Need town suggestions on where to buy a lakefront home (Columbus: for sale, houses)

[waterbug]

Hi We're looking to buy a small house on a lake in the northern half of Georgia and could use some suggestions on where to look.
I've tried to research on my own, but all the information is overwhelming and I don't know where to begin.

We're hoping to find something $50-$75,000 but I don't know if that is totally unreasonable? We only have three requirements; that the lake is swimmable [i'm a waterbug ], the town has a post office and high speed internet access is available [cable or dsl]. Ideal house would have 3 bedrooms, 2 baths but 2 bedrooms, 1 bath would be great too, with a little land for a garden. No kids, so schools aren't a concern. Larger stores such as Walmart, Target and Home Depot within a 30-45mins drive would be nice, but not neccessary. We're laid back, low maintenance people who just want a little bit of earth to call our own, and enjoy.

Thanks for any suggestions!

[pinkmartini]

Eeeeek. I don't think $75K would even buy you a lakefront lot.

If schools are not a concern, you might consider the Alabama side of Lake Harding. The GA side has the better schools and, therefore, the higher housing. You will have a rural feel, but it is VERY close to Columbus, GA and all the stores you mentioned.

Honestly, though, we saw an ad for a house in that price range about 5 years ago on the AL side. DH went and looked at it.....wanna know the catch???? The floor of the house was completely made of old ping-pong tables. YES...you heard me right!!! Only in Alabama!!!! LOL!!!

[jxu66]

Lake front home are very desirable in Georgia since there is limited access to Ocean in Georgia. For example, some homes in Lake Lanier are in the millions.

[Prichard]

Ain't no lake lots anywhere near that price range in Georgia. You need to be looking at lots starting around $500,000 for small lakes in rural areas, $750,000 just for an old rickety boat dock on a nice mid-sized lake, like Lake Rabun, and well into the millions for Lake Lanier, Lake Burton, Altoona, etc.

[Figment 07]

Even $500,000-$750,000 for a tiny old fixer-upper cottage might be a challenge on north Georgia lakes.

Try searching on lakehouse.com. There are waterfront and off-water lots and homes listed there in every state, but those in your price range in Georgia, if any (unless that number was a typo), will be off-water lots somewhere within lake communities -- not waterfront.

[Prichard]

I'm basing the $750,000 on a boathouse I saw for sale on Lake Rabun. What you get is an old rundown boathouse on lake Rabun(but you can rebuild a new one), a driveway to your boathouse, and an old rundown cottage on a lot that had to be no more than 30' wide that is across a somewhat busy street from the boathouse. It's "in season" now, so the price has probably gone up, if it hasn't already sold. Lake Rabun is a pretty lake, but you can't take a boat from Lake Rabun to Lake Burton - the big lake, because of the dam.

I don't know, but I think I could find better ways to have fun with $750,000. I'm from Florida and grew up on a small lake, and used to water ski alot. Water skiing was fun. But, maintaining a boat and a house on a lake is not. Not to mention you get tons more mosquitos, and the lake smells like p00p most of the year. Lake Rabun isn't that bad, because it's cold up there much of the year, but I just don't like that stinky "lake" smell anymore. Allways thought that people who buy expensive houses on the beach or lake are the biggest suckers. Now, a nice spring fed stream is something I would pay a slight premium for.

[dlh891]

Sorry, you may find a small empty lot or two in your price range but that's about it.

[waterbug]

Oh well. I figured it couldn't hurt to ask. I had seen two houses in the low 90's on a large pond in a desirable area, so I was hoping to be able to find something in my price range in a more rural area.

[askelly728]

To be honest, you might be able to find a fixer-upper. My uncle sold his home (2BD/1BA/boathouse, 2 decks, 2 docks) on lake sinclair for $75k. Just look hard!

[Tom Harton]

I think I live in the best, most gorgeous "Tween" city in Georgia -- Washington. We're "tween" Athens and Augusta, but more importantly, we're "tween" Lake Oconee, Lake Sinclair and Clarks Hill Lake. Two of these lakes have affordable home and home sites. Now, Lake Oconee jumped on the mega-bucks lake place bandwagon, long before anyone else. It wil be hard to find something in the normal person's price range.

However, Clarks Hill Lake and Lake Sinclair are a different story and a bargain!!


reply for more info... it's interesting. I have looked at New Hampshire as a place for cool nights during those hot 10 weeks from July 4th through Labor Day!

Tom H.
Washington, GA