Buying a lake community home in the winter
 

Hi,

Is it unwise to buy a home in a lake community during the winter? The home in question is currently winterized and much of the community members are seasonal residents. The ground is obviously covered in snow right now, so it's tough to see the land and surrounding properties' land. The home has a septic tank and a well. It isn't waterfront, but is 500ish feet away from the waterfront (one house in between this home and the water). If you were looking to buy a home in a lake community, would you wait until the spring to better be able to evaluate the home & community? I've done loads of online research on the community - but I know that seeing it in the winter versus the spring/summer is very different.

If it checked all the boxes, was the right price, and I had money to fix things I might miss, I'd buy whenever.

I would, however, research what to look for that could be an issue in spring.

For example, we didn't pay much attention to trees when we looked at our home in the off-season, but we noticed the previous owner planted deciduous trees in places that affects sun penetration. This means we have sun in winter, which adds a little warmth, but shade in summer, which cools things down a bit.

Good luck!

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It's a double edged sword.

Yes, it would be a really nice to see what the community looks like in the spring especially the lake frontage (i.e. rocky, sandy, boat dock (if applicable), beach (if applicable), etc.)

Problem is there isn't an inventory out there so assuming it's priced properly it will likely sell within a month.

Due diligence is never 100%. I bought a "closed" house where the home inspector turned on the furnace, and it started right up. He shut it off and said "That looks OK". After closing we turned on the heat and after a few minutes it automatically shut down because the exchanger was shot and it was pumping carbon monoxide into the air ducts. Next house was a cash deal so no inspector and I brought in my contractor and HVAC guy. We all watched the caretaker who had shut the house down dry fire the boiler. On the spot, the seller's agent dropped the sale price by the cost of a new boiler as quoted by my HVAC guy. A new boiler is a nice perk on a "used" house. Town Hall will have permit records for others in the community that have replaced septic systems. Be aware that there is pending legislation about septics and property close to waterfront. 250' feet in the bill now could change to 500' when the bill goes to the Senate. Well water: be sure to test for PFAS. It's more expensive that just a potable test. It cost me $5500 for a PFAS filtration system, reimbursed by the state of NH.
Bottom line, anything that is suspect, have your contractor give you a price and set up an escrow account to settle 60-90 days after closing.

Water clarity and bottom conditions
 

Whether water-access or waterfront, the clarity of the water and the condition of the bottom were always major considerations for us when we were looking to buy. Is the bottom rocky? Sandy? Sticks and pinecones and muck? In some areas of Moultonboro the water appears to have a "brownish" hue, even though it is very clean. Unfortunately, you can't see and make a judgement on any of this when the lake is frozen over. If you really love the house and the community, perhaps your realtor can help you get pix of the waterfront area from the sellers or their realtor so you can make a (semi) informed decision.

Good luck!

I understand you may be hesitant to name the community. I would suggest maybe you search this forum with that community name and see what you can find. There are some communities that have issues with crowded amenities or waterfront or just bad HOAs. There might be mentions here…

That’s what I was thinking. If you tell us what community you are looking at,I’m sure you will get many responses.

I would prefer to see a property when there was no snow covering everything but sometimes if it's a good deal you have to move fast. Only you can make that decision.
I know a couple homes on the water across the street from me were bought during the winter and the new owners have expressed disappointment in their waterfronts, the water is so weedy that it's really not swimmable.

Beyond the physical home this is a great point. You need to know where you are buying if you are in it for lake use. This can impact value and the amount of time it could take you to sell it down the road. As mentioned above there are areas of the lake with brown water, lots of weeds and of course the water rats (geese). Geese absolutely suck to put it mildly. Not to stir pot and some may take issue with this but if I were looking to buy right now I would wait and see where this blue green algae threat goes in the next couple years. This could be problem.

All the above makes sense... but the problem with real estate is the inventory is constantly changing so what is available today will likely not be available if one takes the time to do the recommended diligence. Real estate is personal, so if a particular property checks all the boxes, a case can be made to move fast or miss out. A conundrum...

FOMO, is what the younger generation call it. As a 70 year old, that has been through many up and down markets, that's a bad reason to buy!
We've had a tremendous run up in prices over the last five years. Personally, I don't think it will last much longer, JMO.

Disagree. Prices may be dropping a bit due to many reasons. But, don’t see a crash anytime soon. Real estate in Laconia and the surrounding towns have never been higher in demand than they are now. Waterfront property is still and will remain in demand. As someone said a long time ago “they are not making any more of it”. Lots of out of state money coming in. For us longtime owners it may not be what we want, but there’s little we can do about it. Enjoy what one has until you can’t


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some winter thoughts
 

Here are some winter items to check out.

Confirm if the current owners or the HOA have conducted recent surveys. Snow may obscure lot boundaries or important markers.

Ask neighbors about snowmelt drainage patterns. Spring thaw can reveal water pooling or soggy spots that are hidden now.

Check the elevation of the septic system relative to the lake or any nearby wetlands. Seasonal high water tables can stress older septic designs.

Good luck!

A functioning septic system should work fine through the winter.

Having said that, if you like “most” of the property-buy it! Lake house don’t sit around for long. If for some reason, it doesn’t work for you, sell it at a profit down the road…
I dont know anybody who doesn’t love their lake house.

If you're putting dye through the system for a test, it needs to have a fair amount of flow to determine viability. Yes, it should function all winter, but one flush to a system that is inactive doesn't make a valid test.

Not 100% sure of NH, septic tests I have witnessed are based on a flow rate (GPH). Not a single flush.

Exactly. That's why it is difficult to get a good test on a system that is not in routine operation.

So how does that affect this new law that every septic must be tested when a house is sold?

The buyer has to have it evaluated and it has to pass, or the sale will not go through until a new system is installed.

So as they are saying if it's difficult to get a good test in the winter, is this law not worth much?

Why would the buyer be responsible for this?
It seems to me this should be on the seller.

I don't know how they evaluate the septic system.

So, where does is say the buyer id responsible for this?

So this really only applies to properties within 250' of the lake.
This must be why I see a lot of waterfront properties marked "contingent" for quite some time, instead of "under agreement"?

Sorry-I don’t understand why this would be any more difficult in the winter?
Maybe you need to locate the pump out and shovel the snow?

Other than that, the septic tests I have observed involved a calculation of flow rate from a hose ( 5 GPM target) and then the hose was placed in the pump out for a period of time while the fluid level was observed.

Other than dealing with snow/cold I don’t understand why this would be any more difficult in winter. A properly functioning system must be capable of flow in all seasons.
Can you explain what I am missing?

Thx, Bill

'Starting September 1, 2024, buyers of waterfront property...'

Very first sentence.

Mitigate Your Risks...
 

We bought our seasonal home in February 2001, and it has worked out very well. But it was definitely a risk, and various expensive things could have gone wrong.

I agree with the comments about septic and water: do your best to understand what problems you are buying. Assume there are some problems. In the worst case, can you solve the problems with just money?

The other aspect is the neighbors... we have terrific neighbors, but it's hard to determine that when no one is around.

We looked at one home that was next to a cottage colony; in the winter it's quiet but during the summer it is very active and noisy. We passed on that home, and we are very glad now. Others like that vibe, but not us.

Our friend at the time gave us good advice: don't worry as much about problems that money can solve. In other words, things like location, physical surroundings, and neighbors are much more important.

Mitigate and understand your risks as much as possible. Good luck!

Shut down?
 

It appears we're talking about a winterized house. Without more detail, that likely means no water for that hose you so casually pull out. In some communities, the entire water system is drained for the winter. Nothing flowing through the septic, so frozen ground deeper than might occur on an operating system. If you don't have exact measurements for the pump out, driving a rod into frozen ground may not be easy or successful. If you want to take core samples from the leach field, also very difficult. At my place there is gravity feed from toilets, etc. to the tank, then to the macerator pump, then up to the leach field. Many people remove the pump for the winter.

I remember a guy telling me years ago that he bought a condo in Laconia during the winter only to find the neighborhood was overrun by Hells Angels during the summer months. He eventually sold at a loss, swearing off the Lakes region!

Thank you all for the replies, these are helpful. We waited while researching some things about the HOA & a shared well and sure enough, the home went under agreement. Lesson learned. We've mostly been looking in the Winnipesaukee area (Balmoral & Suissevale) and a bit in Locke Lake (but their lake issues scare us off a bit), but this home was in Northwood in the Lynn Grove Association (Gulf Village District). We spent too much time researching their drainage issues and missed the boat on getting an offer in before someone else did. But the lake views sure were spectacular.

On the other hand, perhaps you dodged a bullet.

You won't really know unless you find out the selling price and actual situation.

We were in a not dissimilar situation and are glad the way things worked out, even though it was annoying throughout the process.

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Yeah, there is a chance we also dodged a bullet. This particular home has changed hands frequently - about once every 4 years since 2003 - so it gave us pause and we wanted to do a lot of research before making an offer. The shared well was something new to us too and it took us a while to locate the well agreement referenced in the deed. But the views were so nice! We're hoping to find another comparable home between now and the fall.

You still have your funds, so you didn't lose anything!

Sharing a well would be a hard no. Similar to a shared driveway. Why aren’t you looking at Winnisquam?


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Jillian Blue, Good escape. sounds like this was actually a good experience builder for you. I have gone in the other direction, make the deposit and get the price agreed upon. Then you should have 30 days for due diligence, maybe some language about an extension if the home inspection can't be scheduled. If you find something you don't like, cancel the deal and get your deposit back, or renegotiate the price. Be vary cautious about timelines in the contract and use your buyer Realtor or Real Estate attorney to do your negotiating. Hope you'll post some good news here soon.

Getting your money back isn’t as easy as you think


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Yes, our (point) well is also shut down for winter. I would think a tank of water could/would be brought in. Can’t imagine how else flow rate of septic system could be determined?

Has anyone else had a septic system tested in winter while water supply is shut down?
Did you need to wait until spring?

It is an interesting scenario.

In any case, OP has bailed on this one. Everything happens for a reason…

Every 5 sales in 20 years? You definitely dodged a bullet. Forget about the comment above (which I agreed with at the time) that everybody loves their lake house.

I'm with Think on the need for lots of homework in advance of even seeing the house--chance favors the prepared mind. Prepare to spend a year or more looking/researching, then pounce with a high and fast offer when "the one" comes into view.

We bought our last house in Mass after a 20 minute walk through, with a high above asking price bid, no inspection. Almost insane, but we just barely edged out two others, and it's been a great purchase. We were able to do this because we knew the neighborhood and the economics well enough that we could bank on it.

Scot, your comment is very accurate, and in line with our experience as well. We had been in a lake-access place for many years, (it was initially my parents' home dating back to the 70's and then my wife and I bought it from them in 2000). In 2012, we determined that we could afford a waterfront place and we thought that it would be a very simple process...look at a few places and buy one. It turned out to be a 14 month process where we looked at over 20 properties. Some were a nice house, but crappy water clarity/bottom and vice versa; some were in the shade all day; some had been rentals and were very tired, and so on. However, once we found "the one", we knew it within a few minutes of the showing. Unfortunately, there were 3 offers in already, (it was the first day of showings). We knew to have a chance at getting it, we'd have to offer list price, (going over list price was not "a thing" back then), and be mostly, if not all, cash, (again, not really a thing in 2012). It went against all our instincts to do that, (list price and mostly cash and no contingencies), but we got the house and it was one of the best decisions we have ever made, both financially and quality-of-life wise.