In this blog we’re going to be discussing what you need to know about Lake Winnebago homes for sale. I’m going to go over the ins and outs of owning waterfront property on Lake Winnebago, here in the Fox Valley area. And the do’s and don’ts of each and what you should be aware of.
#1 – Property Values Appreciate
Owning property on Lake Winnebago can be great for the long term investment. Meaning, waterfront values are always appreciating. Over the past, say, 10, 20 years, the price points have risen drastically, 25, 30, 45%. Not only is it a great long term investment, but who wouldn’t want to look out over a beautiful lake view every morning when they wake up? With higher property values come higher property taxes. Depending upon the municipality, will dictate your taxes.
In my experience, if you are looking for reasonable property taxes on the West side of Lake Winnebago you are best off living in either the Town of Black Wolf, Town of Neenah, or Town of Oshkosh. Both townships have a lower tax threshold and allow potential waterfront property owners like yourself to buy a house without having to pay $500-$800 a month in property taxes.
If you taxes are not a concern then you will have free reign for picking and choosing which house best fits your style!
#2 – Typical Age of Waterfront Houses on Lake Winnebago
This is very subjective to the amount of money someone may want to spend when searching for their next house. Lake Winnebago property ranges from being built in the 1940-1950’s to brand new construction vacant land. At one point in time all the land around Lake Winnebago was farm fields.
To this day there are plenty of farm fields in the counties surrounding Lake Winnebago, but most of the original owners have parceled off sections and sold the land to the highest and best bidder.
If you are looking at spending between $300,000-$400,000 on a Lake Winnebago house that would land you within the 1960-1980 time era. Age is one of the more minimal price point determinations as it is subjective to how updated the house is. If a home was just remodeled and dated back to 1970, a remodeled house is worth MORE than a non remodeled one, regardless of when it was built.
#3 – Shorelines on Lake Winnebago – Where Should You Live?
First, let me ask you, what’s your goal? Do you want something that’s a vacation house or do you want something that’s a full time residence? This will allow you to either move to the areas where school districts or local community is most important, or an area that would be great for tourism and fun to hang out for a few months out of the year.
What are the things that you should personally know about living on Lake Winnebago? One of the things that I would say is the Lake is extremely shallow, at its deepest, it’s 26 feet deep. So what does that mean? The Lake turns over constantly. During the summertime you can expect to see a lot of algae, especially on the north side of Lake Winnebago. The water tends to turn green and I’m not talking just a dark green. It turns into a light green and it’s completely covering the entire north shore because it’s all algae. The algae turns up, it pushes to the north because of the wind and current. So that’s what you can expect to see on the north shore during the summertime.
Now on the east, west and south shores, typically the east shore, it is the deepest part of Lake Winnebago. It’s very rocky over there and that’s where the Stockbridge and Chilton area is. The east side of Lake Winnebago has a rockier bottom compared to the North & South Sides (Mainly Sand). On the West side of the Lake (Oshkosh, Neenah, Menasha) you will find that it is a mixture of sand, clay, & rock. If you plan on swimming in Lake Winnebago often then I would recommend asking about the shoreline prior to purchase.
#4 – Is Lake Winnebago the Best Lake in the Fox Cities?
In my personal opinion, I DO NOT think Lake Winnebago is the Best Lake in the Fox Cities area. However, it is by far the largest lake that connects to all the other major waterways. Lake Winnebago is quite shallow in depth creating rough water on most days you are out boating.
Lake Winnebago has gorgeous shorelines, beautiful views, and is hard to beat on those perfect summer or winter days. With it being such a large lake, you can start your day off in Fond du Lac and by the end of it, you could be up in Menasha or Neenah for Dinner. That is not even considering how many different cities or restaurants you can get to by going through Lake Butte Des Morts or on the Fox River.
The main reason some people may prefer other waterfront property is the fact that Lake Winnebago does have Lake flies in the summer that can be quite overwhelming.
#5 – How Much Can I Expect to Spend on a Waterfront House
When it comes down to budgeting for a Lake Winnebago house, here are a few things I would recommend.
Ask yourself, how much water frontage or space between my neighbors do I want? Can you survive with 50-60 feet, or do you need 80-120 (or more)?
What type of shoreline do you want? All sand or are you okay with gravel or silt?
What size or style of house do I want? Ranch or 2 Story?
Generally speaking, if you want a very nice Lake Front house you will be spending in excess of $600,000. Lake Winnebago property is significantly cheaper than Lake Butte Des Morts, because of the information mentioned in the previous paragraph. But, in order to get the home you want with all the bells and whistles, you will need to spend a good amount.
If you want a standard Lake Winnebago house you can move the budget down into the $300,000-375,000 range.
There are numerous properties in all the price ranges & to get more information on that just give me a call! Lake Winnebago houses tend to sell very fast because of the limited supply so it is always great to be working with a Realtor.
Need Help Buying a Waterfront Property on Lake Winnebago?
Lastly, if you need help either buying or selling your Lake Winnebago property, feel free to fill out the form below & Carter will reach out. It is always beneficial to have a phone conversation about what you are searching for so we can better understand you needs, wants, & desires. For immediate help give Carter a call at 920-252-2864
- Getting a Loan on a Lake Winnebago House
- Insurance on Lake Winnebago Homes
- Permanent Docks on Lake Winnebago
- Is This a 3 Season or 4 Season House on Lake Winnebago
- Lake Flies on Lake Winnebago
