough room for 15 people to have dinner..! The master bdrm is bigger than most apartments. The only reason I sold was because I started commuting and I decided on a tiny (and I mean tiny!) place in Tung Chung. As for the financial's, when you work out the 'actual' cost, the higher monthly fees are no where near as bad as throwing away millions on stamp duty on an apartment purchase. And the boats have been steadily climbing in value every year. Until you've had a bit of experience with the living on a 'live aboard' I would suggest you don't really know what you are talking about. Some of the comments earlier in the thread are comical. Hands down the best few years i've spent living in HK.