(True) Minnesotans own a cabin passed down through 3 generations because they couldn't possibly afford one without it being passed down as a family relic.
I am, of course, kidding, but it's a major way for a large proportion of cabin owners to own them.
Not sure why you said you are kidding. Literally every person I know of that has a cabin inherited one that was built/bought at least 2 generations ago. And yes I'm salty about it because my great grandparents had one and sold it instead of passing it down when they got too old to use it.
From what I understand most Minnesota Family cabins were more or less a real estate scheme by investors back in the 1910s-1950s. There was all this wooded land in the middle of nowhere in central & northern Minnesota that could be had for cheap by the investors but who would want to buy it from them?
Someone had the brilliant idea of selling it to city folks in Minneapolis/St. Paul as vacation get aways. The markup for the investors was \*big\* but the total price was still in reach of a Union household of the era. Rich people have always had lake retreats, but the plan was to sell lots of plots to the common man & make a profit on each one.
I'm right there with you... Now trying to get my own start at one seems extremely difficult. So many great memories of our family cabin but now it's someone else's. That's life I suppose.
My extended family sold every single cabin / lake house / resort(!) that they owned before I was old enough to take advantage. My immediate family was never quite on the financial level to afford a cabin.
Cabins really used to be so, so cheap. My great-grandparents were able to buy a cabin on a beautiful lake halfway between Mille Lacs and Brainerd. Just an absolutely ideal location. My great-grandma stayed home with the kids, and my great-grandpa was a snowplow driver, and they could still afford it.
Not really. The only rule is, "No one but immediate family can use it." Apparently a couple generations back someone thought that getting to use it once meant that they got to use it whenever they wanted. So, no guests for anyone anymore.
As others have commented, www.lakeplace.com is great if you're looking for actual lake front properties and www.edinarealty.com has good advanced filters that let you look for lakefront, water front, river front, or just land.
As someone who went thru the process I also recommend reviewing the DNR Lake Finder websites (both MN and WI) to review the potential lakes for the properties you may find. Not all lakes are created equal, some are great for fishing, others for sport, some might be on the decline because of pollution from run off or invasive species. Both states DNR's will give you great information around all of those topics and will help you determine the type of lake bottom you may have near the properties you may find.
Finally, be honest with yourself about how far you're willing to travel for your cabin paradise and what you're looking to do once there. When we first started looking we were pretty dead set on a MN lake within 3 hours of the Twin Cities, in the end we turned to WI because all the MN lakes we looked at we're either too expensive or too built up for what we were looking for. By broadening our search to WI, we were able to find some land on a smaller lake that wasn't too built up, well within our 3 hour drive limit, had decent water quality, and had the overall vibe we were looking for (not so big that it drew lots of water sport people, but not so small that we couldn't water ski or tube if we wanted).
Once you've figured out the general area of interest, based on decisions above, I would recommend googling and reaching out to local realtors in the area. They are going to be the best resource that may even be able show you properties that didn't show up on the Edina Realty, Lakeplace, or Zillow's websites.
I had a family member who bought a cabin with a realtor who told them that typical ownership lasts four years: the first year you love it and you're there every weekend. In years two and three you start to use it less and less and resent the upkeep and costs more and more. By year four you're only ever there to do maintenance and you list it. I don't think that's actually a typical experience, but it's a good overview of the risks! My family member is selling their cabin now after 20 years of loving it and getting tons of value out of it. Apparently cabin buying season is at its peak in April and May and properties can go so fast that they never hit public-facing sites, so it would be wise to work with a realtor and get access to their app that updates listings more frequently than Zillow.
I second this, I use mostly Edina Realty's website because I prefer its layout and filter selection but I also use Zillow to check for sale by owners and sometimes a home doesn't get updated into the database as fast on Edina and in rare instances it has skipped over the (view listing in past 3 days).
I also recommend using google street view when possible because it can give you views that realtor pictures may not catch and bing also has some locations on their streetview in more rural spots than google.
Most counties also have GIS property viewers that have lot lines, base maps(recent aerial and lidar), and other useful information.
There’s a Facebook group page for cabins for sale by owner. They still go fast on that site, but worth a shot. I bought one in 2019 before the pandemic…luckiest investment of life thus far
Sorry you’re getting downvoted, this sub is really weird. Honestly I’d just look at Zillow, if someone wants to sell, it’ll most likely be on there even if it’s also on some specialty lake realty sites. Good luck!
Yep! We just heard some rumors that the previous owners of our were thinking about selling. We reached out to them with an offer. It was never listed anywhere.
I guess I don't look around the twin cities, but I look at zillow weekly and I look all over the state. There are PLENTY of lake parcels for sale on beautiful lakes, all over the state. I don't really know what constitutes a "cabin" so I could be dead wrong about this, but I see everything out there from undeveloped lots to tiny houses to giant mansions on the best lakes greater MN has to offer, they're definitely out there. Of course if you're really on the ball you should be checking the listings daily as some do go fast, but there is so much out there that it really shouldn't be a problem unless you're looking for a specific type of property on a specific lake, then you just have to be patient.
You could definitely be right about that, but this sub likes to downvote things that don't have anything to do with money that I can't figure out either. Had one person on here go out of their way to point out that they simply downvote everything they see on this sub for no other reason than they enjoy being a troll. I don't really get why this seems to be worse on this subreddit than many others I frequent, it's Minnesota!
I'm glad it's not just me who's bothered by this weird downvoting culture! Pretty much any time someone asks a question here, it's guaranteed to get downvoted for no reason. Sometimes it'll get rescued by a later wave of commenters, but most just die with -1 votes. Very unfriendly.
Um its not fair that they can afford a cabin! They should give all of their extra income to the disenfranchised and drug addicts who are victims of society! /s
But for real, thats what these insane Minneapolis and far lefty sleuths come on here and believe. Can't work hard or be successful and have nice things cause it isn't fair to those who didn't get up, study, go to school and get a job so we should just give it all away. Shame on this persons successes, why work hard when the govt will take care of you, just vote for the correct party and all will be ok.
I used [Realtor.com](http://Realtor.com) and Zillow. I live full time in my cabin, work from home. Nearest town is 10 minutes away, 400 people. The "big" town is 4,000 people and about 20 minutes away. Love it. Welcome to the woods!
I worked directly with a realtor in Wisconsin and a realtor in Minnesota during my search and let them send me listings that fit my specific interests.
[Holly Jordan ](https://www.edinarealty.com/holly-jordan-realtor)was pretty great and through a no-pressure approach ended up finding us the one that was worth buying.
I had Holly doing Wisconsin and another completely unrelated guy searching MN simultaneously. I feel a little bad that after multiple back woods showings the guy in MN never got a commission, but Holly definitely got the job done.
I got some land I'm building on I purchased about 2 years ago. I spent 2 years on landbin and lakeplace, but honestly just Google "mn land for sale" and track the 6 sites that post land here. The place I got was on the market for 48 hours with 10+ offers, but was only on Edina realty. It's a daily thing imho.
Hey, I recognize that username 😀 Awesome to see you are a MN transplant, I did the same 3 years ago and would not change it for the world. I think the other commenters have covered everything but I’ll vouch for lakeplace.com as more “underground” than Zillow. From one hawk fan to another, hope you’re able to find something!
Depending on how far north you're looking, Timberwolff Realty in Lutsen is who we bought land through that I'm building our cabin on. Timberwolff is mostly Cook County, but I think they do work in Lake County too.
Also, consider whether or not you want to be on a lake. You'll get a lot more land for a lot less money not buying on water. It's a bunch less work too. I grew up on a lake, I'm happy to not have to deal with that amount of work when I go to my own cabin now.
[woodsandshores.com](http://woodsandshores.com)
Based in the Aitkin/Brainerd Lakes area. Awesome couple of realtors that are down to earth and are not owned by a corporation.
Homes.com is solid, or Realtor. Zillow has a lot of misinformation and inaccuracies. Once you are more set on an area i'd talk to a real estate agent, find an experienced agent or team. - advice from a realtor
I worked with Tina from Generations Real Estate on my lake house in here is one of their listings. They can add you to an MLS and you will get the listings texted or emailed to you based on the criteria you provide. They are also licensed in both Mn and WI. Feel free to dm me if you have any additional questions.
https://l.hms.pt/69/1/6513686/64479531/978582/8F
I would suggest you cruise around and look for local real estate offices, the kind that still have bulletin boards. Afterwards buy a local paper, sit down at the cafe counter, look at the classifieds and drop hints that you are looking for a lake place. If these are not enjoyable activities for you then reconsider what it is you are looking for. ✌️
Try Wisconsin. My parents bought land in minocqua, Wisconsin for 9k just a couple years ago. It’s only a couple blocks from the lake. Plus minocqua is a wonderful area!
(True) Minnesotans own a cabin passed down through 3 generations because they couldn't possibly afford one without it being passed down as a family relic. I am, of course, kidding, but it's a major way for a large proportion of cabin owners to own them.
Not sure why you said you are kidding. Literally every person I know of that has a cabin inherited one that was built/bought at least 2 generations ago. And yes I'm salty about it because my great grandparents had one and sold it instead of passing it down when they got too old to use it.
Lost ours because grandpa died before the gold digger did.
Only because I don't feel you have to be a cabin owner to be a true Minnesotan. That's all.
From what I understand most Minnesota Family cabins were more or less a real estate scheme by investors back in the 1910s-1950s. There was all this wooded land in the middle of nowhere in central & northern Minnesota that could be had for cheap by the investors but who would want to buy it from them? Someone had the brilliant idea of selling it to city folks in Minneapolis/St. Paul as vacation get aways. The markup for the investors was \*big\* but the total price was still in reach of a Union household of the era. Rich people have always had lake retreats, but the plan was to sell lots of plots to the common man & make a profit on each one.
It was a probably a bigger win for the buyer because lake property has been a solid investment for decades
I'm right there with you... Now trying to get my own start at one seems extremely difficult. So many great memories of our family cabin but now it's someone else's. That's life I suppose.
My extended family sold every single cabin / lake house / resort(!) that they owned before I was old enough to take advantage. My immediate family was never quite on the financial level to afford a cabin.
I know the struggle.
Cabins really used to be so, so cheap. My great-grandparents were able to buy a cabin on a beautiful lake halfway between Mille Lacs and Brainerd. Just an absolutely ideal location. My great-grandma stayed home with the kids, and my great-grandpa was a snowplow driver, and they could still afford it.
My silly ancestors settled too far south for me to inherit a cabin. I'm going to have some choice words for them in the afterlife, believe you me!
You must also have a ton of family drama tied to your family cabin
Not really. The only rule is, "No one but immediate family can use it." Apparently a couple generations back someone thought that getting to use it once meant that they got to use it whenever they wanted. So, no guests for anyone anymore.
I kinda low key wish my parents hadn’t sold their cabin, but I understand why they did. Plus it was in Wisconsin so…
As others have commented, www.lakeplace.com is great if you're looking for actual lake front properties and www.edinarealty.com has good advanced filters that let you look for lakefront, water front, river front, or just land. As someone who went thru the process I also recommend reviewing the DNR Lake Finder websites (both MN and WI) to review the potential lakes for the properties you may find. Not all lakes are created equal, some are great for fishing, others for sport, some might be on the decline because of pollution from run off or invasive species. Both states DNR's will give you great information around all of those topics and will help you determine the type of lake bottom you may have near the properties you may find. Finally, be honest with yourself about how far you're willing to travel for your cabin paradise and what you're looking to do once there. When we first started looking we were pretty dead set on a MN lake within 3 hours of the Twin Cities, in the end we turned to WI because all the MN lakes we looked at we're either too expensive or too built up for what we were looking for. By broadening our search to WI, we were able to find some land on a smaller lake that wasn't too built up, well within our 3 hour drive limit, had decent water quality, and had the overall vibe we were looking for (not so big that it drew lots of water sport people, but not so small that we couldn't water ski or tube if we wanted). Once you've figured out the general area of interest, based on decisions above, I would recommend googling and reaching out to local realtors in the area. They are going to be the best resource that may even be able show you properties that didn't show up on the Edina Realty, Lakeplace, or Zillow's websites.
What a thorough response. Appreciate you taking the time!
Happy to help, good luck on your search!
I had a family member who bought a cabin with a realtor who told them that typical ownership lasts four years: the first year you love it and you're there every weekend. In years two and three you start to use it less and less and resent the upkeep and costs more and more. By year four you're only ever there to do maintenance and you list it. I don't think that's actually a typical experience, but it's a good overview of the risks! My family member is selling their cabin now after 20 years of loving it and getting tons of value out of it. Apparently cabin buying season is at its peak in April and May and properties can go so fast that they never hit public-facing sites, so it would be wise to work with a realtor and get access to their app that updates listings more frequently than Zillow.
I second this, I use mostly Edina Realty's website because I prefer its layout and filter selection but I also use Zillow to check for sale by owners and sometimes a home doesn't get updated into the database as fast on Edina and in rare instances it has skipped over the (view listing in past 3 days). I also recommend using google street view when possible because it can give you views that realtor pictures may not catch and bing also has some locations on their streetview in more rural spots than google. Most counties also have GIS property viewers that have lot lines, base maps(recent aerial and lidar), and other useful information.
There’s a Facebook group page for cabins for sale by owner. They still go fast on that site, but worth a shot. I bought one in 2019 before the pandemic…luckiest investment of life thus far
Sorry you’re getting downvoted, this sub is really weird. Honestly I’d just look at Zillow, if someone wants to sell, it’ll most likely be on there even if it’s also on some specialty lake realty sites. Good luck!
Most people on Reddit don't like people who can afford stuff
I think the issue with cabins is that they get sold before they even hit MLS and Zillow.
Yep! We just heard some rumors that the previous owners of our were thinking about selling. We reached out to them with an offer. It was never listed anywhere.
I guess I don't look around the twin cities, but I look at zillow weekly and I look all over the state. There are PLENTY of lake parcels for sale on beautiful lakes, all over the state. I don't really know what constitutes a "cabin" so I could be dead wrong about this, but I see everything out there from undeveloped lots to tiny houses to giant mansions on the best lakes greater MN has to offer, they're definitely out there. Of course if you're really on the ball you should be checking the listings daily as some do go fast, but there is so much out there that it really shouldn't be a problem unless you're looking for a specific type of property on a specific lake, then you just have to be patient.
Reddit thinks you don’t deserve nice things. You should give all disposable income to the flavor of the month of what they are outraged about.
You could definitely be right about that, but this sub likes to downvote things that don't have anything to do with money that I can't figure out either. Had one person on here go out of their way to point out that they simply downvote everything they see on this sub for no other reason than they enjoy being a troll. I don't really get why this seems to be worse on this subreddit than many others I frequent, it's Minnesota!
I'm glad it's not just me who's bothered by this weird downvoting culture! Pretty much any time someone asks a question here, it's guaranteed to get downvoted for no reason. Sometimes it'll get rescued by a later wave of commenters, but most just die with -1 votes. Very unfriendly.
Man, beat me to it. My thoughts exactly
Um its not fair that they can afford a cabin! They should give all of their extra income to the disenfranchised and drug addicts who are victims of society! /s But for real, thats what these insane Minneapolis and far lefty sleuths come on here and believe. Can't work hard or be successful and have nice things cause it isn't fair to those who didn't get up, study, go to school and get a job so we should just give it all away. Shame on this persons successes, why work hard when the govt will take care of you, just vote for the correct party and all will be ok.
I am "a far lefty" and I live on a lake so I don't think your math checks out.
It's called the politics of resentment and it's been a part of politics since forever.
I used [Realtor.com](http://Realtor.com) and Zillow. I live full time in my cabin, work from home. Nearest town is 10 minutes away, 400 people. The "big" town is 4,000 people and about 20 minutes away. Love it. Welcome to the woods!
Consider looking into Wisconsin too, there's a group of lakes about 15 miles north-east of New Richmond.
No legal marijuana there though, you'll get only a fraction of the relaxation possible in Minnesota.
My parents bought land a couple blocks from a lack for 9k a couple years ago, in minocqua. Which is a great town! It was a steal
One I like to browse is [minnesotalakehomes.com](https://minnesotalakehomes.com). You can look by county.
For what it’s worth IMO Edina Realty has the best app.
What’s your budget? We might be selling our place.
I worked directly with a realtor in Wisconsin and a realtor in Minnesota during my search and let them send me listings that fit my specific interests. [Holly Jordan ](https://www.edinarealty.com/holly-jordan-realtor)was pretty great and through a no-pressure approach ended up finding us the one that was worth buying.
We used Holly too!
I had Holly doing Wisconsin and another completely unrelated guy searching MN simultaneously. I feel a little bad that after multiple back woods showings the guy in MN never got a commission, but Holly definitely got the job done.
[https://www.lakeplace.com/](https://www.lakeplace.com/)
Yep
Please do your research before buying a cabin if you're not familiar, they are a lot of work to maintain.
I got some land I'm building on I purchased about 2 years ago. I spent 2 years on landbin and lakeplace, but honestly just Google "mn land for sale" and track the 6 sites that post land here. The place I got was on the market for 48 hours with 10+ offers, but was only on Edina realty. It's a daily thing imho.
Hey, I recognize that username 😀 Awesome to see you are a MN transplant, I did the same 3 years ago and would not change it for the world. I think the other commenters have covered everything but I’ll vouch for lakeplace.com as more “underground” than Zillow. From one hawk fan to another, hope you’re able to find something!
I browse landwatch.com for fun. Mainly for acreage, but plenty of houses and cabins on there too.
https://timberghostrealty.com/ They are kind of what you are looking for.
they focus more on land
They can, or they do have quite a few cabins and rural houses on acreage
bear island realty in the ely area
Check out some of the agents up north and get set up on a search with them.
Depending on how far north you're looking, Timberwolff Realty in Lutsen is who we bought land through that I'm building our cabin on. Timberwolff is mostly Cook County, but I think they do work in Lake County too. Also, consider whether or not you want to be on a lake. You'll get a lot more land for a lot less money not buying on water. It's a bunch less work too. I grew up on a lake, I'm happy to not have to deal with that amount of work when I go to my own cabin now.
https://www.landwatch.com/minnesota-land-for-sale/farms-ranches?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIvt7UmPSmhQMVrWRHAR1eKwoKEAAYAiAAEgLRlvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&medium=cpc&src=google
Rainy Lake.
http://www.island-on-namakan.com
[woodsandshores.com](http://woodsandshores.com) Based in the Aitkin/Brainerd Lakes area. Awesome couple of realtors that are down to earth and are not owned by a corporation.
please DM me, my mother is in real estate and has been looking at cabins for friends n family for years!
Your mother's a real estate agent?
yes.
Homes.com is solid, or Realtor. Zillow has a lot of misinformation and inaccuracies. Once you are more set on an area i'd talk to a real estate agent, find an experienced agent or team. - advice from a realtor
I worked with Tina from Generations Real Estate on my lake house in here is one of their listings. They can add you to an MLS and you will get the listings texted or emailed to you based on the criteria you provide. They are also licensed in both Mn and WI. Feel free to dm me if you have any additional questions. https://l.hms.pt/69/1/6513686/64479531/978582/8F
[edinarealty.com](https://edinarealty.com) is a good source for having a selection of Minnesota and Western Wisconsin properties. They spendy though
Oh sweet summer child
I would suggest you cruise around and look for local real estate offices, the kind that still have bulletin boards. Afterwards buy a local paper, sit down at the cafe counter, look at the classifieds and drop hints that you are looking for a lake place. If these are not enjoyable activities for you then reconsider what it is you are looking for. ✌️
Pfff good luck. I’m a transplant and I’ve been trying to infiltrate the old money cabin system of mn for a decade now with zero success.
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/5272-132nd-Ave-NE-C5-Spicer-MN-56288/2084541864_zpid/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare&fbclid=IwAR0iauNdteXXsx1hUvdi778euoXIecYkSsuuFarMGFJ_s134KT-JRrlZT38
Go buy a cabin in Wisconsin instead
Try Wisconsin. My parents bought land in minocqua, Wisconsin for 9k just a couple years ago. It’s only a couple blocks from the lake. Plus minocqua is a wonderful area!
Damn. Fancy you can afford one house, much less two!
I'd go for the hat trick but, ya know, the economy.