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Old 10-20-2011, 12:08 AM
 
Location: Sector 001
15,932 posts, read 12,199,394 times
Reputation: 16097

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OP would be better off just finding a place right along Lake Michigan in WI or Western MI, for a lot less money and quite a bit closer then driving to Brainerd. That or the Winona option. Michigan's economy is depressed compared to WI's.. that side of Lake michigan would be cheaper, but a bit farther drive. Don't have to go to the northwoods, could stay south of Green Bay too, or around Ludington, in that area.
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Old 10-20-2011, 10:58 AM
 
Location: Chandler AZ
12 posts, read 78,034 times
Reputation: 10
Check out the Ottertail area.
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Old 10-20-2011, 10:40 PM
 
Location: Southern Minnesota
5,984 posts, read 13,363,866 times
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I'm from West Michigan, and I can tell you the Lake Michigan shoreline is completely packed with Chicago "vacationers" every summer. Places like Grand Beach, Sawyer, St. Joseph, and South Haven are completely taken over by Chicagoans during the warm season. The OP said they wanted to avoid areas with large numbers of Chicagoans, and I can't blame the person at all (no offense to any Chicago natives reading this).

If the OP wants something closer than Minnesota, but wants to avoid the popular choices of Michigan and Wisconsin, then why not try Eastern Iowa? It's an overlooked area, but it actually has a lot of nice hills and forests, just like SE Minnesota. The area around Decorah is beautiful.
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Old 10-21-2011, 10:44 AM
 
604 posts, read 1,513,857 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Suburbia60010 View Post
It seems like everyone in the Chicago area has cabins in either Wisconsin or Michigan and i'm honestly sick of those states. They are beautiful but i just seem to go there all the time and want something new.

I was thinking about having a Cabin in Northern Minnesota. It seems much more peaceful and nicer.

Where are the best locations in Northern Minnesota to own a Cabin?

I'd like a area close to a touristy town. On a large lake of course. Lots of land.

I'll probably go up there this weekend and drive around and explore the area. So what area's do you suggest i look around?
Pretty much everyone has a Cabin in Northern Minnesota. Lame
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Old 10-22-2011, 07:16 AM
 
Location: Home in NOMI
1,635 posts, read 2,643,418 times
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Pretty much everyone in Minnesota had a cabin in the 1950's perhaps, when you could buy lakeshore property for dirt cheap. Nowadays only folks with family cabins or filthy rich retards have 'em.
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Old 10-22-2011, 01:00 PM
 
Location: Tippecanoe County, Indiana
26,383 posts, read 46,282,142 times
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NH lakefront property is a bargain compared to MN lakefront property. I have seen properties in NH with views of Lake Winnipesaukee (partial) in the 250 to 400K range.
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Old 10-22-2011, 01:13 PM
 
Location: Twin Cities
5,833 posts, read 7,665,225 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GraniteStater View Post
NH lakefront property is a bargain compared to MN lakefront property. I have seen properties in NH with views of Lake Winnipesaukee (partial) in the 250 to 400K range.
If you really look at a seasonal cabin, not a year around home, you can get a lakefront 1 or 2 br, say 400-500 sq ft with 75' of lakeshore, say 3 hrs from the Cities, for under 150k. It won't be on some fancy pants lake on a golf course, but it will be a nice cabin built in the 30s- 50s. If you go for a partial view of a lake in a condo cabin (former resort with shared well and septic) you're looking at 100k.
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Old 10-22-2011, 05:09 PM
 
2,103 posts, read 4,574,273 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Glenfield View Post
If you really look at a seasonal cabin, not a year around home, you can get a lakefront 1 or 2 br, say 400-500 sq ft with 75' of lakeshore, say 3 hrs from the Cities, for under 150k. It won't be on some fancy pants lake on a golf course, but it will be a nice cabin built in the 30s- 50s. If you go for a partial view of a lake in a condo cabin (former resort with shared well and septic) you're looking at 100k.

Many area in the northern of Minnesota someone may buy say 3-10 acres near a lakes area but not on the lake. On the wooded area they put in a cabin or trailor and use it for hunting and for summertime use.

Really when you buy a cabin on the lake front (depends on the lake and area of course) you are really buying the lakefront say for 100 thousand or more when the cabin may only be worth 20 thousand (for example) or as low as 12 thousand dollars.

The land may be worth about 12 thousand to fifteen thousand dollars and then clear the area for the structure get electric and bring in your own water, but it depends on the area of course.

They will go to the land in the summer with the family bring the boat and food water the dog and have a grand weekend

In many ways this is a way for more privacy, more remote, and whole lot cheaper than 500 thousand dollors.

You are not tied to one lake with the boat, own access to property, much more private, firepit ext. ext. .

So also can the cabin slash trailor be used in the wintertime easily and during hunting season.

Plus you can own more land which is so nice also you can choose more readily on the location, hook the boat to the truck and off fishing at dawn...sweet

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Old 10-22-2011, 11:26 PM
 
Location: Tippecanoe County, Indiana
26,383 posts, read 46,282,142 times
Reputation: 19469
You want to see insanely expensive waterfront properties go to jhampe.com and type in moultonboro, nh. You will not believe it.
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Old 10-23-2011, 05:59 PM
 
Location: Duluth, Minnesota, USA
7,641 posts, read 18,060,146 times
Reputation: 6913
Quote:
Originally Posted by GraniteStater View Post
If you want remote in MN but affordable lakefront/lake access look at Aitkin County.
That's interesting that YOU would suggest that, being from Kentucky and all. Aitkin County isn't exactly a shining spot on most people's mental maps, even those from the Twin Cities. It's sparsely populated and somewhat poorish. There are no real "tourist towns" of note there (Aitkin - the city - certainly isn't a tourist town), but there are some beautiful lakes. These are some pictures that I took of Big Sandy Lake, which is in Aitkin County, over five years ago. I uploaded them to a photo hosting site, posted the pictures on a thread on another forum, and lo and behold both the thread and some of the pictures were there:





These aren't the best pictures I posted (they were somehow no longer hosted), but they capture some of the beauty of the lake.

I don't know how much properties cost there, but there are other lakes in Aitkin County as well with fish and swimming beaches - Farm Island Lake is one that comes to mind immediately.

One consideration, however, that has to be borne into mind, is distance. Commute times from Crystal Lake (a far NW suburb of Chicago) to Big Sandy Lake is nearly 9 hours taking 94 to 53 to 210 (as a bonus, you get to stop in my town of Duluth, which IS a major regional tourist destination and a very beautiful one at that. Alexandria is almost a straight shot on I-90 and I-94, and takes roughly the same time to arrive to. As another post suggested, perhaps you could try SE MN - Winona, Houston, or Lake City - but it's an entirely different type of terrain there and there are few lakes, although there are some along the Mississippi River, but I don't know if that's what you're looking for. It's much nearer, though, 4 - 6 hours.

Maybe the OP could also try the "glacial lakes" in southcentral MN - Lake Okabena, Lake Heron, Okoboji or Spirit Lake in IA ... about a 6 - 8 hour haul from the NW suburbs of Chicago. Some of the more desirable looking lakes (judging from size, interconnectedness, and name, albeit) look nearer to the Cities, so there might be a price hike.

A final option might be to look far north in MN. Lakes are a dime a dozen there, and property might be cheaper because of its remoteness and relatively short swimming season (if you're willing to swim in the lakes at all...I would be, but many others wouldn't). The distance from Crystal Lake to Tower, home of Vermillion Lake, one of the more popular northern lakes, is about 9 hours.
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