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1 The Shoulder Seasons are Likewise Incredible

Whether you've always wanted to live by the water or you're expanding your realty portfolio, these are the top places to buy a lake home.
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Lydia Mansel is an author with more than eight years of experience modifying and composing for both brands and online publications-with a particular focus on travel, style, and lifestyle. She's likewise the creator of the travel website justpacked.com.

For numerous, lake homes are associated with summer season nostalgia. Barbeques, rejuvenating dips in the chilly water, beautiful sundowns, boat rides, and fireflies: If you've spent at any time by a lake in the warmer months, you're most likely well-acquainted with this specific brand name of getaway magic. You may even be seeking to recreate it on your own by buying your own lake home. If that's the case, but you're not exactly sure which lake you want to call your home (or your 2nd home) just yet, we can help.

There are rather literally thousands of lakes with property chances in the U.S., so we talked to a couple of professionals to narrow down the choice. Below, they're sharing their choices for the best locations to purchase a lake home this year.

Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri

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" Lake of the Ozarks is a fantastic location to purchase a lakefront residential or commercial property today since, in addition to using lots of year-round activities, the residential or commercial property is still cost effective," states Elena Novak, lead property researcher at PropertyChecker.com. Missouri-based Matt Smith Real Estate Group reports that, in February of this year, the average price of homes in this part of the state was $448,585, while Zillow estimates the average home worth in the city of Lake Ozark is just above $340,000. "With realty prices increasing, these homes may become out of reach within the next 5 years," Novak warns-so if you have an interest in a peaceful lakefront home that's simply a number of hours from hubs like Kansas City or St. Louis, now's the time to purchase.

Southwest Lake Erie Region, Michigan and Ohio

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When determining the very best to buy a lake house, Julie Brinkman, the CEO at Beyond, a revenue management system for holiday rentals, was focused on locations that make the most financial sense for those looking for residential or commercial properties to contribute to their rental portfolio. "The southwest Lake Erie area, surrounding both Michigan and Ohio, has an average annual income per listing of $34,000 and a typical yearly occupancy rate of 40 percent," she states. As of May 2025, Zillow has a handful of homes in the area-in Luna Pier, Michigan