Best Rental Ever: Historic Home Near Point Bonita Lighthouse

The National Park Service has put another property on the rental market, and this one is a doozy. The small house near Point Bonita Lighthouse sits on the edge of a cliff in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and the views from the front windows include the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco (it sits roughly opposite Sea Cliff), and miles and miles of Pacific Ocean. Asking price for the three-bedroom, two-bathroom house starts at $6,500 per month, but that's just a baseline.

The Park Service is working through Gaetani Real Estate to broker the property. According Park Service Public Affairs Officer Alexandra Picavet, the agency will entertain offers to pay more than $6,500 per month, but other factors will be considered as well. "Saying it will go to the person who is the best fit is a good way to put it," she says. "Factors like ability to pay the rent are certainly a consideration, but other things like ability to maintain the historic landscape and property are part of the criteria as well."

According to information provided by Gaetani Real Estate, the house was built in 1964 and used to house keepers of the Point Bonita Life Saving Station. Back then, it was known as Quarters 17. When the light house became fully automated in 1980, staff was no longer needed.

The home has been restored by Knapp Architects and Pioneer Builders of San Francisco. It features new fixtures, finishes, and appliances—there's also a sunroom and soaking tub. But all those amenities pale in comparison to the spectacular view from the picture windows.

The house is one of three in a small residential enclave that's just a 10-minute drive from the Golden Gate Bridge and 15 minutes to Sausalito and San Francisco. The other homes are occupied by a Park Service law enforcement ranger and a maintenance staff member.

"Quarters 17 will give the occupants the experience of what it was like to be a member of the Coast Guard Life Saving Station a half-century ago," Marcus Gaetani, a principal at Gaetani Real Estate, says. "For someone looking to add a unique, memorable living situation to their life experience, the availability of this home is an unprecedented opportunity."

· Point Bonita Lighthouse-National Park Service [Official Site]
· 17 Point Bonita [Gaetani Real Estate]
· Knapp Architects [Official Site]
· Pioneer Builders [Official Site]