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I am considering buying a lake house on Lake Ontario. It would be a vacation home only - not a full-time residence. My budget is around $250-300k, and I am only considering lake-front.
Zillow seems to show plenty of options all along Lake Ontario in my price range, but I don't know anything about the town/area these homes are in. Any recommendations on good areas or areas to avoid?
Also, is Lake Ontario even a desirable lake on which to have a house? Lake-front houses seem much cheaper here than the Finger Lakes, for example. Is this just due to the fact that there is more available frontage, or is this not a great place to have a house?
Are you looking for something more rural/small town or urban?
Also, something to keep in mind is that there has been some flooding issues near the lake within the past year.
I have some places in mind, but hopefully others will chime in.
I am open to multiple possibilities, but I would prefer something near a town with stuff to do. I guess that means I am likely to get less land than I would in a rural setting, but I am OK with that.
What do you want to be near the lake for? Boating, swimming, fishing, just for the view? Have family that lives on Ontario and have also spent time around one of the smaller finger lakes, Conesus. They both obviously have very different feels, so depending on what you want from the Lake, Ontario might not be the best option for you.
What do you want to be near the lake for? Boating, swimming, fishing, just for the view? Have family that lives on Ontario and have also spent time around one of the smaller finger lakes, Conesus. They both obviously have very different feels, so depending on what you want from the Lake, Ontario might not be the best option for you.
I would like to do swimming and boating, but I am thinking something small with an outboard motor. I don't plan on buying a large, expensive boat.
I would like to do swimming and boating, but I am thinking something small with an outboard motor. I don't plan on buying a large, expensive boat.
I was thinking of places like Sodus Point/Bay, Fair Haven and Sackets Harbor as Lake Ontario options. I know that here are some cottages right on the bay/lake in Sodus Point.
Fair Haven did experience some flooding issues last year to keep in mind, but it also has a state park and the Sterling Renaissance Fair is a pretty popular event in that area during the summer.
Sackets Harbor is a historic village minutes west of Watertown and about a half hour or so south/SW of the 1000 Islands.
All 3 have a beach nearby as well and check water conditions throughout the summer for all of them.
Only Sodus Point/Bay is in the Rochester area, while Fair Haven is in the Auburn micro area/Syracuse CSA.
For a summer place, Sackets Harbor is appealing not only because of its location on Lake Ontario and history, but you also have the 1000 Islands as an option in the same area. If you have a passport or enhanced driver's license, there is a ferry that goes from Cape Vincent to Kingston Ontario as well during the warmer months.
Again, hopefully some more posters will offer some suggestions and just do your own research as to where you would like to be or in terms of the type of property you would like to acquire within your budget.
First, the Finger Lake houses are a combination of being the closest to Rochester's most exclusive suburbs, and the fact that many are rentals for vacationers in the wine region. As far as lakefront homes in the Rochester region, Webster will most likely be out of the running as they mostly start around $500,000 and you need stairs to get to the beach. Irondequoit is somewhat cheaper, but starting around $400,000. The city of Rochester's lakefront runs about $400,000 to over $1,000,000. Greece or west would fit the best. Waterfront houses in Greece are about $200-500,000. The ponds in Greece might interest you as well, in the same price range, but you are protected from the waves. Long Pond is the only one with lake access. One thing to consider is what is on the bottom of the lake. In Greece, there is a sandy bottom, where as other areas west have stone. The ponds have a mucky bottom and no one swims in them.
I would say you would be happiest in Greece as you would be less than 10 minutes to Wegmans for groceries, and 20 minutes to downtown
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