Whether you have actually constantly wished to live by the water or you're expanding your realty portfolio, these are the leading places to buy a lake house.
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Lydia Mansel is an author with more than eight years of experience editing and composing for both brands and online publications-with a specific concentrate on travel, fashion, and lifestyle. She's also the founder of the travel site justpacked.com.

For lots of, lake homes are associated with summer season nostalgia. Barbeques, revitalizing dips in the cold water, gorgeous sunsets, boat trips, and fireflies: If you have actually invested any time by a lake in the warmer months, you're most likely well-acquainted with this specific brand name of vacation magic. You may even be looking to recreate it for yourself by purchasing your own lake house. If that holds true, however you're not exactly sure which lake you want to call your home (or your second home) right now, we can assist.

There are quite literally countless lakes with real estate opportunities in the U.S., so we spoke to a few specialists to narrow down the choice. Below, they're sharing their choices for the very best locations to purchase a lake house this year.

Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri

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" Lake of the Ozarks is a great place to purchase a lakefront residential or commercial property right now because, in addition to offering lots of year-round activities, the residential or commercial property is still budget-friendly," says Elena Novak, lead realty researcher at PropertyChecker.com. Missouri-based Matt Smith Real Estate Group reports that, in February of this year, the price of homes in this part of the state was $448,585, while Zillow approximates the typical home worth in the city of Lake Ozark is simply above $340,000. "With realty prices rising, these homes might become out of reach within the next five years," Novak warns-so if you have an interest in a peaceful lakefront home that's just a couple of hours from hubs like Kansas City or St. Louis, now's the time to buy.

Southwest Lake Erie Region, Michigan and Ohio

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When determining the very best places to buy a lake house, Julie Brinkman, the CEO at Beyond, an earnings management system for getaway rentals, was focused on destinations 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 a typical yearly occupancy rate of 40 percent," she says. As of May 2025, Zillow has a handful of homes in the area-in Luna Pier, Michigan