Wife and I occasionaly watch some real estate home show where people by water front homes across the US. They tell the realtor what they are looking for. She usually shows them three and they pick one.

I see my wife looking on line after one recently so who knows.

I could see us selling and relocating for the right place. Wondering about prices and properties in your area. Maybe someplace you or family have a second home. Not the current "hot" place to buy. Something more sleepy and off the beaten path is better. Email in profile if you would rather recommend that way.

Criteria would be some of this.

Smaller home fine. 1000sq. ft. up to 1600 or so. Detached garage or shop a big plus. At least 1/2ac. More is better. Don't need a neighbor I can reach out and touch. Boat dock big plus. Water with quality fish a big requirement.

Four seasons is preferred. Winter and snow is good too. Don't need high humidity or a long summer of bugs. I am open to terrain. Like tree's but again I am open. Don't need a big city with in 30 mins. A couple hours is fine. Fewer people is better than droves by a bunch. Probably prefer the western 1/3 of the country. But the south might be a consideration. I guess every where is a consideration, what the heck.


Budget varied. $150k would be great. Maybe $225k for the perfect spot.

Just throwing it out there.

Any thoughts?

Thanks.

$150-$225K for waterfront and acreage?

Good luck with that. Never happen around here.

What part of the country?
What water? Ocean? Lake? River?

Ozarks in Arkansas.

Northern side of Greers Ferry lake is very inexpensive yet one of the prettiest lakes around.

I was eyeing this place:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_SouBJqgF8

but they sold it earlier this month. I was
about $5 million short, sold lots of guns,
but still couldn't come up with the $5 mil

Thanks guys, PH, I understand. That part of the country probably interests me the least anyways.

Chel, good question. I am pretty open. Ocean would be awesome. Lake would be great too. River possibly as well.

As I said i am pretty open to the location.

Ark, hmmmm? Thanks Dusty

A 1600 square foot house on 1/4 acre in town will be $150K here, if it is in any kind of condition to move into.

Give Lake Hartwell a look. It borders GA and SC. My wife is from Hartwell and her grandparents have a place on the lake. Great water, not nearly as busy as Lake Lanier (closer to Atlanta), and depending on where you look on the lake prices can vary greatly. Might be able to find what you're looking for there. Weather is generally mild over fall and winter, but late spring and summer can be hot if you're not used to it.

-I missed the humidity mention in the OP. That might take Hartwell or anything else in the SE US out.

Don't tell anybody this... but you can find places on nice lakes and rivers in the midwest for that kind of money. It'll be our little secret. We don't want too many east or west coast liberals comin' in and gobbling them up.
But it'll take some work drillin' down to the exact perfect place for you.

The Lake of the Ozarks is party town USA between Memorial Day and Labor Day. But the rest of the year it's pretty quiet. It's a big lake, but depending on what part of the lake you can have super-expensive or quiet and reasonably priced. We go to the Lake of the Ozarks because we have a family place there but I really like Bull Shoals, part in MO and part in AR, which has way less development and is a really pretty lake.

We've been looking in NC. At Lake Gaston $350K will get you a double wide on a really nice, flat waterfront lot. The same $350K will get you a 3BR/2BA modular home on a really crappy steep lot with many steps going down to the water.

On the Outer Banks ocean front is probably not desirable due to flood insurance rates, but can be had for about $450K and up. On the sound about $350K. You can be near the water for about $250K. All these are very general descriptions.

Do the due diligence looking at the often required flood insurance and wind and hail coverage

I've got 300' waterfront and between the 2 cost me about $10k annually

If it's required make sure to assume the NFIP policy PRIOR to closing or it will be considered as new and will be written at actuarial amounts

Let's say eastern Washington state, someplace near Lake Chelan. Somewhat safely away from such extreme lefty havens like Seattle, though many city dwellers have second and vacation homes in the area. Oh well, you can't have it all. Unimproved lots start at $100k, avg. construction costs for a 2000sf home around $160/sf, likely higher for something smaller. Plus the more remote, the more likely that cost will increase. A 1000sf newly constructed home with lot will probably set you back a minimum of $275k. And with no guarantees that there won't be a meth lab or two just down the road from you.

East of the Cascades the temperatures are more extreme. Cold in winter and toasty in summer. If you're a hunter it can be great, though the bureaucracy of the state's fish and wildlife department can drive you nuts. Then there are the wildfires, a very real concern each and every summer. Don't forget flood insurance, another reality of living next to water. But you would definitely get your four seasons that you're after.

As for the pinko side of WA State...in this state oceanside property would be vastly overrated, IF it were well regarded to begin with. It's not; too much inclement weather out at the coast, most of it overcast and gray even when it's calm. Generally depressing; makes for a higher than average suicide rate. Choose to live it and you will quickly understand why.

Moving inland a bit: living on Puget Sound is considerably nicer but typically very costly. Far north of your target price points. Then there's the salt air, not fun for all sorts of things made from steel, if you get my meaning. Mitigation measures are an absolute must. And now you're among the throngs of aliens (i.e., anyone NOT born in WA State) that have forever destroyed what was once simple and pristine in western Washington state. Oh well. As they say, there goes the neighborhood. Most lakefront lots these days are in built up communities; not much relief from those pesky humans.

It'll be slim pickings in most places, in that price range. Maybe in the deep South or Mid-West, or perhaps in places like remote Idaho. But if it's further than a day drive from your current location the likelihood that you go often drops quite a bit, and what good is a lake house if you only go a few days a year...

We are talking about a move so for the most part. Full time residency.

If something like this is what you are looking for, then I'd look in northern Michigan.

This is another example that's actually for sale.

Soggy mentioned the Puget Sound. I'm in the process of purchasing 104' of high bank East facing waterfront. The lot is a total of 1.25 acres and there is a community beach with a cabana and fire pit. The development has a water system and power to each lot. The agree upon price is $115,000.00. Septic will have to be installed. It sits about two hours from Seattle and about an hour from Tacoma.
It is remote, but you have neighbors. I wouldn't rule out Puget Sound. The water is too cold for recreational swimming however the Puget Sound has some of the best SCUBA diving in the world.
Fishing is great also. Winters are grey and winter days are short. Summers are short but the days are long.

Lakefront home at the Lake of the Ozarks would be doable near the top of your price range.
Also, There is a little secret about the Realtor showing the potential Buyer 3 homes

In some of the areas of the Yoop, you can get property in your price range.
But.... If you want to live near one of our major (but still small) towns you will shoot 300K pretty quick.
Oh... We can be buggy this time of year.
Lots of quality fish. Snow too!

Check out the Wenatchee River in Washington. Sounds like it fits all the criteria you mentioned so far.

Cheers~

You can find a home with canal frontage down toward Gulf Shores, AL and along that stretch (that is, Gulf Shores>Orange Beach>Perdido> Pensacola) that is NOT beachfront for around 185-225K, assuming you don't mind it being a bit dated. 250K to 350K gets you a more modern, amenities filled home with extras in the same spot. Move that over to beachfront and it starts around 600K and goes up.

Now, if you want an ocean view, and a good deal on some across-the-road-from-the-gulf views, then look into Gulfport, Biloxi, Ocean Springs, Long Beach, Bay St. Louis, or Waveland Mississippi. The beaches aren't as white as the Alabama and Florida gulf, owing to their proximity to the Mississippi River, but you can buy a raw acre of land around some of those parts for under 150K (unheard of prior to Katrina).

Of course, if you look down Waveland/Diamondhead way, you're mighty close to Louisiana and the inshore fishing (reds and specks) factors in....