The Benefits of “No Longer Allowed”

Last week the Wall Street Journal had an article titled ‘The Last of Their Kind’. The article was about zoning rule restrictions that don’t allow homeowners to add certain features to their homes and how if a home has a feature that is no longer allowed, it could be an advantage over other properties when it is time to sell. Since the no longer allowed feature already existed, it is ‘grandfathered-in’. I thought of this article yesterday when I was at a Lake Carlos home that has a boathouse. Lake home owners can no longer build any permanent structures within the setback area from the shoreline but if it existed prior to that restriction it stays. Owners can improve it but can’t increase the dimensions.  So, keep that in mind as you are hunting for lake homes. It may add value and also bring enjoyment to you and your family. There are some really cool boathouses that would make fun lakeside lounges or comfortable guest quarters. Whenever I see a boathouse I imagine an afternoon siesta and falling asleep to the sounds of the lake. Or, sitting at a desk publishing a blog post about tightened zoning rules.