[The Real BigGuy]

Seems that most of the responses have focused on the islands on the western side of the lake. Remember that there are some beautiful islands and properties on the eastern side. The pace is a little slower but you also have further to go if you want to drive somewhere.

I'd suggest you find a Realtor who specializes in island property. Several of them actually live on islands and can take you out in their bot to show you several different properties on several different islands. Each one has its own character. 20 yrs ago John Bridges, god rest his soul, spent a Saturday with my wife and I and helped us find the perfect place for us. The first year there I spent literally 3 hrs watching my 5 & 9 year old run down the dock and jump in, climb out and do it all over again. I turned to my wife and said, "this makes it all worth it!"

One thing I didn't see anyone mention is docking on the mainland side. As someone did mention, a couple of the islands have their own dock space. I'm guessing more don't. You either need to rent or buy. We rented for a couple of years and then decided to buy to have some permanence and know where the boat was going to be and what our water commute is year in and year out. So take into account how you are going to handle the mainland side. Rental slips come and go. They are sold, turned into condo's, etc. so if you choose renting you may end up moving every few years.

Buying worked for us but it is expensive now. I thought that square of water was expensive when I bought it but slip prices have increased 300% + since then.

Lastly, I've had a lot of friends (+ relatives) who couldn't believe that i could live "on an island." "What do you do when it rains?", "Aren't you afraid of the animals?" "Isn't it boring?", "I could never do that!" Guess what, to this day, everyone who has visited couldn't believe how much they enjoyed their time with us and, sometimes unfortunately, they want to come back.

If you make the decision to buy on an island do one thing - ENJOY!!!