Rattlesnake Island Association Lot

Rattlesnake Guy · 07-30-2010, 09:44 PM

Mopsymonroe,
Welcome to the forum and to your quest. My wife and I are enjoying our eighth season on Rattlesnake Island. We would like to invite you to be our guest and get a tour of the island. The island is the third or forth biggest on the lake and has about 180 lots, is about 2 miles long and 4 miles around.

We can pick you up and explain an awful lot about the ins and outs of what we have learned. We love Island living but are sure it is not for everyone. I can't think of a better way to get an understanding of the island than a sight seeing tour around it. I will send you a personal message with contact info if you are interested.

Again, welcome and good luck with your journey.
Rattlesnake Guy and Rattlesnake Gal

MAXUM · 07-30-2010, 10:59 PM

Darn it there is competition out there!!! Mopsymonroe you are pursuing the exact same thing I am, a piece of island property. I can't give you any advice per say, heck I've not even gone so far as to rent a place just to see what it's like, but I can tell you that I don't need to because the lure of "being away from it all" is good enough for me, along with the lower initial price.

So since you brought the subject up I've also got some questions in regards to the Rattlesnake Is Assoc some of which you brought up. I believe there are other islands that may too have associations although I have not yet gotten far enough into my search as of yet to discover which others may or may not.

So if anyone would be willing to field a few questions I have I'd greatly appreciate it as well and getting first hand advice on how you handle basic logistics would be really helpful too. I've been thinking about this for years now and have some ideas on how I'd do some things, but first hand experience is worth a heck of a lot more than my speculation. I'm not yet to the point of making an offer on anything, just starting out making inquiries....

At least I'm a couple steps ahead of you Mopsymonroe, already got a boat and have sleds for the winter time.

Best of luck in your pursuit and you're smart to tap into this forum. There are a lot of really nice and very helpful folks on here.

jkjoshuatree · 07-31-2010, 01:03 PM

I have a place on Bear Island and although I can't answer the "lot" questions regarding Rattlesnake, I can try to answer any other questions you have about island living.

Best way to get in touch with me is at [email protected] or you can just respond on here if you don't mind your questions being public.

hancoveguy · 07-31-2010, 03:10 PM

Just had a quick question...
We are in an association on the mainland and they are seasonal (May-Oct). The main obstcale is the water being shut off. Aside from the obvious issue of access, is this the case in most island situations as well? If you could get access in the winter months, sled, late boatride (December etc) could you use the place in the winter?

thanks
HCG

jkjoshuatree · 07-31-2010, 03:33 PM

We pull the water (a hose runs right into the lake to feed water to a pump and from there to the sinks and shower) the weekend we close (usually late November).

Although we have been up there for Thanksgiving. Ate everything off paper/plastic and cooked the turkey in one of those huge tin foil tins. The walk after dinner (which the whole family went on) amongst the fallen leaves on a brisk November day was something I'll never forget.

It really depends on when it gets cold enough for the water in the pipes to freeze (not the lake). We have to flush/drain all the water from the pipes when it starts getting too cold. That's when we know the season is over.

We've also been up there in February for a couple of days (one night). Chopped a hole in the ice, carried five gallon buckets up to the cottage to flush the toilet, wash dishes (after the water was heated on the stove), and taken a very chilly sponge bath (now you know why we stayed only 1 night).

So ideally, having a place on an island is a 6-8 (at best) month season. Something to think of if you're thinking of buying island property. My dad starts getting "itchy" to be back at the lake right after the chaos of the holidays. And he's there the first weekend after "ice-out" to open her up again.

Although I do know a gentleman who lives on Bear Island year round. He must have a generator or something to heat water for bathing...unless he's just really smelly for 4-5 months.

MAXUM · 08-01-2010, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jkjoshuatree

We pull the water (a hose runs right into the lake to feed water to a pump and from there to the sinks and shower) the weekend we close (usually late November).

Although we have been up there for Thanksgiving. Ate everything off paper/plastic and cooked the turkey in one of those huge tin foil tins. The walk after dinner (which the whole family went on) amongst the fallen leaves on a brisk November day was something I'll never forget.

It really depends on when it gets cold enough for the water in the pipes to freeze (not the lake). We have to flush/drain all the water from the pipes when it starts getting too cold. That's when we know the season is over.

We've also been up there in February for a couple of days (one night). Chopped a hole in the ice, carried five gallon buckets up to the cottage to flush the toilet, wash dishes (after the water was heated on the stove), and taken a very chilly sponge bath (now you know why we stayed only 1 night).

So ideally, having a place on an island is a 6-8 (at best) month season. Something to think of if you're thinking of buying island property. My dad starts getting "itchy" to be back at the lake right after the chaos of the holidays. And he's there the first weekend after "ice-out" to open her up again.

Although I do know a gentleman who lives on Bear Island year round. He must have a generator or something to heat water for bathing...unless he's just really smelly for 4-5 months.

If I do get so lucky as to pick up a place winter time use would be frequent, but clearly facilities are non existent that time of year. All I'd care about is having a well insulated place with wood stove, possibly pellet cause it's easy to keep the place somewhat warm inside. Can't have a place like that and not host at least a few snowmobile camps right? I'd expect and have seen thus far most places (in my price range) are not insulated or poorly insulated so that's something that can be done at a later time. I am weighing buying a lot and building myself which would probably take a couple years to complete but I could do it my way and be sure it's done right.

Lucky1 · 08-01-2010, 03:16 PM

I think I have read posts where people want to be able to get over to their island but cannot do so? Ice is not yet out but is not safe to walk on or drive on either comes to mind? Some on here live on islands that are really not islands as they have bridges.
If you do not know boats at all, how will all of this work? Do you prefer an island even if a mainland property were the same price or affordable for you? I know nothing about islands but there sure are a lot of happy island people on Winni Forum. Have you ever rented on the mainland?
Hope that you find your dream home but do take your time. We almost purchased several homes over more than a decade but am sure glad that we did not. This is simple but feels like heaven. That is what you want in the end so do take your time especially if you are new to a lot of the things. Are there any year round rentals? Act in haste, lament at leisure. Good luck to you.

nhd · 08-01-2010, 06:35 PM

My family and I have been living on an island since 1968. I am currently working at Prudential Spencer-Hughes in Alton, and specializing in island property. I would love to show you around the island properties (either land or camps) and all they have to offer and also the drawbacks (few in my mind!) and the benefits of island living....

When you want to look be sure to check out the website www.spencerhughes.com and call the Alton office 603 875-2020 and ask for Nancy DePorter.

Rattlesnake Guy · 08-01-2010, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lucky1

I think I have read posts where people want to be able to get over to their island but cannot do so? Ice is not yet out but is not safe to walk on or drive on either comes to mind? Some on here live on islands that are really not islands as they have bridges.
If you do not know boats at all, how will all of this work? Do you prefer an island even if a mainland property were the same price or affordable for you? I know nothing about islands but there sure are a lot of happy island people on Winni Forum. Have you ever rented on the mainland?
Hope that you find your dream home but do take your time. We almost purchased several homes over more than a decade but am sure glad that we did not. This is simple but feels like heaven. That is what you want in the end so do take your time especially if you are new to a lot of the things. Are there any year round rentals? Act in haste, lament at leisure. Good luck to you.

Not being able to come to the camp by car in the winter IS THE BIGGEST DRAWBACK TO ISLAND LIVING FOR US. We would love to be able to make a few trips to hang out and enjoy the winter. When we bought the mainland price was about 300% more for similar properties. We rented on the mainland for a week before we bought and enjoyed that too. For us, having no car is a good thing. We spend better quality time with the family. One negative to consider on the island property compared to the mainland is a bit more coordination in the spring and fall to open and close the essential stuff in a short time. In other words we have to get the dock, and water going in a single day to make it work. We then have to back out and close in a single day. Things like blowing out the water lines, pulling the line out of the lake, bringing home things that might freeze, lift the docks. All this kind of has to happen in a single day or weekend. We have made changes to make the process easier and easier each year. Each time we do it we think, what could we do to make this a little easier or result in a better ending. That first day and last day are getting easier and easier as I get older and older. That keeps it about equal. Someday I will have to hire help.

jrc · 08-01-2010, 09:56 PM

Maxum don't forget that most real estate agents work for the seller. They have no incentive to help you find something about the property you might not like. I'm not saying they will hide stuff, but they don't have to dig either.

When you see an interesting property, look up the deed history on nhdeeds.com. The deeded covenants should be in there and the association rules should be as well. I would never even bid on property with deed restrictions, without understanding them. There is some crazy stuff in deeds around the lake.

Rattlesnake Guy · 08-02-2010, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrc

Maxum don't forget that most real estate agents work for the seller. They have no incentive to help you find something about the property you might not like. I'm not saying they will hide stuff, but they don't have to dig either.

When you see an interesting property, look up the deed history on nhdeeds.com. The deeded covenants should be in there and the association rules should be as well. I would never even bid on property with deed restrictions, without understanding them. There is some crazy stuff in deeds around the lake.

You are right about the crazy stuff in deeds. When we bought a lot from our neighbor we were very surprised that the previous transaction had the provision added as follows. That the seller maintained the right to have 1 picnic per year on the lot "if" they provided a lobster dinner and wine for the new owner during said picnic. I don't know if the guy is still alive but we keep hoping some crazy old man is going to show up some day with a lobster and a bottle of wine.

The clause was continued into the revised wording of the new deed.

dowshill · 08-02-2010, 10:49 PM

We purchased land on Rattlesnake last winter after looking at island property for 30 years and we love it. Have been out there just about every weekend since April. There is so much to learn about island living but it is all worth it. The new challenges (as well as the climb up the hill) keep us young. We are camping out there while we figure out what we want in a cottage and even that has been fun, although a real bathroom is sounding pretty good right now. We had to put a dock in and get a boat, most people out there have pretty utilitarian boats for hauling stuff out there; pontoon boats or Easterns or c-dories. Now we are in the process of planning a breakwater, something you will probably want if you are on the Broads side. The views cannot be beat.Overall I would strongly recommend island living, that getting away feeling is surreal.

coltgov101 · 08-03-2010, 04:00 AM

I know this is of no use to you but I remember when Rattlesnake Island was uninhabited. There were no homes on it period! There used to be a measured mile marker so we could time how fast our boats were. A speedometer was not yet available, till the following year. If you got 35 mph, you had a fast boat! We would beach on the island any where we wanted and picnic and swim and it was a different world than today! Thank you.

Rattlesnake Guy · 08-03-2010, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coltgov101

I know this is of no use to you but I remember when Rattlesnake Island was uninhabited. There were no homes on it period! There used to be a measured mile marker so we could time how fast our boats were. A speedometer was not yet available, till the following year. If you got 35 mph, you had a fast boat! We would beach on the island any where we wanted and picnic and swim and it was a different world than today! Thank you.

I have seen the mile markers. I think they are still there. Now if we had a few 150 foot markers to show people that 50 feet is not 150 feet.

MAXUM · 08-03-2010, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dowshill

We purchased land on Rattlesnake last winter after looking at island property for 30 years and we love it. Have been out there just about every weekend since April. There is so much to learn about island living but it is all worth it. The new challenges (as well as the climb up the hill) keep us young. We are camping out there while we figure out what we want in a cottage and even that has been fun, although a real bathroom is sounding pretty good right now. We had to put a dock in and get a boat, most people out there have pretty utilitarian boats for hauling stuff out there; pontoon boats or Easterns or c-dories. Now we are in the process of planning a breakwater, something you will probably want if you are on the Broads side. The views cannot be beat.Overall I would strongly recommend island living, that getting away feeling is surreal.

That's awesome! Camping however must be quite the ordeal. I'd say don't wait too long to start in on putting a building up.

Having a utility boat is a no brainer, I'm partial to a beater barge since it seems like that would be by far the most inexpensive and useful platform for hauling junk back and forth. Good luck building your place, it is fun to start with a clean slate. It's also hard to keep to a bottom line too. It's the little stuff that'll blow the budget.

Rattlesnake Guy · 08-01-2010, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MAXUM

If I do get so lucky as to pick up a place winter time use would be frequent, but clearly facilities are non existent that time of year. All I'd care about is having a well insulated place with wood stove, possibly pellet cause it's easy to keep the place somewhat warm inside. Can't have a place like that and not host at least a few snowmobile camps right? I'd expect and have seen thus far most places (in my price range) are not insulated or poorly insulated so that's something that can be done at a later time. I am weighing buying a lot and building myself which would probably take a couple years to complete but I could do it my way and be sure it's done right.

The mainland lots are still available in the winter for sledding activities. Many island residents come out. We know of 2 who come out by air boat during the in between times. Some places are not insulated but other like ours are like a regular house with insulation. I don't know the stats of how many are. If I had plans to spend much time out here in the winter I might consider a generator back up as I doubt that restoring the power in the winter would be a high priority for the Electric Coop. I would also put some effort into the water system so you could have freeze proof water supply during the winter. We don't come out in the winter.

MAXUM · 08-01-2010, 10:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rattlesnake Guy

The mainland lots are still available in the winter for sledding activities. Many island residents come out. We know of 2 who come out by air boat during the in between times. Some places are not insulated but other like ours are like a regular house with insulation. I don't know the stats of how many are. If I had plans to spend much time out here in the winter I might consider a generator back up as I doubt that restoring the power in the winter would be a high priority for the Electric Coop. I would also put some effort into the water system so you could have freeze proof water supply during the winter. We don't come out in the winter.

Good to know the mainland lots are available in the winter time so that makes a place available to park the truck and sled trailer. Good point about loss of power, never even came to mind, but I can see where that can and does happen and restoration would be slow coming. Generator backup is a good idea, just put one in at my house. For winter time use, I'm good with not having any running water. If I need it there the lake, if to much of a pain melting snow on the stove would work too. Do that on my wood stove at home here when I've lost power in the past. Matter of fact I wouldn't have even bothered with the generator, but the wife doesn't appreciate ruffing it to much.

How often do you guys loose power?

To bad you don't head out on the lake in the winter time. Great time of the year to be out and about. Tons of awesome trails in the area and of course when the lake is frozen up real good, it's great.

Hmm $160 per year seems pretty reasonable considering the return benefit. Ah the first right of refusal I think is what raised the red flag. So is there anywhere that I can go to get the details on how that works? The rental restriction is also good to know. I have given the thought to possibly renting a week or two per year only to folks that I personally know to off set the taxes but like you said there is "renting" to somebody that you know versus putting the place up to a total stranger. Since the assoc specifically discourages this I'd respect that.

ApS · 08-02-2010, 04:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rattlesnake Guy

"...One negative to consider on the island property compared to the mainland is a bit more coordination in the spring and fall to open and close the essential stuff in a short time...That first day and last day are getting easier and easier as I get older and older. That keeps it about equal. Someday I will have to hire help..."

At one of the northern-most Rattlesnake Island locations, I saw a 4" diameter steel pipe being driven into the end of a new breakwater during that breakwater's construction phase.

This was a Broads-side lot, and what appeared to be a steel casing was driven into the lake bed.

This was about six years ago, but it could have been an even older recollection—maybe within the last ten years.

I thought it might have been reinforcement for the new breakwater, but could it have been for a well for allowing year-round water? (Saving a few hours at closing-up time?)

Quote:

Originally Posted by MAXUM

"...the first right of refusal I think is what raised the red flag. So is there anywhere that I can go to get the details on how that works...?"

My immediate neighbors had "first right of refusal" on an abutting ~2-acre lot, but lost that 2001 case in the NH Supreme Court—and subsequently, their own two lots

. (Today, I have three McMansions for neighbors.

)

Their attorney later lost his license to practice law—PM me for details.

It could have been the way the deed was written

as their particular "first right of refusal" was written around 1952.

nhd · 08-02-2010, 07:04 AM

As a realtor I should point out that as a buyer's agent we do not work for the seller and we are required to point out defects that we know about not to hide things as jrc states. If we are working with a buyer that is our client that is to whom our responsibilities lie.
In any case I am willing to work with a buyer on island properties since I have been on the Lake for most of my life and worked here, grew up here, played here all while living on an island. My love of island living is what drew me into real estate.
Nancy

RI Swamp Yankee · 08-03-2010, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nhd

... as a buyer's agent we do not work for the seller and we are required to point out defects that we know about not to hide things ....

Nancy make a good point in her post. Anyone not familiar with an area would do well to have a buyer's agent that is looking out for the interest of the buyer.

IslandRadio · 08-04-2010, 09:17 AM

After some 20 years of renting (on various islands) we bought a place on Rattlesnake. We looked at a LOT of properties on varioius islands.

To answer a few questions:

Rattlesnake Island Association Dock:

The association dock parking area lower lot fills up on busy weekends, however I have never seen a situation where both the lower and upper lots were full.

We use the association lot mostly for visitor's or 2nd cars. A lot of people also keep their trailers there. Since you can't leave your boat there overnight (or unattended, for that matter), you will most likely want to arrange for dock space somewhere on the mainland. I use West Alton Marina, and keep the boat there year round.

Island Living

Island living is great!! There is mainland time and there is Island Time. Somehow, island time is much slower - everything is relaxed. No cars! If you want to go somewhere, you really think about it first - do I *really* want to leave this beautiful island to deal with all that traffic??

Sure, it requires a bit more planning about things you need - I ALWAYS have a list going of things to get and things NOT to get. And, figure that everything you bring over you move 6 times. But, that being said, island living is definitely for me. What do they say? "Once an islander, always an islander". It's REAL vacation.

The Association

I have, so far, found the association to be easy to work with, and fairly helpful. There are some restrictions on what style house you can build - more height than style - only 1 1/2 stories are allowed - but this isn't much of a restriction. There are lots of large 1 1/2 story houses on the island of all descriptions. This is probably an asset - looking at some of the mosterous houses I've seen on some of the other islands....some of them are really out of place.

Why Rattlesnake Island?

Speaking personally, I am very physically active. Rattlesnake, above all of the other islands, affords the most opportunities for exercise. The mountain is great to climb! I generally climb to the top every day, and often end to end (which takes a long time and is a fine workout).

Kayaking around the island is another nice thing to do.

The sailing is easy - at least where we are, and there's almost always a westerly breeze. In fact, no one (at least where we are) has a screened in porch! The breezes take the bugs away.

We always meet nice people here!!!

This next one I'm not sure about why...Our place is on the West side of "The Peninsula", heading towards Young's Cove. The water there is VERY nice for swimming - warm (and I don't like cold water). We stayed on the North-West side of Welch for many years, and the water there was always cold (ok, it felt cold to me). Either the water is just plain warm this year, or the particular location (the cove), makes for warmer water...

There is a work-in-progress Rattlesnake Island Web Site (which doesn't have much on it at the moment, but will) at http://www.rattlesnakeisland.net

Anyway, unless you need to jump into your car every other hour to go someplace, island living is definitely more of a "get away" than the mainland - becuse you are - literally - "away"

Regards,

Steve

laketrout · 08-04-2010, 07:44 PM

Great points Steve and thanks for the information not to mention island homes/land go for for much much less (50%-75%) less than comparabel houses or (non-island)land on the big lake.

George

MAXUM · 08-05-2010, 12:23 AM

Hey another question - I haven't looked into this yet, anyone have an difficulty getting your place insured and comparatively speaking how's the cost?

IslandRadio · 08-05-2010, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MAXUM

Hey another question - I haven't looked into this yet, anyone have an difficulty getting your place insured and comparatively speaking how's the cost?

This was interesting.... Having a primary residence is Massachusetts, some companies won't write a policy for an island property in New Hampshire because the primary home is in a different state

However, we were able to get a policy underwritten by The Concord Group. There are also other insurance companies who will insure inland island properties.

The key is to find a local agent who is used to dealing with the islands. I used Noyse in Wolfeboro, but there are others. An agency in Alton was mentioned to me, but I forget the name

Our policy is about $430/year, which I think is expensive, but maybe not. Apparently, it is considered a "burn down" situation, so the companies set the rates accordingly. Someone in the insurance business can probably speak to this with more authority.

Also, for under $20.00/year, I was able to extend the primary home's umbrella policy to cover the island property. THAT is very reasonable in my view.

Anyway, that was my experience, for what it's worth!

Regards,

Steve

Webbsatwinni · 08-05-2010, 08:03 AM

Maxum,

Here are two threads from when we bought our island home, these may help with the insurance questions.

http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/...ead.php?t=5151

http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/...ead.php?t=6680

MAXUM · 08-05-2010, 01:40 PM

Thanks guys - while I am not at this time on the verge of buying (yet) still window shopping but I'd like to have this stuff figured out well in advance so the process once it starts is not riddled with running around at the last minute trying to get things done. I swear this stuff is unnecessarily complicated!! Thank your local lawyer for that one.

Lucky1 · 08-05-2010, 02:10 PM

This thread has made me wonder how many of us are islanders and how many of us are mainlanders? Anyone have an idea? It does seem to me that there is a higher percentage of islanders on the Forum than the percentage of mainlanders but maybe that is just on some threads.

What happened to MopseyMunroe as I feel they are serious buyers of island property at this time. Mopsey started this thread. Wonder how the name Mopsey came about?

I have been without water since replacing the tank with the bladder 10 days ago and got a name of a plumber from Heaths Hardware in Center Harbor. (He was absolutely wonderful, Den's Plumbing, Dennis Cahoon or something like that). This got me to wondering about island living and things like plumbing and electrical work etc etc etc? Are there people who work on the islands and live there or??? Painters, roofers.......how does all of that happen when you live on an island?

One more thing.......after going to ask for the name of a plumber at Heath's Hardware yesterday afternoon, I went down to the Center Harbor beach and dock area and strolled around. Has a nice beach and some docks and a couple of trees for shade here and there. It was just after 5 so the people who work there had gone but one lad said you can bring grills he thought. Looks like a nice place for our Forum Fest!!

oliviernh · 08-02-2010, 02:24 PM

We have a place on Rattlesnake and LOVE it! However Just two other items you should consider. If you are going to purchase on Rattlesnake on the Broads side the weather can create havoc for boating. If your boating skills are not that good it can be a real challenge, even at times making it impossible to get to or leave your place. The waves can be so large that it can be terrifying for even the most experienced boater. Island Girl has some nice pictures in the gallery under "weather" which shows how large the waves can get (I'd copy and post here if I knew how)!! I have personally seen two of my neighbors boats sunk from the waves.

The second factor is everything on the islands cost MORE!! Not just marginally more but alot more! Building especially and if you decide you might want to build look into costs before you buy the property!

My wife is also a real estate agent and we are at the lake most weekends. If you would like to talk to her and be shown around we would be happy to take you out. PM me for contact info. Of course RG's offer is very very good and shows the kinds of people/neighbors on Rattlesnake!

MAXUM · 08-02-2010, 06:50 PM

Far as Rattlesnake goes, I don't think being on the broads side is anything I would be adventurous enough to go after. The fact it can get extremely rough is a drawback I'm well aware of, but also because most places on that side are cliff dwellings with pretty elaborate stairs to get to the camp. I realize that the logistics of having island property is challenging enough, location and property layout play a big part in any decision I would make there. So my interest in Rattlesnake is somewhat limited but it's good to know how things work in the even something pops up there I may seriously consider.

JRC, I know the drill on real estate agents, way I work is simple if I find something I like I contact the listing agent directly and go from there. With the internet and direct access to the MLS on line the only reason to use a buyers agent is if you don't want to do the leg work, don't live nearby or think you might get a crack at something before it hits the MLS. My observation still stands though a couple listing agents I've communicated with have not been overly helpful in giving up the information on property that THEY REPRESENT. That does a disservice to their clients IMHO, has nothing to do with me expecting a significant amount of help from them. Maybe they don't take my inquiry seriously. Don't know never been in their shoes so it's hard to tell what they deal with on a day to day basis.

Oh well it's all good, hopefully I'll find something, but until then I have my portable waterfront (boat) to tie me over.

trfour · 08-02-2010, 02:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rattlesnake Guy

The mainland lots are still available in the winter for sledding activities. Many island residents come out. We know of 2 who come out by air boat during the in between times. Some places are not insulated but other like ours are like a regular house with insulation. I don't know the stats of how many are. If I had plans to spend much time out here in the winter I might consider a generator back up as I doubt that restoring the power in the winter would be a high priority for the Electric Coop. I would also put some effort into the water system so you could have freeze proof water supply during the winter. We don't come out in the winter.

The wonderful things about living here year round, and Not letting the winter months get in the way, so to speak, is being able to get across the frozen Lake and on up into her surrounding mountains to take in the plentiful views. When you get there, you will get some of them UFO sightings, that most have not seen, among other things.

Taxes are going UP, we are spending Billions in Outer planetary exploration, however, in my opinion, the Lakes Region will give you, not only, a better view, dollar for dollar, The Lakes Region IS. And we have patience for those whom do not.

OKay, I'm not trying to take anything away from the Spending, other than getti'n there, and Doing that!

I would however invite the many ratchet Jaws to take another look at what it is right here!
Oh, the summer folks are a plenty, I Do still snowmobile with the best up there, especially In The Mountains. 'The Great Spirit will always be'.
From The Hights!

07-31-2010, 01:03 PM	#3
jkjoshuatree Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Bear Island Posts: 642 Thanks: 349 Thanked 145 Times in 77 Posts	Maxum... I have a place on Bear Island and although I can't answer the "lot" questions regarding Rattlesnake, I can try to answer any other questions you have about island living. Best way to get in touch with me is at [email protected] or you can just respond on here if you don't mind your questions being public. __________________ Dream out loud.

07-31-2010, 03:10 PM	#4
hancoveguy Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 276 Thanks: 95 Thanked 65 Times in 30 Posts	Quick question Just had a quick question... We are in an association on the mainland and they are seasonal (May-Oct). The main obstcale is the water being shut off. Aside from the obvious issue of access, is this the case in most island situations as well? If you could get access in the winter months, sled, late boatride (December etc) could you use the place in the winter? thanks HCG

07-31-2010, 03:33 PM	#5
jkjoshuatree Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Bear Island Posts: 642 Thanks: 349 Thanked 145 Times in 77 Posts	Island Water Is Seasonal Too... We pull the water (a hose runs right into the lake to feed water to a pump and from there to the sinks and shower) the weekend we close (usually late November). Although we have been up there for Thanksgiving. Ate everything off paper/plastic and cooked the turkey in one of those huge tin foil tins. The walk after dinner (which the whole family went on) amongst the fallen leaves on a brisk November day was something I'll never forget. It really depends on when it gets cold enough for the water in the pipes to freeze (not the lake). We have to flush/drain all the water from the pipes when it starts getting too cold. That's when we know the season is over. We've also been up there in February for a couple of days (one night). Chopped a hole in the ice, carried five gallon buckets up to the cottage to flush the toilet, wash dishes (after the water was heated on the stove), and taken a very chilly sponge bath (now you know why we stayed only 1 night). So ideally, having a place on an island is a 6-8 (at best) month season. Something to think of if you're thinking of buying island property. My dad starts getting "itchy" to be back at the lake right after the chaos of the holidays. And he's there the first weekend after "ice-out" to open her up again. Although I do know a gentleman who lives on Bear Island year round. He must have a generator or something to heat water for bathing...unless he's just really smelly for 4-5 months. __________________ Dream out loud.

08-01-2010, 06:35 PM	#8
nhd Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 39 Thanks: 18 Thanked 53 Times in 15 Posts	When you go to buy.... My family and I have been living on an island since 1968. I am currently working at Prudential Spencer-Hughes in Alton, and specializing in island property. I would love to show you around the island properties (either land or camps) and all they have to offer and also the drawbacks (few in my mind!) and the benefits of island living.... When you want to look be sure to check out the website www.spencerhughes.com and call the Alton office 603 875-2020 and ask for Nancy DePorter.

08-03-2010, 04:00 AM	#13
coltgov101 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Nj now. Spindle point in the past.(35 yrs.) Posts: 87 Thanks: 103 Thanked 10 Times in 4 Posts	Rattlesnake Island I know this is of no use to you but I remember when Rattlesnake Island was uninhabited. There were no homes on it period! There used to be a measured mile marker so we could time how fast our boats were. A speedometer was not yet available, till the following year. If you got 35 mph, you had a fast boat! We would beach on the island any where we wanted and picnic and swim and it was a different world than today! Thank you.

07-30-2010, 09:44 PM	#1
Rattlesnake Guy Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 1,254 Thanks: 423 Thanked 366 Times in 175 Posts	Mopsymonroe, Welcome to the forum and to your quest. My wife and I are enjoying our eighth season on Rattlesnake Island. We would like to invite you to be our guest and get a tour of the island. The island is the third or forth biggest on the lake and has about 180 lots, is about 2 miles long and 4 miles around. We can pick you up and explain an awful lot about the ins and outs of what we have learned. We love Island living but are sure it is not for everyone. I can't think of a better way to get an understanding of the island than a sight seeing tour around it. I will send you a personal message with contact info if you are interested. Again, welcome and good luck with your journey. Rattlesnake Guy and Rattlesnake Gal

07-30-2010, 10:59 PM	#2
MAXUM Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Kuna ID Posts: 2,755 Thanks: 244 Thanked 1,942 Times in 802 Posts	Darn it there is competition out there!!! Mopsymonroe you are pursuing the exact same thing I am, a piece of island property. I can't give you any advice per say, heck I've not even gone so far as to rent a place just to see what it's like, but I can tell you that I don't need to because the lure of "being away from it all" is good enough for me, along with the lower initial price. So since you brought the subject up I've also got some questions in regards to the Rattlesnake Is Assoc some of which you brought up. I believe there are other islands that may too have associations although I have not yet gotten far enough into my search as of yet to discover which others may or may not. So if anyone would be willing to field a few questions I have I'd greatly appreciate it as well and getting first hand advice on how you handle basic logistics would be really helpful too. I've been thinking about this for years now and have some ideas on how I'd do some things, but first hand experience is worth a heck of a lot more than my speculation. I'm not yet to the point of making an offer on anything, just starting out making inquiries.... At least I'm a couple steps ahead of you Mopsymonroe, already got a boat and have sleds for the winter time. Best of luck in your pursuit and you're smart to tap into this forum. There are a lot of really nice and very helpful folks on here.

The Following User Says Thank You to jkjoshuatree For This Useful Post:
MAXUM (08-01-2010)

08-01-2010, 03:16 PM	#7
Lucky1 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Moultonborough and FL Posts: 459 Thanks: 318 Thanked 123 Times in 53 Posts	I think I have read posts where people want to be able to get over to their island but cannot do so? Ice is not yet out but is not safe to walk on or drive on either comes to mind? Some on here live on islands that are really not islands as they have bridges. If you do not know boats at all, how will all of this work? Do you prefer an island even if a mainland property were the same price or affordable for you? I know nothing about islands but there sure are a lot of happy island people on Winni Forum. Have you ever rented on the mainland? Hope that you find your dream home but do take your time. We almost purchased several homes over more than a decade but am sure glad that we did not. This is simple but feels like heaven. That is what you want in the end so do take your time especially if you are new to a lot of the things. Are there any year round rentals? Act in haste, lament at leisure. Good luck to you.

08-01-2010, 09:56 PM	#10
jrc Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: NH Posts: 2,689 Thanks: 33 Thanked 439 Times in 249 Posts	Maxum don't forget that most real estate agents work for the seller. They have no incentive to help you find something about the property you might not like. I'm not saying they will hide stuff, but they don't have to dig either. When you see an interesting property, look up the deed history on nhdeeds.com. The deeded covenants should be in there and the association rules should be as well. I would never even bid on property with deed restrictions, without understanding them. There is some crazy stuff in deeds around the lake.

08-02-2010, 10:49 PM	#12
dowshill Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 16 Thanks: 13 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	We purchased land on Rattlesnake last winter after looking at island property for 30 years and we love it. Have been out there just about every weekend since April. There is so much to learn about island living but it is all worth it. The new challenges (as well as the climb up the hill) keep us young. We are camping out there while we figure out what we want in a cottage and even that has been fun, although a real bathroom is sounding pretty good right now. We had to put a dock in and get a boat, most people out there have pretty utilitarian boats for hauling stuff out there; pontoon boats or Easterns or c-dories. Now we are in the process of planning a breakwater, something you will probably want if you are on the Broads side. The views cannot be beat.Overall I would strongly recommend island living, that getting away feeling is surreal.

The Following 6 Users Say Thank You to coltgov101 For This Useful Post:
Lucky1 (08-03-2010), Pepper (08-03-2010), Ropetow (08-04-2010), tis (08-05-2010), VitaBene (08-03-2010), welch100 (08-04-2010)

08-02-2010, 07:04 AM	#19
nhd Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 39 Thanks: 18 Thanked 53 Times in 15 Posts	As a realtor I should point out that as a buyer's agent we do not work for the seller and we are required to point out defects that we know about not to hide things as jrc states. If we are working with a buyer that is our client that is to whom our responsibilities lie. In any case I am willing to work with a buyer on island properties since I have been on the Lake for most of my life and worked here, grew up here, played here all while living on an island. My love of island living is what drew me into real estate. Nancy

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08-04-2010, 09:17 AM	#21
IslandRadio Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Mirror Lake - Full time resident Posts: 398 Thanks: 70 Thanked 156 Times in 61 Posts	After some 20 years of renting (on various islands) we bought a place on Rattlesnake. We looked at a LOT of properties on varioius islands. To answer a few questions: Rattlesnake Island Association Dock: The association dock parking area lower lot fills up on busy weekends, however I have never seen a situation where both the lower and upper lots were full. We use the association lot mostly for visitor's or 2nd cars. A lot of people also keep their trailers there. Since you can't leave your boat there overnight (or unattended, for that matter), you will most likely want to arrange for dock space somewhere on the mainland. I use West Alton Marina, and keep the boat there year round. Island Living Island living is great!! There is mainland time and there is Island Time. Somehow, island time is much slower - everything is relaxed. No cars! If you want to go somewhere, you really think about it first - do I really want to leave this beautiful island to deal with all that traffic?? Sure, it requires a bit more planning about things you need - I ALWAYS have a list going of things to get and things NOT to get. And, figure that everything you bring over you move 6 times. But, that being said, island living is definitely for me. What do they say? "Once an islander, always an islander". It's REAL vacation. The Association I have, so far, found the association to be easy to work with, and fairly helpful. There are some restrictions on what style house you can build - more height than style - only 1 1/2 stories are allowed - but this isn't much of a restriction. There are lots of large 1 1/2 story houses on the island of all descriptions. This is probably an asset - looking at some of the mosterous houses I've seen on some of the other islands....some of them are really out of place. Why Rattlesnake Island? Speaking personally, I am very physically active. Rattlesnake, above all of the other islands, affords the most opportunities for exercise. The mountain is great to climb! I generally climb to the top every day, and often end to end (which takes a long time and is a fine workout). Kayaking around the island is another nice thing to do. The sailing is easy - at least where we are, and there's almost always a westerly breeze. In fact, no one (at least where we are) has a screened in porch! The breezes take the bugs away. We always meet nice people here!!! This next one I'm not sure about why...Our place is on the West side of "The Peninsula", heading towards Young's Cove. The water there is VERY nice for swimming - warm (and I don't like cold water). We stayed on the North-West side of Welch for many years, and the water there was always cold (ok, it felt cold to me). Either the water is just plain warm this year, or the particular location (the cove), makes for warmer water... There is a work-in-progress Rattlesnake Island Web Site (which doesn't have much on it at the moment, but will) at http://www.rattlesnakeisland.net Anyway, unless you need to jump into your car every other hour to go someplace, island living is definitely more of a "get away" than the mainland - becuse you are - literally - "away" Regards, Steve

The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to IslandRadio For This Useful Post:
laketrout (08-04-2010), MAXUM (08-05-2010)

08-04-2010, 07:44 PM	#22
laketrout Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Long Bay/ Paugus bay Posts: 115 Thanks: 131 Thanked 13 Times in 9 Posts	Great points Steve and thanks for the information not to mention island homes/land go for for much much less (50%-75%) less than comparabel houses or (non-island)land on the big lake. George

08-05-2010, 12:23 AM	#23
MAXUM Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Kuna ID Posts: 2,755 Thanks: 244 Thanked 1,942 Times in 802 Posts	Hey another question - I haven't looked into this yet, anyone have an difficulty getting your place insured and comparatively speaking how's the cost?

08-05-2010, 08:03 AM	#25
Webbsatwinni Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Lebanon Ct and Rattlesnake Island Since 2007 Posts: 610 Thanks: 180 Thanked 137 Times in 72 Posts	Maxum, Here are two threads from when we bought our island home, these may help with the insurance questions. http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/...ead.php?t=5151 http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/...ead.php?t=6680

08-05-2010, 01:40 PM	#26
MAXUM Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Kuna ID Posts: 2,755 Thanks: 244 Thanked 1,942 Times in 802 Posts	Thanks guys - while I am not at this time on the verge of buying (yet) still window shopping but I'd like to have this stuff figured out well in advance so the process once it starts is not riddled with running around at the last minute trying to get things done. I swear this stuff is unnecessarily complicated!! Thank your local lawyer for that one.

08-05-2010, 02:10 PM	#27
Lucky1 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Moultonborough and FL Posts: 459 Thanks: 318 Thanked 123 Times in 53 Posts	This thread has made me wonder how many of us are islanders and how many of us are mainlanders? Anyone have an idea? It does seem to me that there is a higher percentage of islanders on the Forum than the percentage of mainlanders but maybe that is just on some threads. What happened to MopseyMunroe as I feel they are serious buyers of island property at this time. Mopsey started this thread. Wonder how the name Mopsey came about? I have been without water since replacing the tank with the bladder 10 days ago and got a name of a plumber from Heaths Hardware in Center Harbor. (He was absolutely wonderful, Den's Plumbing, Dennis Cahoon or something like that). This got me to wondering about island living and things like plumbing and electrical work etc etc etc? Are there people who work on the islands and live there or??? Painters, roofers.......how does all of that happen when you live on an island? One more thing.......after going to ask for the name of a plumber at Heath's Hardware yesterday afternoon, I went down to the Center Harbor beach and dock area and strolled around. Has a nice beach and some docks and a couple of trees for shade here and there. It was just after 5 so the people who work there had gone but one lad said you can bring grills he thought. Looks like a nice place for our Forum Fest!! Last edited by Lucky1; 08-05-2010 at 04:52 PM. Reason: added

08-02-2010, 02:24 PM	#28
oliviernh Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Hampton and Rattlesnake Island Posts: 33 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 1 Post	Just my two cents... We have a place on Rattlesnake and LOVE it! However Just two other items you should consider. If you are going to purchase on Rattlesnake on the Broads side the weather can create havoc for boating. If your boating skills are not that good it can be a real challenge, even at times making it impossible to get to or leave your place. The waves can be so large that it can be terrifying for even the most experienced boater. Island Girl has some nice pictures in the gallery under "weather" which shows how large the waves can get (I'd copy and post here if I knew how)!! I have personally seen two of my neighbors boats sunk from the waves. The second factor is everything on the islands cost MORE!! Not just marginally more but alot more! Building especially and if you decide you might want to build look into costs before you buy the property! My wife is also a real estate agent and we are at the lake most weekends. If you would like to talk to her and be shown around we would be happy to take you out. PM me for contact info. Of course RG's offer is very very good and shows the kinds of people/neighbors on Rattlesnake!

08-02-2010, 06:50 PM	#29
MAXUM Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Kuna ID Posts: 2,755 Thanks: 244 Thanked 1,942 Times in 802 Posts	Far as Rattlesnake goes, I don't think being on the broads side is anything I would be adventurous enough to go after. The fact it can get extremely rough is a drawback I'm well aware of, but also because most places on that side are cliff dwellings with pretty elaborate stairs to get to the camp. I realize that the logistics of having island property is challenging enough, location and property layout play a big part in any decision I would make there. So my interest in Rattlesnake is somewhat limited but it's good to know how things work in the even something pops up there I may seriously consider. JRC, I know the drill on real estate agents, way I work is simple if I find something I like I contact the listing agent directly and go from there. With the internet and direct access to the MLS on line the only reason to use a buyers agent is if you don't want to do the leg work, don't live nearby or think you might get a crack at something before it hits the MLS. My observation still stands though a couple listing agents I've communicated with have not been overly helpful in giving up the information on property that THEY REPRESENT. That does a disservice to their clients IMHO, has nothing to do with me expecting a significant amount of help from them. Maybe they don't take my inquiry seriously. Don't know never been in their shoes so it's hard to tell what they deal with on a day to day basis. Oh well it's all good, hopefully I'll find something, but until then I have my portable waterfront (boat) to tie me over.

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