Can't decide on property, we want our cake and eat it too

[Susie Cougar]

Originally Posted by mswlogo

We found another place.

180 degrees different than Squam

My wife really wanted to be back on NewFound lake.

It’s almost 2 acres
~300 ft of water frontage (Sandy, gradual and crystal clear)
3 moorings
1 dock room for two boats
Huge house built in 2000
3 cottages (1 year round with full foundation) and all updated in 2000-ish
All well maintained.
It does not get a mountain Sunset but will get sun on the beach until about 30 minutes before Sunset I think through mid September. That’s a lot more than we had before. Should get a nice sun rise.
Taxes are bit high

All 4 have been being rented for a few years bringing in $58k/year

Only catch is Road is between cottages/house and water front.

Even though it was well maintained there is tons of room for improvements.
Landscaping and painting.

Cottages are on their own state approved septic and the house is on its own state approved septic. Both on public water. Septic capacity is 4000 gal/day (squam was 125)

Can you post a link to this new house? I’m really enjoying following your adventures.

[JEEPONLY]

Wasn't there a similar road issue, about 25-30 years ago, in Tuftonboro, where the beach is? I don't remember the particulars, but there was a home maybe 15 off the lake's edge, with Route 109 running between them (the road edge was literal ly2-3 feet fro the water).

109 got diverted behind the home. I don't know what happened as to the difference between non- "lakefront property" claims versus actual frontage.

Anyone know how things panned out for the homeowner/town?

[mswlogo]

Originally Posted by Susie Cougar

Can you post a link to this new house? I’m really enjoying following your adventures.

https://www.coldwellbankerhomes.com/.../pid_36674962/

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by mswlogo

https://www.coldwellbankerhomes.com/.../pid_36674962/

Beautiful house! I personally like the rustic design.
I'm not a fan of crossing the street to my waterfront but if you can get past that it looks like a great property.
I looked at some homes on Waukewan where you had to cross railroad tracks to your waterfront. Even though those tracks were rarely use I just could look past that part of the property.

[mswlogo]

Originally Posted by Biggd

Beautiful house! I personally like the rustic design.
I'm not a fan of crossing the street to my waterfront but if you can get past that it looks like a great property.
I looked at some homes on Waukewan where you had to cross railroad tracks to your waterfront. Even though those tracks were rarely use I just could look past that part of the property.

It’s a bit to much wood for us. We plan to paint a lot of bead board. A mix of wood and plaster is nice. 100% wood is to much. House itself is built like Fort Knox. Notice all the decks are cantilevered!! But because that they are on the shallow side. Would like to replace deck railings with possibly glass for more open views in the house. If we can get it to look right. All radiant floor heating. We also want to install a shuffleboard court (I put one in at the old house).

[mswlogo]

Oh I have to mention.

This is long, but I’m sure some of you will get a kick out if it.

One of the biggest reasons we passed on the island was energy.

We bought Solar about 4 years ago with great incentives. Totally out of the blue. Never thought we could have solar because of how house was situated. I got an energy usage monitor as part of the system. That’s where it all started. I went on an energy saving binge. My goal was Carbon neutral (didn’t even know what that meant at the time). Even though Solar was covering everything and excess went to the grid. I hated seeing waste.

Then a friend bought a Tesla Model 3 (he got Solar a few years before me). I loved all the tech. In Mass or NH it does not really pay to own a Tesla because of high electricity cost. But I still wanted it and solar made it a "little" more practical to own. I still had a Jeep Summit and needed that for lugging the sh$t that washed up on my beach. Loved that Jeep Summit though. Could not use Model 3 much traveling to the lake. So I decided I wanted to go full EV. Traded the Jeep for a Model X (it could tow). And swapped the Model 3 for a Chevy Volt. Yes, this guy is crazy. Yes, the island part is coming. I didn’t want to own two Tesla’s and it was cheaper to trade it. My wife also refused to drive the Model 3, which didn't help matters. She will drive the Model X though.

So now with incentives on Solar that profit paid for all other carbon fuel we used. Not Carbon Neutral but close.

In the mean time I sold my awesome Tige Full inboard. Loved that boat to death. Paid $32k and sold it for $20K after 17 years. But my daughter rarely came up. Mainly used it to water ski. Hard finding someone to ski with at 6AM. Didn’t use it enough for all the work of maintaining it. 2-3 weekends used just for getting boat ready for spring and winter. I do everything myself. That’s just how I am. And that boat was not great on any chop. So selling it also got rid of another carbon burner and it freed up some weekends. I knew it was dangerous selling it because it was a big anchor in keeping the house. We also had recently bought a Hobie Tandem island and preferred be on the water with that most of the time than the motor bought. But I sure did occasionally wish we had a motor boat. But it was so infrequent a need to justify.

Now comes the island. Had to get a BIG Carbon eating machine. That we would need to go grocery shopping with. We really really had a hard time getting past that. It really feels good living literally off the sun. I'm sure a big boat would have been fun. But burning that much fuel for pleasure bothered us. It was not the money at all.

We might put Solar in at the new house too depending on how things go.

[Susie Cougar]

Originally Posted by mswlogo

It’s a bit to much wood for us. We plan to paint a lot of bead board. A mix of wood and plaster is nice. 100% wood is to much. House itself is built like Fort Knox. Notice all the decks are cantilevered!! But because that they are on the shallow side. Would like to replace deck railings with possibly glass for more open views in the house. If we can get it to look right. All radiant floor heating. We also want to install a shuffleboard court (I put one in at the old house).

Have you moved in yet?

I was reading in the Laconia paper this morning that there is hardly any lakefront available in any of the towns. There are so many pending sales that it seems like everyone wanted to hold on to their properties until the end of the season.

I hope you feel happy with your move.

[mswlogo]

Originally Posted by Susie Cougar

Have you moved in yet?

I was reading in the Laconia paper this morning that there is hardly any lakefront available in any of the towns. There are so many pending sales that it seems like everyone wanted to hold on to their properties until the end of the season.

I hope you feel happy with your move.

Thanks for asking but we ended up bailing. I was to embarrassed to post that we bailed again. Too complex to get into here but we are still on the hunt. In hindsight we wished we never bailed on the squam property with the poor site assessment.

[FlyingScot]

Originally Posted by mswlogo

Thanks for asking but we ended up bailing. I was to embarrassed to post that we bailed again. Too complex to get into here but we are still on the hunt. In hindsight we wished we never bailed on the squam property with the poor site assessment.

No need to be embarrassed--we've bailed on multiple houses during inspection phases--it's part of the process. Also--I think you were smart to bail on Squam--septically compromised places are economic time bombs. This viewer wishes you well and looks forward to another exciting season of House Hunting with MSW.

[Susie Cougar]

I have to say that I am glad that you bailed on that property. There was so much work that needed to be done and with the extra cabins and having to cross the road to get to the lake etc.

I try to put myself in your shoes. There is a new property on Newfound that just hit the market for $1.250 million. It is on Pike Point Road in Bristol, on over 1 acre. Have you seen this one yet?

[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by Susie Cougar

I have to say that I am glad that you bailed on that property. There was so much work that needed to be done and with the extra cabins and having to cross the road to get to the lake etc.

I try to put myself in your shoes. There is a new property on Newfound that just hit the market for $1.250 million. It is on Pike Point Road in Bristol, on over 1 acre. Have you seen this one yet?

Ditto.
And this one's "in stock"!

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[Susie Cougar]

Thanks, think. .

[mswlogo]

Originally Posted by Susie Cougar

I have to say that I am glad that you bailed on that property. There was so much work that needed to be done and with the extra cabins and having to cross the road to get to the lake etc.

I try to put myself in your shoes. There is a new property on Newfound that just hit the market for $1.250 million. It is on Pike Point Road in Bristol, on over 1 acre. Have you seen this one yet?

Yes, listing is a little misleading.

It's two lots and the house is on a smaller lot than the Squam one !!
They don't know if it's on lake or (dig well), how can you not know that? Well the trustee of the estate might not know a lot of details. Dug well was supposed to be abandoned for the exact same reason Squam property got downgraded to 1 Bedroom septic. You really need about 1 acre for a Well and 2-3 Bedroom septic to be state approved. A well alone takes away almost 0.5 acres from septic capacity. Plus you have to take setbacks away and the house, driveway, decks, patios. So septic ends up with nothing left.

The other lot is supposed to be usable but it's across the road and down a lot. So a new septic there is very expensive. Our original house had land ADDED years ago. Taxed as ONE lot. That added land is NOT allowed to be used for septic, even though it was perfect.

But that's why it's not $1.7 million.

Selling it also needs court approval.

As complex as that place is, we are looking into it.

[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by mswlogo

Thanks for asking but we ended up bailing. I was to embarrassed to post that we bailed again. Too complex to get into here but we are still on the hunt. In hindsight we wished we never bailed on the squam property with the poor site assessment.

Agreed with above—no need to be embarrassed at all. You've got a clear vision and funds, so I think it'll work out in the end.

Good luck, and please do share where this process takes you—I've very much enjoyed shopping vicariously through you! It recently occurred to us that our dream of at one point selling our camp and southern NH home to buy lakefront is probably no longer a reality—just in the last decade, we may have been priced out—so I'm enjoying looking at the beautiful properties in your search.


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