As long as I can remember, spring comes every year…at about the same time. And along with it we get fresh air, warmer weather, and the desire to get outdoors and take in some of the duties that feel new again. Things like cleaning up the yard, channeling the standing water off the driveway, and maybe even washing the windows. It’s hard to imagine that anyone will miss snow shoveling by April, so many of these chores seem kind of fun.
While the snow is melting and the lakes are starting the break up, the idea of owning a lake cabin may also come to mind. Just being outdoors is pleasurable again, and you begin to think it could be even better if you had a place on the water. But you probably won’t be the only one contemplating that.
We’ve all been penned up inside for a little too long, and we are drawn to new sites and new ideas during this changing of seasons. So you may very well run into a little competition out there as you begin your hunt for the perfect lake place. But what’s even worse is your limited time in being able to find one. Remember that you’ve also got all those new challenges around the home to take care of now that the weather is nicer. And the end of summer is only about FOUR MONTHS AWAY!
How are you ever going to take the time to find a lake cabin, get financing, get it closed, and still have time to use it this year? Here is an idea: Start earlier!!!
Instead of waiting for everything to melt and green up, get out there ahead of the crowds. Generally, by the end of February or the beginning of March, a lot of snow has melted, and you can get around pretty well. You will probably also beat a lot of the rush, so you won’t get as worried about having to compete with someone else when you find the perfect spot. But best of all, you will be able to take ownership of you new lake cabin before summer starts. And that means a full season of enjoyment at the lake.
One more thing you should think about when searching for lake properties is that you will be covering a lot of ground in your travels. I’ve had plenty of buyers give me just a couple properties they want to look at that they found on the Internet, even though they are going from the Twin Cities to Grand Rapids to check them out. That obviously isn’t a very efficient use of their time, so I do my best to find others that will fit their needs. Generally, we end up seeing more like ten or twelve cabins…and quite often they fall in love with one they never even noticed before.
So make sure you use your agent to the fullest. They are there to help you sort through things that might work for you, and eliminate those that won’t. The Internet is a great tool for checking things out, but don’t rely on it for your entire searching, or you may become very disappointed. And you very well might miss the perfect lake place altogether!
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