Resort Visit or Buy A Cabin? Things To Consider

Every weekend when I was growing up, at least one of my friends was headed up to their families cabin for the weekend. I was invited on many of those trips. My family never purchased a cabin; but we DID start going to The Northland Lodge every summer once I started College at Bemidji State University; and we continued that family tradition for many many years.

DO YOU WANT THE EXTRA WORK?

Having a cabin IS like having another home; because...well..it IS another home. That means maintenance. Will you live on a lake? Someone has to put in the boat-dock every year. Are you going to do  it yourself? Or can you afford to have someone do it for you? Do you like mowing? Do you like cleaning? You'll have to make sure your cabin is clean, garbage taken out, pack up the dirty laundry, sheets and bring em home. Now granted; you need to clean up your resort cabin too; but you really don't have to worry about what happens after you leave...and you can enjoy your time their doing things like fishing, reading a book, swimming, having a cook out,  or just going for a nice walk.

DO YOU WANT A CABIN ON A LAKE...OR NEAR A LAKE?

Remember, you WILL have to pay taxes, replace things that break. Can you afford a small cabin on a lake? Maybe a bigger cabin close to a lake? Or maybe you can have it all. A big cabin...on a lake...and you can hire people to do maintenance.  Yes...I had to pay for a weeks worth of fun at the lodge. But I can afford a couple thousand...another monthly payment...might not work for my budget.

THE VIEW IS EVERYTHING...

I grew up on a farm, so every time I go back to the farm, I think...this is THE place. It's peaceful...there's no traffic.....I can hear the bugs at night...the birds in the morning. I can see the stars in the midnight sky. I think this is what people who buy cabins are also looking for. Peace and quiet. You definitely get it when you have this home away from home in the city.

BE PREPARED TO MAKE AN OFFER AND RUN WITH IT

Just so you know...if you are looking for your little piece of paradise, you should be ready to drop over $150,000 for it. You should also be prepared to make an offer when you find something you like...because if you don't, there's always someone waiting for it and you may not get a second chance.

VISIT

If you just can't afford a cabin...the next best thing? Having great friends that love to share their paradise with family and friends. Or...visit a great place a few times a year. My family visits The Northland Lodge on Lake Winnie...It was a family tradition every year for over 20 years. Nowadays we all try to get there when we can..but there's nothing like the memories we made at The Northland Lodge. The kids had a pool...we went fishing and had big family fish fry on the last day of our trip, where we all shared the fish we caught. We had campfires, and relaxed watching the kids throw their poles in the water off the dock. Those trips were well worth it..and for me...I can afford a few trips over the maintenance of having my own place.  Sort of sounds like I need to book me a trip....yeah?