Starting Your Door County Home Search? Based on our most Frequently Asked Questions, here are Some Tips to Help you Succeed.
So you’ve fallen in love with Door County. You’ve visited a few times, and each time the allure of the Door Peninsula works its magic. You’ve discussed Door County with your family, and everyone is on the same page. From Wilson’s, to the Ephraim Yacht Club, to the Sister Bay Beach, to the Shoreline Restaurant….everyone has a favorite, and every year the list of favorites grows. It’s time to turn Door County vacations into Door County traditions and start working toward a growing desire to spend more time as a seasonal resident of Door County. As you begin your process, here are some tips to help you succeed in finding the perfect Door County property.
KNOW YOUR PRICE POINT AND MAKE SURE IT WORKS WITH YOUR LOCATION: With so many different towns, villages and one city, Door County can be very different simply by driving across the Peninsula from the Lake to the Bay. Waterfront properties on the Green Bay side will be more costly than shorefront on Lake Michigan because the majority of buyers prefer a sunset rather than a sunrise.
DO YOU HAVE TIME FOR A HOUSE? This is a careful consideration we go over with buyers every year. Homes require more owner maintenance than most condominium developments. We can assist in providing reputable lists of maintenance businesses and cleaning services, but if you truly want to just come up to Door County on weekends, park the car and start playing, perhaps a condominium would be a better fit.
IS A HOTEL CONDOMINIUM THE RIGHT FIT? A lot of area owners find the rental benefits of our hotel condominiums attractive, especially if they are an income-generating development. Tour several, make sure you have all of the numbers—rental, taxes, dues, maintenance—and make your decision. People visiting this area enjoy establishments that are on the water, have amenities, or are a short walk into a nearby town or village where they can shop, dine and play.
LET YOUR REALTOR ASSIST YOU IN WORKING WITH LOCAL LENDERS. Local lenders know our area. Hopefully, they will also use local appraisers if you need to finance your purchase. Your Realtor® will also likely recommend a local home inspector familiar with local codes and ordinances. “Locals” are uniquely familiar with Door County.
USE AN ACCREDITED BUYER REPRESENTATIVE.As you begin to think about talking to a Realtor® (and after you’ve obviously spent a lot of time searching the web for Door County properties and looking at what we have on the market in print media), do your research about Buyer Agency.An Accredited Buyer Representative will put your best interests first, above those of the Seller, because he/she will be representing YOU.
HAVE FUN. Looking at potential properties should be fun. Wear comfortable shoes, bring some water, maybe plan on having lunch with your agent if it’s a long tour. If he or she is a local expert, they can definitely give you tips on where to stay, where to eat, where to shop, and what to do (even if you’ve been visiting for a long time).
Starting Your Door County Home Search? Use These Tips to Help you Succeed. 
Comments(0)