As building plots are getting increasingly scarce in waterlogged Amsterdam, its people have rediscovered the floating home, REPORTED DPA. A model floating home is currently moored near the historic building of the Scheepvaartmuseum, the shipping museum. In the coming weeks, the public can visit the modern version of Amsterdam's traditional wooden houseboats. Next year the first 38 families are due to enter their new homes floating on the IJ lake near Amsterdam city centre. They are the first of 100 homes that will be floating at the shores of IJburg by 2010. IJburg is an artificial island built in the IJ lake in the past years. The floating homes will be located in the calm waters between IJburg and the mainland. Marjolijn Goethem, spokeswoman for city alderman Maarten van Poelgeest and responsible for city infrastructure and development, says the floating homes are enormously popular. "More than 1,000 people have requested information about the homes and 361 have subscribed as potential buyers of 38 homes," Goethem says. We used a lottery to determine who could ultimately buy a lot." Traditional wooden houseboats are usually slightly more expensive than regular homes on shore. People living on houseboats spend 33 per cent of their income on their home, 3 per cent more than those living in ordinary homes. --MORE