Have you viewed an episode of HGTV’s popular program, Beachfront Bargain Hunt? If you haven’t, here is the premise. People that are dreaming of living at the Atlantic Ocean or Gulf of Mexico (correct me if I am wrong but I haven’t seen an episode yet at another body of water) search for a waterfront home. The trouble is that the locations they like are more accommodating to million plus budgets and not the $300,000 or less budget of the people on the show. Three or four waterfront homes are toured and there is a reason for the ask price such as a road or highway that needs to be crossed to reach the beach or the home is a condo. It is pretty surprising to see some of the properties available. Just like HGTV’s House Hunters and House Hunters International, I find it fun to watch and try to figure out which home is going to be chosen.
Buying a lake home in Alexandria or at a lake nearby Alexandria also is within reach for almost every budget (the home pictured below sold for $222,500 in 2106 at Lake Vermont). Like the people searching on Beachfront Bargain Hunt, being realistic is an important part of success. I suggest having a spreadsheet with ‘must haves’ and ‘wants’. If you are willing to drawn a line through some or all of the wants and satisfy all or most of your ‘must haves’, you are probably going to be able to find a home. 31 families that paid $100,000 or less will be spending the summer of 2017 at a lake in Douglas, Pope or Todd County. The majority of the properties are in associations and the home is a mobile home. That style of living may not be for you but I can almost guarantee that people that are the new owners will have a great time. If their expectations were for privacy and a large interior, they aren’t going to be very pleased.
With a budget up to $300,000, you can own a home at The Chain of Lakes if you are okay with being in an association such as Blakes by the Lakes or are okay with a home needing some renovation and/or (more than likely ‘and’) having a number of steps down to the shoreline. If you go to my ‘LAKE HOMES‘ page and do a price search up to $300,000 (or just click on the Lakefront Bargain Hunt image) you will see what I mean. There are properties at Lake Darling, Lake Victoria, and Lake Jessie available as of today, January 10th, 2017. The inventory of lake homes on the market is pretty light right now because of the time of year but stay tuned. The time new listings of lake homes start hitting the market varies each year.
