Lake House

[ThisLadyHunts]

We’ve found a house that meets our requirements and budget. I’m just curious what current lake house or former lake house owners have to say about owing a lake house. Super fun? Would recommend it?

Lots of maintenance—not only house but boats, jet skis, etc.—but, yes, super fun.

[lilavidhunter]

We lived on Lake Livingston for 10 years. It was awesome. Get up in the morning and drink coffee looking across the lake. Want to go for a ride, just hit the switch and boat is in the water in 60 seconds. We sold last year and now live one block off the water but have water view. The waterfront taxes just about tripled on Livingston around 2011 and I just couldn’t justify it anymore.

Probably why I won’t retire to Lakefront Property. Guess a Lakeview Place is in my Future if I live long enough.

[curtintex]

Lake House

Built a lakefront house on Livingston in 2016. Thought we’d retire there someday. Kids started playing varsity sports, AAU Summer Basketball and all that entails and the amount of time we got to spend there dwindled. We sold in 2020, but we enjoyed it while we had it. 45 minutes from door to door and it was a beautiful place.

Pros:
It’s a house on a lake
Great place to take family
Great place to entertain
Easy to drop boat in water and go

Cons:
COST TO OPERATE
Property taxes got stupid
Paid to have yard done
Paid to have house cleaned
Extra insurance for boats and jet skis
Extra DirecTV bill
Extra electricity bill
Extra gas bill
Extra phone/internet bill
Extra homeowners insurance

We budgeted for it and could afford it, but I could’ve stayed for a week at any Ritz Carlton once a month for what I spent on that house. Hit a homerun when I sold it though. Sure do miss LeBlanc’s Cajun Kitchen though.[emoji6]


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[EarleyBird]

Lots of maintenance—not only house but boats, jet skis, etc.—but, yes, super fun.

Inlaws have a lake house on Stanmire, built in 1929, I think. Wife and I got married in 1995 and it seemed like the whole family was there most every weekend from spring to fall. Eventually it got to where you spent the majority of the weekend fixing stuff and no time to just have fun. Eventually everyone just stopped going and the place declined pretty fast. About 7-8 years ago my FIL spent several thousand dollars to completely rebuild everything and we're back to enjoying it. We just got home from there about an hour ago, in fact.

It's a great thing to have, but you also better have a pretty healthy disposable income for the upkeep. I'd say it's worth it if you can afford it, and can afford to use it pretty regular. Lack of use will run one down in a hurry.

[LHPanther]

All great responses. Not many negatives being listed, which is great to hear. Naturally, maintaining a second residence is not what anyone wants to do during their free time, I get it, but it does come with the territory. Just try to maximize our time with the kids (7&9) before time runs out on us. Between ranch trips and lake trips, I’m hoping to build some deeply rooted memories and experiences with the kids.

[EarleyBird]

All great responses. Not many negatives being listed, which is great to hear. Naturally, maintaining a second residence is not what anyone wants to do during their free time, I get it, but it does come with the territory. Just try to maximize our time with the kids (7&9) before time runs out on us. Between ranch trips and lake trips, I’m hoping to build some deeply rooted memories and experiences with the kids.

Then there's your answer, brother! Enjoy the hell out of it and sell it for a profit later on!

[brains]

I don’t own one but my mother does, and my grandparents owned it before they passed. It’s just an older well kept single wide trailer house on lake Brownwood. We live in west Texas and it’s been a place where I grew up going to during the summers and now my kids are doing the same. There is not a time when I go down there when there isn’t work to be done but that’s always been part of having it. We always find time to play and create memories there. Wouldn’t trade that place for much other than another place on a better part of that lake.

[Buckshot4900]

I lived on Lake Fork for six years and it was nice ,BUT, they’re a pain in the rear to keep up mainly because of the sprinklers, sea wall and boat house and lift. ALWAYS something to work on.
My MIL still lives on Fork and hers may be for sale before too long. It’s 4/3/2.5 two story.


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[Quackerbox]

We have a 2 ac place on limestone. Been here since Thursday afternoon. We love it. Holidays are busy but we expect it. Fall and late winter it's a completely different vibe.

Cons for us is it's not directly on the water but we have nice enough neighbors who let us dock our boat. Actually have 2 spots for different winds[emoji3] it's 2 hours for us but not bad. Amenities close aren't that great but not suffering either.

Biggest is not being able to leave here for work. It's a pretty tight community with people driving up the driveway to introduce themselves and drink a beer.

I'm glad we bought when we did (2019) cause I don't think we could touch a place like this now


Biggest issue is the locals at night get kinda wild

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Should add...we also looked on the coast as it's about the same drive. He we have no hurricanes, stuff don't rust and you're not sticky at the end of the day

[Tx.Fisher]

We live on Richland Chambers full time and love it. Like others have said, a constant level lake would be nice. We are way back in a cove, so when the lake drops our cove is the first to show it which is a negative. But we don’t get the big waves of open water that tear everything up. Like others have said, it’s constant work to keep everything clean and updated.

Our land is right at 4 acres, so deer out the front porch, and fishing in the backyard is definitely worth the hard work. We are seriously contemplating renting it out occasionally. Our HVAC guy said the previous owner would rent it out on the weekends for $1300.

[armadillophil]

Just got back from Lake House...I'm beat lol. It is a lot of fun, work and money. We bought a project in 2018 on PK and gutted it. It has been a cash cow on vrbo and not sure I would want it if I couldn't rent it out. Plan on buying a boat, jet ski's, gas, beer, food and pulling kids all weekend but we have had some great times with friend's and family.

[Quackerbox]

We live on Richland Chambers full time and love it. Like others have said, a constant level lake would be nice. We are way back in a cove, so when the lake drops our cove is the first to show it which is a negative. But we don’t get the big waves of open water that tear everything up. Like others have said, it’s constant work to keep everything clean and updated.



Our land is right at 4 acres, so deer out the front porch, and fishing in the backyard is definitely worth the hard work. We are seriously contemplating renting it out occasionally. Our HVAC guy said the previous owner would rent it out on the weekends for $1300.

I'd be interested if yall decided to.

I wish I would have pushed my wide harder to look there

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[DedDuk]

I'd be interested if yall decided to.

I wish I would have pushed my wide harder to look there

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She know you call her that?

[Quackerbox]

She know you call her that?

That's when she ain't working. When she's running the weedeater or chainsaw I call her Juanita. She only gets honey when cooking dinner

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[BLee15]

In laws have a lake house. Only negative I would say is keeping the boat/ jet skis running. Water vehicles are a PITA to maintain. I swear every time my FIL fixes something on the boat something else will break and nothing is cheap about a boat or jet skis. The house/ view though is something I can used to.