How close do you live to your waterway?

[gtochris]

I've NEVER lived more then 1/4 mi from the water, I love hearing the sounds of boats going by, taking a walk to check out the action. I also feel living so close is a reason for us to spontaniously go out on the boat after work and in the Morning where as if we were any further away that may not be the case.

We are actively looking at new houses and some are a bit of a drive (10-15Min) and even that distance gets me anxious... Hard to describe, but it is that important to me! One house we like is beautiful, on the water of another lake: (non powerboat lake) which is upstream about 2 miles which seems fine with me having that luxuary to enjoy + we would kayak and enjoy that and have the boat in it's usual slip on the main lake.

We cant afford lakefront on our lake, taxes are too high but I did find one... an old summer house that is a total tear down on a nice cove but toward the MAX of our price range. Crap house- but lakefront... I could just imagine every morning looking out on the water. Whats a guy to do?

 

[oops!]

Re: How close do you live to your waterway?

buy the carp house and renovate it.

when you are done....with sweat equity.....you may double your investment.....

lake shore will never go down in price.

12 years ago i could have bought lake shore at 650k.....the stuff is minimum 2 mill now....even the old shacks. (not many of those left....they are being bought up as fast as they come on the market

 

[CR CRUISER]

Re: How close do you live to your waterway?

About 40'.

We couldn't afford the $M+ for a waterfront home so we did the next best thing and got a waterfront ground floor condo. The pic below is from our patio which is sheltered fom the elements. With the patio heater on we can sit out there at any time of the year, warm and dry. It's only been 8 months since we moved in but we will never tire of the view.

Every evening during the summer, the Alaska cruise ships pass by. There are 3 resident seals (Curly, Larry and Moe) that hang out all year round. So far we have seen dolphins, porpoises, sea otters, grey and killer whales right out in front of us. The storm watching is fantastic. A couple of days ago we had a moderate storm and the waves were crashing right up to the walkway.

 

[r.j.dawg]

Re: How close do you live to your waterway?

About 40'.

We couldn't afford the $M+ for a waterfront home so we did the next best thing and got a waterfront ground floor condo.

Same as us except we have about a 100 ft walk. By the way CR CRUISER, you are in the exact town that we want to retire in. I was stationed in Holberg when I was in the Air Force and fell in love with the island life.
Our condo is located in downtown Barrie an the shores of Kempenfelt Bay, Lake Simcoe. Our boat however is at a marina up in Orillia, about a half hour drive in McPhee Bay. We love it here. Being on the water is so relaxing and it's great to be able to do it full time. Here's the view from our 12th floor balcony.

 

[mnypitboat]

Re: How close do you live to your waterway?

We boat in all differant waterways and lakes, but are strategically located between the intercoastal and the St Johns River and we store our boat at a marina on the St Johns. We could never afford the size of home with a pool and patio bar that we have now on the water, or even close to it. Next time we buy, it will be much smaller and on the water. Its not so terrible where we are though. I dont like to be locked to one area or one lake.

 

[CR CRUISER]

Re: How close do you live to your waterway?

Same as us except we have about a 100 ft walk. By the way CR CRUISER, you are in the exact town that we want to retire in. I was stationed in Holberg when I was in the Air Force and fell in love with the island life.
Our condo is located in downtown Barrie an the shores of Kempenfelt Bay, Lake Simcoe. Our boat however is at a marina up in Orillia, about a half hour drive in McPhee Bay. We love it here. Being on the water is so relaxing and it's great to be able to do it full time. Here's the view from our 12th floor balcony.

We moved here from Sharon, Ontario (just outside of Newmarket) 25 years ago. It's heaven. In less than 20 minutes from leaving home I can be out salmon fishing, or in the mountains hunting or snowmobiling. It's 45 minutes to Mt Washington ski resort. Boating is a year round event. I only haul the boat for maintenance.

And to the OP, there is only so many feet of waterfront property, be it on a lake or the ocean. Real estate values can only go up so if you can swing it, grab it.

 

[ngt]

Re: How close do you live to your waterway?

I'm 10-15 minutes from the closest river. About 20 from the closest small lake and 30 from the closest bigger lake. The river I'd like to fish in the most is about 45 minutes. So is the ocean. I usually drive to one of those with my boat. I would LOVE to retire out on some riverfront property. There are some tiny little homes on the road I'd like to live on for about $350,000.

There's only one lake near here you can live on and it's 1 1/2 hours away and I'd rather not live there.

 

[erwinner]

Re: How close do you live to your waterway?

We've got a public lake with a spillway to a private lake about 20 minutes away from me.
They both have houses all around and I can't afford either the public side ($$$) or the private side. ($$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$)
Next closest lakes are both a little over an hour's drive, past that you have to start looking at 3 hours. I need to move to east Texas or something...

 

[rbh]

Re: How close do you live to your waterway?

Same as us except we have about a 100 ft walk. By the way CR CRUISER, you are in the exact town that we want to retire in. I was stationed in Holberg when I was in the Air Force and fell in love with the island life.
Our condo is located in downtown Barrie an the shores of Kempenfelt Bay, Lake Simcoe. Our boat however is at a marina up in Orillia, about a half hour drive in McPhee Bay. We love it here. Being on the water is so relaxing and it's great to be able to do it full time. Here's the view from our 12th floor balcony.

Holberg, worked base line there and maintained the gator site. (rotten old poles)

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: How close do you live to your waterway?

pic from my kitchen

 

[Beefer]

Re: How close do you live to your waterway?

It's 32' from the edge of the patio to the start of my dock. Small backyard, small yard maintenance = more boating time (year round I might add)

 

[Pierutrus]

Re: How close do you live to your waterway?

pic from my kitchen

Alright Howard...........
You make me sick with envy, drooling included!:redface:

 

[KDAVID1]

Re: How close do you live to your waterway?

live between a 75 acre lake and a 53 acre lake (in the back yard)--take the boat to another lake that is 1 mile through the woods (it's about 6 miles on the road) when the water is up and do most of my fishing 32 miles from the house. In the pic the water behind me is the 75 acre lake.

 

[gtochris]

Re: How close do you live to your waterway?

Well, we looked at a few more today, the demo house I am ruling out. Found another one for a similar price but on a main road and low elevation which are turn-offs... Taxes are also near 10K/ year... BUT has 4 slips so maybe i can find 3 renters?

I'm also wondering if homeowners insurance is generally higher for lakefront property? No one really knows since it is so individule and some places need flood insurance. I have to assume more liability.

 

[bigdee]

Re: How close do you live to your waterway?

I'm also wondering if homeowners insurance is generally higher for lakefront property? No one really knows since it is so individule and some places need flood insurance. I have to assume more liability.[/QUOTE]

Insurance is governed differently by each the state. In nc waterfront homes (except coastal and floodplain zones) are insured just like any other home. The home is usually insured for the build-back value not the real estate value.

 

[Bamaman1]

Re: How close do you live to your waterway?

Homeowners' insurance is often higher due to the fire department rating--and volunteer fire departments in rural settings are not quick to save burning houses. If a home is above the maximum pool of a man made lake, flood insurance shouldn't be required.

Our house is less than 50' from the water. With five miles of water visible, it's almost living on the ocean. Down the street are two Robert Trent Jones 18 hole public golf courses, and another private RTJ course across the lake.

Lake front footage averages $2500 per foot. The average house on our side of the lake is 5500 square feet.

Tired of big property taxes? Move to Alabama. If an owner is disabled, there's no property tax. AL property taxes on a nice $200K house are about $650. Sorry, New Jersey, New York, California and the upper Midwest, for the incredible tax loads you've been asked to pay for incredibly poorly run states. Taxes are only going to get higher.

Every state and most major cities in the southeast have major lakes closeby with a high quality, reasonably priced lifestyle. And, we even see green grass in the Winter, and don't freeze our tails off.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: How close do you live to your waterway?

This is from my Tahoe house.

 

[sasto]

Re: How close do you live to your waterway?

I'm 60' out in the water in a cockpit!

Regarding taxes. They are public records that can be looked up on your state's website.

 

[Fishing Dude too]

Re: How close do you live to your waterway?

Live next to a swamp in a mobile home assn. It's about 300 ft to my dock then 1/8th mile run to Lake Erie, cost for everything to do with park, and taxes I have to pay under a grand a year. With houseing prices what they are can buy a place cheep right now, under $35,000 with dock. Can live there year round, so not a bad deal. I have an end trailer so nice veiw of the swamp, there are 6 on lake, it lays at the end of a dead end road. Forgot 99 year lease on lot, with 75 years left will be rewritten within 10 years back to 99 years.

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: How close do you live to your waterway?

Alright Howard...........
You make me sick with envy, drooling included!:redface:

yeah, but from a NV perspective, this pic of how it looks 4 months of the year should stop the drooling