After returning from a quick trip to VT, my husband and I went to view four lake houses in quick succession.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of all the drives we’ve taken for open houses, the first of the four was the easiest and most pleasant. We liked the area, the house lot, and the lake view. Unfortunately the house itself was stinker, in the literal sense. Upon walking inside, the first thing I noticed was a musty smell. That’s not unusual for lake houses, especially vacant ones, but as I headed farther inside, I was hit with a nearly overwhelming blast of moldy odor. In that moment I knew the house was not for us. It wasn’t merely in need of a few updates. It had been sorely neglected for years. I nicknamed it “The Moldy Oldie.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Somehow I convinced my husband to see another house just a few days later. The pictures had looked too good to be true, but I have to say, its real-life appearance did not disappoint. It had been beautifully staged, and even though it wasn’t quite my style, the staging looked so good that I would have begged to buy the furniture and decorations and keep it exactly as it was. The lake’s shortcomings, of which there were a few, could largely be fixed, I thought, with some fencing, a new deck, and a new dock. By the time I was done looking at the property, I was pretty sure we’d make an offer on it. But, when we got back to the car, my husband showed me a picture of a nasty patch of mold he’d found in the basement. Ugh. I knew the house had had mold problems in the past, and if one patch had been missed, who knew what others might be lurking in various crevices of the basement or under new floors and fresh paint. Regretfully, no thanks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The next day, almost like a gift from the gods, we got a message from a Realtor we’d talked to about buying a property we’d been considering. She told us that the sellers, who previously had been unwilling to cut a deal, were now feeling pressured to sell and would probably accept our offer. It was almost painful to hear that, because we’d put our dreams for that one behind us already. We had gotten over our initial excitement and had had time to think about how risky it was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hoping to find some clarity, I talked my husband into viewing two more properties the following weekend. The first was in a nearby town, which would have been so convenient for us, and I had high hopes. Those hopes would not be fulfilled, however. The lot was surrounded by hideous fencing, and much of the ground had been covered with concrete or asphalt. The house was tolerable but needed updating and there was no easy way to get to the water from it. The neighbor’s neglected lot ruined the view and their barking dog spoiled the soundscape. The water was murky and filled with tiny mussel shells, perhaps the same invasive zebra mussels that have infested my beloved Keuka Lake in NY. We pretty much disliked everything about the property. With all that concrete and fencing, not to mention the “guard dog,” it was like being in prison. My husband dubbed it “The Compound.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moving on, we drove out to see a house that was out of our price range. That one had been on the market for a while, and we thought perhaps we might lowball the sellers if we really liked it. It was, in fact, a very likable house. I have little negative to say about it except that, as my husband put it, “It’s not cozy.” At over 3,500 square feet, it was huge, and not only was much of the space wasted–bathrooms bigger than usual without the fine details that would make them seem posh, for example–but the space would be wasted on us. It’s a house that deserves a large family, which we are not. So we’re not going to try to buy it, but I’m glad we went. Not only was that particular lake nice, but we passed a couple of other beauts on our way there, and I will definitely keep that area in mind for the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most importantly, what the “Big House” (ha-ha) showed us is that there are nice lake houses out there that cost less than what we’d ultimately spend on that other property we’d been considering. So we decided not to make the offer on the risky property. Are we spurning the gods? Will we regret it later? I mean, it has so much potential. The numbers don’t lie, though. I may not be entirely happy about our decision, but I am comfortable with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And so, unless something truly amazing pops up in the very near future, we are not buying a lake house this year. My husband has made it clear that he’s done looking for now. I, too, am tired of the hunt. I’ve already started to decommission my Zillow “home base.” Though I wished for a different outcome, no one can say I didn’t try. Maybe next year will be our year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
After returning from a quick trip to VT, my husband and I went to view four lake houses in quick succession. Of all the drives we’ve taken for open houses, the first of the four was the easiest and most … Continue reading