January 23, 2009

The Next Best Thing to a Lakefront

Posted to Delavan, Julie Sarton

If you don’t have several million dollars handy to purchase a lakefront home, but like being near to or having a water view, having access to a private beach, or even having your own boat slip, don’t give up…a lake access home may be perfect for you. Most lakes in Walworth County offer homes in private home owners’ associations with shared lake access, be it via ten feet of frontage or through larger lakefront parks. Lake access associations can be as small as 5-10 homes, or as big as over 100 homes. Usually there is an elected Board of Directors, and yearly costs and dues are voted on at annual meetings. The dues support the costs of the shared lakefront: lawn maintenance, pier in/out and repairs, real estate taxes for the frontage, insurance, lifeguards for the swim pier, if any, etc.

Because the DNR regulates and restricts the number of piers and boat slips on our lakes, there are usually not enough slips for all the home owners with boats. In that case, you can put your name on a waiting list for the next available slip, which is determined by how soon someone moves. Traditionally once you get a slip you can keep it until you sell and move; once you move, the new owner moves to the bottom of the waiting list. Some associations are lucky enough to have a slip for every home owner; in the event of a sale, the slip transfers with the home. This is known as a ‘deeded’ or ‘transferable’ boat slip, and adds significant value to any home. While waiting for a boat slip, other temporary avenues are to rent a municipal buoy or place your boat in an in/out storage arrangement with a local marina. If you’re not a boater, just enjoy your shared lake frontage with a good book and some sun tan oil or marvel over some drop dead sunsets.

One of the best arrangements is to find an available home with an unimpeded lake view that sits on the association’s lakefront park. It looks just like a lakefront home, but since the land between the home and the lake is association land, you don’t pay lakefront taxes….a huge benefit! A good example of a lake access home association (and one of my favorites) is Windtree on Lake Delavan. Twelve homes wind down wooded, private Windtree Lane to a spacious lakefront park. Windtree offers a permanent boat slip for each owner on its association pier just off the park. Homes are priced from $425,000 fully furnished with a boat (see my listing here) to $800,000+.

At the time of this writing I searched four of our major lakes in Walworth County for listed lake access properties, and there were 196 of them priced from $85,000 to $1,600,000. For more information on these properties, visit my website at www.sartonproperties.com or email me at jsarton@keeferealestate.com. With such large inventories begging to be purchased at rock bottom prices and interest rates, now may be the time to treat yourself to a lake get-away!

Posted By: Julie Sarton



January 19, 2009

To Build or Not to Build...

Posted to Julie Sarton

In a housing climate like the current one, bulging with one of the largest inventories in years begging to be purchased and offering rock bottom prices, why would anyone want to take on the huge task of building a custom designed home?  Aside from the traditional  answers  of 1) getting exactly what you want in a home and 2) everything being brand new and hassle free, there are some building advantages for the buyer that have been created by the housing decline.

  1. Prices for basic materials, such as lumber, insulation, brick, concrete, and drywall, have lowered over the past year with the decreased demand for building.  For some builders who stock pile building materials and have an excess inventory due to this lull, they may be anxious to get rid of some inventory at lower costs.


  2. The prices of vacant land, similar to single family homes on the market, have also decreased.  Many sellers are extremely anxious to close on vacant properties that they may have had on the market for two years or more.  Some developers who bought up land in the housing boom, anticipating a large building demand that did not happen, are also desperate to unload some of their inventory at attractive prices.


  3. Labor costs have decreased in an effort to stay competitive with the deflated market and keep people working.  Some builders, anxious to keep their carpenters on the payroll, are willing to work for less.  The very availability of contractors is excellent; for the first time in years, you can get them on the phone!  Instead of merely ‘fitting you in', many are thankful for work and have more time to spend on your designs and desires.  These days you will find most builders responsive, fast and efficient at submitting competitive bids, and sharpening their pencils to get your business.  Some are offering free upgrades as incentives to build.
These changes in the custom home market may make the time involved in building worth it to get that perfect home you've always dreamed of.  As always, ask the contractor you choose for recommendations and testimonials on his work, and be sure to check out his financial stability; with the housing decline, some builders are flirting with insolvency.  For information on well priced vacant land listings in Walworth County, visit my website at www.sartonproperties.com or email me at jsarton@keeferealestate.com.  I also can recommend some of my favorite builders.

Posted By: Julie Sarton