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Whether you have actually always wished to live by the water or you're expanding your property portfolio, these are the top places to purchase a lake house.

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Lydia Mansel is a writer with more than eight years of experience modifying and composing for both brands and online publications-with a specific concentrate on travel, style, and way of life. She's also the creator of the travel site justpacked.com.

For numerous, lake homes are synonymous with summer season fond memories. Barbeques, revitalizing dips in the cold water, gorgeous sunsets, boat trips, and fireflies: If you've spent at any time by a lake in the warmer months, you're most likely well-acquainted with this particular brand name of holiday magic. You may even be wanting to recreate it for yourself by acquiring your own lake home. If that's the case, but you're not exactly sure which lake you wish to call your home (or your second home) right now, we can help.

There are rather literally thousands of lakes with real estate chances in the U.S., so we spoke with a couple of specialists to limit the selection. Below, they're sharing their picks for the very best locations to purchase a lake home this year.

Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri

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" Lake of the Ozarks is a terrific location to buy a lakefront residential or commercial property right now since, along with offering dozens of year-round activities, the residential or commercial property is still budget-friendly," states Elena Novak, lead property scientist at PropertyChecker.com. Missouri-based Matt Smith Real Estate Group reports that, in February of this year, the average sale price of homes in this part of the state was $448,585, while Zillow estimates the typical home worth in the city of Lake Ozark is simply above $340,000. "With property costs rising, these homes might become out of reach within the next 5 years," Novak warns-so if you have an interest in a peaceful lakefront home that's simply a couple of hours from centers like Kansas City or St. Louis, now's the time to buy.

Southwest Lake Erie Region, Michigan and Ohio

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When figuring out the finest places to buy a lake house, Julie Brinkman, the CEO at Beyond, a profits management system for getaway rentals, was concentrated on locations that make the most financial sense for those seeking out residential or commercial properties to add to their rental portfolio. "The southwest Lake Erie area, surrounding both Michigan and Ohio, has a typical annual earnings per listing of $34,000 and an average yearly occupancy rate of 40 percent," she states. Since May 2025, Zillow has a handful of homes in the area-in Luna Pier, Michigan