LakePlace.com in the News

Homes: No-chore getaways
MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE - October 2004
Susan E. Peterson and Jim Buchta 

For owners of lake property, it's that time of year again -- time to haul their docks and boat lifts out of the water and batten down the hatches of their homes against the impending winter. 

And then, of course, they'll have to do it all over, in reverse, next spring.

Now a small but growing number of townhouse-style lake homes are sprouting to capitalize on this seasonal angst. They appeal to those who like lake views but not the chores, particularly the end-of-season rituals that can quickly chew up precious fall weekends.

"I think they're going to appeal to people who had a cabin or grew up with a family having a cabin, and they're aware of how much extra work it can be to own a second property," said Dave Gooden, co-founder of Lakeplace.com, which has listings for more than 800 lake homes and cabins for sale in Minnesota and Wisconsin. 

Gooden said that as more baby boomers downsize their lives in the city and eschew garden implements and snow-removal equipment, such listings now represent 1 to 2 percent of his inventory.

One of the newest and most unusual of such projects is the Woods at Otterbelly, a planned 24-unit townhouse community near Aitkin in the central lakes area, about 150 miles north of the Twin Cities.

Developers Lowell and Kathleen Gillem plan to build those townhouses on 30 acres of woodsy rolling hills and a bluff overlooking secluded Otterbelly Lake. One four-unit building is completed, and the others will be built as buyers are found.

The Gillems plan to move into one of the quad units and turn their present home on the property into a community lodge, complete with hot tub, guest accommodations and an exercise room.

When the Gillems built their log home on the site in 1996-97, they planned to live there long-term. Lowell, now 66, had retired after a career in the Twin Cities as a human resources executive and consultant, and the couple were eager to leave the big-city commotion for a peaceful life in the North Woods.

But four years later, Lowell developed back problems. "It just got to the point where I couldn't maintain the property," he said. "We put it up for sale and began to search for maintenance-free living in this area, but there wasn't any. We went out 20 miles, and there was still nothing."

In talking to friends in the area, they discovered they weren't alone in their quest.

"The more we talked to people, the more frustration we heard," Lowell said. "When you're too old to stay in your home up here, you have to move to the city, into assisted living or a nursing home. There's no in-between."

So the Gillems decided to create that in-between. They took their property off the market and began a two-year process of working with Aitkin County officials to get their project approved. "We got great support from the community and government agencies," Lowell said. "This is the first common-interest community in the county, although now others are underway."

The Otterbelly project has a few other unusual features -- it's restricted to buyers aged 55 or older and doesn't allow the use of motorized watercraft and vehicles such as ATVs.

"The lake is too small for motors, and has too many loons and otters," said Lowell, who also noted that it provides excellent fishing. "You can paddle across it in a canoe in about five minutes. ... Our rules and regulations reflect our desire for quiet solitude."

The 2,400-square-foot quad homes start at $219,900 to $239,900 for the basic units (some two-level, some three-level) and are built to exceed metro-area building codes, Lowell said. They come pre-wired for Internet access, alarm systems and satellite TV, he said.

"Every unit will be a walk-out, overlooking the lake or five man-made ponds," said Kathleen Gillem. "There's so much wildlife around -- we had a dozen wild turkeys this spring, and there's deer, loons, ducks and a few geese this year." 

The project is close to a new hospital in Aitkin, shops, golf courses and a casino.

Other developers have the same idea. Builder-developer Jeff Schoenwetter of JMS Homes in Chanhassen knows many people would rather enjoy the hum of their outboard than the teeth-chattering vibrations of their lawn tractor. Despite prices as high as $500,000 for a three-bedroom, two-bath townhouse, he quickly sold all 20 townhouses he built at a pair of projects along the highly desirable shorelines of Gull and Nisswa lakes in northern Minnesota.

Those buyers get their own boat slips and the peace of mind that comes with knowing that the grass will be cut and the water will be on when they arrive for their weekend getaways.

While such projects are clearly geared toward baby boomers and retirees, Schoenwetter said his buyers range from 35 to 70, and that's why he's reluctant to impose any age restrictions on his projects.

"In Minnesota, if you're over 18 years old you can own real estate," he said. "But if the only guy you can sell to is over 55, there is some narrowing of your audience at resale."

That's not a deterrent to Fredric and Barbara Ann Stretar, who are selling a four-bedroom home on Lake Mille Lacs and buying one of the first Otterbelly units. Fredric, a retired teacher, said the maintenance-free aspect was a big attraction. "We like that it's all on one level, secluded and quiet, and the construction is very high quality," he said.

Owners will be board members of the townhouse association, and that's another plus, Stretar said. "It's really an asset that the people who live there make decisions on how things will be done," he said. "It won't be somebody else telling us what's going to be done."