Closer to town, those similar units near the large body of water go for at least an extra $100,000if not moresuch as this three-bedroom asking $539,000. People are moving back to the area, either after retirement or because they can work from their lake cottage, she says. The drive to Wolfeboro is about two hours from Boston and five from New York City. For outdoor enthusiasts, Chickasaw National Recreation Area (Oklahomas oldest national park) offers nearly 10,000 acres of camping, hiking, horseback riding, and biking. And isn't that what makes the best lake towns shine? Although some of these homes are pricier than many homes across the country, they offer the chance to get a waterfront property, and with hurricane season upon us, perhaps a safer location than an oceanfront home. Prices include all homes in these towns, including those on a lake. During the summer months, visitors and locals cruise along the shores of the 55-mile-long body of Lake Chelan, sailing, wakeboarding or paddling past historic cabins and vineyards. The small lakes around Chestertown have been booming with second home buyers this year, who make up about 80% of the real estate market. The 10 Best Places to Retire in the South - US News & World Report The 2019 Best Retirement Lake designation goes to this community for its not one, but two lakes. The Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway connects the area's extensive park system via roads and walking and biking trails. Bryson City, North Carolina, is a small town with big views. The 26,000-acre census-designated place boasts nine golf courses, dozens of restaurants, 14,000 residents and 11 lakes with plenty of single-family houses and townhomes on the shores. The small community of Georgetown on the Carolina coast is what Charleston used to be - 200-year-old homes (more than Charleston, in fact), lots of Southern . If they already had one home by the lake and they had another home in an expensive city and you had to consolidate, which are you going to choose? she says. While it's near the big central Florida tourist attractions, it has its own charm, with greenspaces like Central Park and museums like The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens, and Cornell Fine Arts Museum. This Charming Small Town in Upstate New York Was Just Named the Best Place to Buy a Lake House in 2023 8 Best Small Towns to Buy a Vacation Home in the U.S. Where to Buy a Vacation Home in Colorado For those who aren't as keen on sinking their toes into soft white sand, Charlevoix is also home to Lavender Hill Farm, with idyllic fields packed with 25 lavender varieties, and Castle Farms - an actual stone castle in northern Michigan. Sights include the Palace Hotel and Bath House, listed on the National Historic Register, as well as the Basin Park Hotel and the supposedly haunted Crescent Hotel. Rocky River, Ohio. Lake Ozark is a small town of less than 2,000 people in the Lake of the Ozarks region of Missouri. Aurora, New York. And yes, they can be terrific investments, too. Come for the entire summer, or just for the annual White Lake Water Festival traditionally held in May. Scout a rental property to live out your Southern lake dream sequence, or stay at The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee in Greensboro for waterfront five-star accommodations. Cheboygan, Michigan. 25. This makes it and the nearby town of Effingham a beloved getaway for families from nearby St. Louis, a drive of about an hour-and-a-half away. The most affordable small town in every state. Heres a $55,000 one-bedroom unit. 10 . Sandusky, OH. Those four-season attractions have made the areas lake homes a hot commodity among second homeowners. 2019 Best Retirement Lakes Admire the view of the Tennessee River from the McFarland Park Fishing Pier and be sure to grab a bite to eat at Stanfield's River Bottom Grill with a dockside view of the harbor. Located near Lake Toxaway, the largest private lake in the state, Cashiers has long been a favorite vacation spot and has also inspired people to relocate there for retirement. The New York Finger Lakes region is a pristine part of the state with 11 glistening bodies of water, each lined by towns with character. With a name like Sulphur, its no surprise that the area is famous for its mineral springs. The 55-mile-long body of water is ideal for sailing or paddling past historic cabins and sprawling vineyards. Many places with lake houses have activities. 10 Affordable Lake Towns To Buy A Waterfront Property - Forbes It just depends on what youre looking for, Schaben says. Situated approximately 40 miles southwest of Knoxville, this gated lakefront community offers space to grow and explore the iconic wilderness of the region. There are less costly options, such as this two-bedroom with views of the lake and Crystal River listed for $410,000. And last year was already nuts! At B-52 Brewery, you'll find them serving up a new brew release every Friday alongside live music performances. You can drive 30 minutes to Austin to go out for a meal or take in some live music, or unwind in the quieter suburb of Lakeway, where you'll still find great barbeque and Tex-Mex. Just an hour-and-a-half by car from Birmingham, Guntersville boasts nearly 1,000 miles of shoreline on more than 69,000 acres of water. Minneapolis is just over three hours northwest, and Chicago more than three hours northeast. There has been a steady uptick in the number of people seeking out homes in lake towns over the past few years, says Glenn S. Phillips, CEO of Lake Homes Realty. This five-bedroom, two-bedroom house is listed for $325,000. Rangeley Lake is known for terrific fishing (it's a trout and salmon hub), swimming, canoeing, and kayaking. One of the best things is that were far enough from any major metropolitan area that our lakes are not that busy relative to their size, says Deborah Fullford, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Schmidt Realtors of Indian River. Situated near Columbia, South Carolina's capital city, and just a short drive from Lake Murraya 50,000-acre reservoir with more than 600 miles of shorelineLexington is a great place to live. Reality check: Most of us are no more likely find ourselves in ostentatious ocean estates in Malibu, the Hamptons, or Bal Harbour than we are to enjoy an eight-minute joyride to the edge of space. 10 Best Lakes in Georgia - From North to South - Lake Rabun Hotel Chelan offers housing options at a wide range of price points. And that is providing an opening for regular folks with steady jobs who have been saving up for just this opportunity to swoop in. 21 Best Mountain Towns to Visit in the USA | U.S. News Travel Waterfront condos start in the mid 300s like this two-bedroom listed at $349,000. Homes in These 25 Waterfront Cities Are a Total Steal You'll also find the town of Bigfork, Montana, which has old Western resort town energy, not dissimilar to the ski towns you'd find in Colorado mining country. If you're looking for the perfect vacation town on Lake of the Ozarks, look no further than Osage Beach. 15 Cutest Small Towns in The South, USA - Southern Trippers Cayuga Lake is known for its stunning wine trail and Aurora, nestled right on the shores of Cayuga, is in close proximity to wineries along the lake as well as wineries lining the adjacent Seneca Lake. Median home price: $260,000. House hunters who want easy access to entertainment after paddleboarding, kayaking, or boating across 43,000 acres of water will appreciate one of the many waterfront homes on Table Rock Lake. Best South Carolina Lakes to Buy Lakefront Property Even though it has dropped a couple of spots, Sandusky remains a popular vacation spot for Midwesterners looking for lake living at affordable prices. In terms of housing, though, Dillon is much cheaper than those numbers suggest. Chattanooga, Tennessee. Set on the banks of Lake Erie, the popular vacation destination offers a revitalized downtown with good shopping and dining. The presence of water-based activities and attractions was one of the main ranking factors for this list. For many, lakeside living is the answer. Once an old port town, Sandusky is now known as a major recreation and entertainment destination. There are few things more relaxing than the quintessentially American lake vacation. Thinking of Buying a Lakeside Home? This northern Wisconsin resort town (165 miles northwest of Green Bay) has all the ingredients of a great family vacation , including more than 3,000 lakes in Vilas and Oneida counties. Its a way to feel secure about making payment, so they can float it if the world turns upside down, he says. Affordable lakeside towns with homes for sale now | Trulia Legend has it that seven mineral springs in Springs Park have healing powers. Buyers on a budget, who dont mind roughing it a bit, can check out this small cabin on Pennock Island for just $79,000. Homes can vary widely in price: A single-family fixer-upper on the water can go for around $250,000 or into the millions.. We are right between Minneapolis and Chicago, and its a relatively quick trip on the interstate for people from those regions to come and vacation, says one real estate agent, Kirkland Kettleson of Century 21 Affiliated. The top 10 most affordable lakes for lakefront homes in Michigan are listed below, with the most affordable lake at No. The family-friendly area boasts water sports and a drive-in movie theater in the summer months with plenty of hockey, ice fishing and other outdoor winter sports during the colder parts of the year. Just a three-hour drive, the idyllic glacial valley, located across the Cascade Range in the high desert, centers on the crystal-clear waters of Lake Chelan. There has been a lot of new development in the area, as more people from out of state discover the Spirit Lake area, says Schaben. ( (Tony Franzel for Realtor.com)) 1. You can find traces of all of them in Florence, Alabama. Then we ensured these were the kind of places buyers want to be, by searching for the towns with the most water-based businesses, like marinas, restaurants, and activities, using U.S. Census Bureau data. Estes Park, CO. 3.8%. Waterfront condos start in the mid $300,000s, like this one-bedroom listed at $349,000. Nestled into the scenic foothills of the Berkshire Mountains, this picturesque community is home to Highland Lake, one of the largest lakes in Connecticut and a popular spot for residents to beat the summer heat. Lake Ariel, Pennsylvania. Venture into Ithaca, New York for dinner at Maxie's Supper Club, visit Heart & Hands Wine Company in nearby Union Springs, and of course, stay at Inns of Aurora for a luxurious lakeside escape at one of their five beautifully curated inns. They were all built around the citys natural springshence the name. Meera Pal is a Northern California-based writer with a background in journalism and books. This Texas coastal city is known for its soft sand and its profound birding and fishing culture. Buyers can find three-season cottages on the water that need some fixing up starting in the $100,000 range, like this two-bedroom ranch with river access listed for $125,000. * Median home list prices as of June from Realtor.com. Alabama's Lake Town lives up to its moniker by offering plenty of activities on and off the water. Last on our list of the best lakes in Georgia is the "Big Bass Capital of the World." Walter F. George Lake extends 85 miles along the Chattahoochee River and is formed by the Walter F. George Lock and Dam. 11 Affordable Places to Retire on the Waterfront - Topretirements It's an ideal setting for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of large cities. But in todays overheated housing market, is the concept of owning your own waterfront home a punishing fantasy or an achievable reality? Best of 2020: Walkable Towns - Strong Towns But its not just the water that makes the area so special and desirable. Unlike beach towns, lake towns never close for an off season, so there's always plenty to do and see year-round. Known as Alabamas Lake City, its surrounded by older trees, rugged mountains, and has cultural amenities like a regional theater company. The 25 Most Affordable Places to Rent in the U.S. - Newsweek Branson, MO (Table Rock Lake & Lake Taneycomo) Table Rock Lake, MO Photo courtesy of wanderthemap.com. If you love the outdoors, you'll appreciate Deerfield Beach's Quiet Waters Park, where you can camp, fish, and ride some of the longest cable ski courses in the U.S. Lake Greenwood in Lake Greenwood State Park, located right outside the towns of Ninety Six (yes, real name) and Greenwood, offers 11,400-acres of floating fun. She writes about food, travel, and real estate for Zagat, FoodNetwork.com, BBC Travel, and more. Paducah and the small towns that surround it offer up fun on the area's many lakes and rivers. Covington is an excellent one, with state parks, biking trails, easy access to the lake, a great brewery in Abita Springs, coffee shops, restaurants, and waterways streaming through. From Turnip Greens Country Market, where you'll find a farmer's market as well a range of boutique stores, to Vernon Square, with historic sites and trails, Darien is an ideal destination for a low key family getaway. 10 Surprisingly Affordable Lake Towns To Own Property in Across the US Most Affordable Lake Areas to Call Home - Lake Homes Realty The region boasts seven lakes, with the three largest natural bodies of water located in the town proper: Big Spirit Lake, West Okoboji Lake, and East Okoboji Lake. With a population of roughly 14,500, Lake Ariel is among the quieter, more peaceful lake towns. Statesboro's place among America's cheapest small towns is largely due to housing costs, which are 32% lower compared with the national average. The 800-acre recreational lake is surrounded by a wooded shoreline, winding road and grassy picnic spots that come right up to the edge of the water. The International Wolf Center and North American Bear Center are probably the most happening spots in town. The community is home to several private bodies of water: Roamingwood Lake, Deerfield Lake, Brooks Lake, Windermere Lake, Hidden Lake, and Big Springs Pond. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. And while it is possible to find a single-family home on the water that needs a bit of love for under $200,000, the pickings at that price point are slim. Stay at Lakeside Inn, Florida's oldest continuously operating hotel, and get your fill of delicious Florida cuisine, offered by chef Norman Van Aken at his restaurant 1921. Enjoy the natural beauty while hiking through the park, or set out for a swim in nearby Greers Ferry Lake. This three-bedroom across the street from Big Bass Lake was listed at $229,000. Eureka, California. There is also an active and vibrant local arts scene thanks to the Lake Placid Center for the Arts.