Ideal Island.....
 

We live year round in Meredith and we have 2 very young children. We never want to leave here in the summer but we find that we take the lake for granted and feel a bit over run by tourists!

I've been debating an island place for years and my boss have finally given in and agreed it could be a great idea!

My initial thought is that Cow or Bear would be great because of the community and options it gives to the kids (read friends when they get to be teenagers). Cow might be nice because we are so involved in Meredith that escaping to Tuftonboro could be a great idea. Everything is on the table at this point though.

With our work schedules it probably isn't realistic to live out there and commute all summer. We'd probably just do thursday to sunday every weekend.

We've built a number of houses on the lake so I'm not afraid of trying to build something new but... Seems like it would be WAY easier to buy a pre-existing house than to manage an island construction process.

I've been reading all the threads on electricity, septics, water etc - lots of wonderful info on this forum!!!!

I'd love to hear anyone else's thoughts though. Throw em at me!!!

No matter the island it really comes down to finding a place that has been relatively well constructed, long as you have that anything can be fixed or upgraded. I just bought my place a couple of years ago so I'm fresh out of the process and I looked at quite a few places.

Many are minimal places of course price dictates what you get I mean there are some beautiful places to - all modern construction and so forth but it all comes with the price tag. You can go from a glorified uninsulated tough shed to a sprawling place more suited for a King! So really it's how much do you want to spend and what requirements do you have in what you would be happy to call your island home. When the boss gave me the nod to go after something her requirement was it have a flush toilet and shower. My requirement, that it was a simple building and built by somebody that knew what they were doing. Believe it or not both can be a challenge to find especially the latter of the two. Our budget wasn't very impressive so hey I'm not to proud to admit I was a bottom feeder!

Building new is an option but there are only so many lots available that haven't already been built on. Taking a wrecking ball to an existing place has costs too. Since you have to deal with the logistics of hauling materials either over the ice or by barge, anything you have done is going to cost quite a bit. There are a number of contractors that will do anything you want on the islands so don't think it can't be done. It can for a price. I think for the most part all the contractors are in line price wise with each other.

This is a great place to get information, but when you get serious it's nice to have a RE agent that specializes in island property and can not only answer your questions but be able to give some handy advice along the way. I used Nancy who was awesome and certainly gave me some things to think about that I never had considered as I was going through the purchasing process. Matter of fact in true islander fashion she continues to bust my chops for spending to much time working on my place instead of enjoying it! I'd suggest giving her a call. http://www.nancydeporter.com/

If you PM me I can give you some inside scoop on a couple places on Bear one that is up for sale right now and another that sounds like it's going to hit the market this spring.

Black Cat might be a consideration if anything is up for sale. It is probably one of the more affordable islands that have a bridge to mainland and might provide a good compromise.

Look in Gilford
 

No other town on the lake provides the services to island residents that Gilford does. Island Resident only dock space in Glendale. Trash Dumpster/single stream recycling for island residents too. Mark, Mink, Camp to name a few are very reachable from the Meredith side via Y-Landing Marina or Shep's. There have been a few less expensive places for sale on the southern side of Mark for a number of years. Not sure their status. Unaware of anything on the market on Mink.

We have several island neighbors from either Gilford, Laconia or Meredith - surprisingly common to have locals with a place on the islands.

I would also disagree that all contractors are in "the same price range". Granted, it's been 15 years, but we found HUGE variances in bids at the time. (ours was a teardown/rebuild). If you were to buy a lot or a tear down, be sure you are working with a builder that had done major island work in the past.

Good luck!

What are (if any) the crime trends for islands? Being in law enforcement, I was just curious.

How about home owner insurance? I would imagine higher because it's going to be tough to patrol it or fight a fire. An island home has always had my interest because it just seems fun and offers a somewhat different way of life.

I am unaware of ANY crime on an island during the summer. That's not to say it never happens. Several years ago there were a sting of break ins on Bear during the winter. No serious damage or losses. Presumably people on snowmobiles. Then the police received two snowmobiles and the break ins stopped.

Insurance coverage requires a little work. Whenever an islander posts they are having problems with insurance many people (not islanders) will post telling them how great their agent is. The problem however, is that very very few underwriters will even consider covering an island home. You have to find the small minority that will. My underwriter is Lloyd of London.

tax rates
 

Check tax rates for each town as they can differ by 4x.

The key to building on an island is finding a general contractor that can handle all the key parts of the initial building phase, namely permitting, lot prep, and septic.

We built because I didn't want to deal with "old" structural issues and it was cheaper for us because we had them build us the shell and we finished the inside ourselves over a 7 year period.

Wouldn't trade island living for anything. There really is a camaraderie among neighbors on the islands. We look so forward to the summers because there is a lot of socialization with friends.

And one key thing: Find an island that you can get to in bad weather as well as good. Some require access over the open water. Where you mainland your boat will be key.

Commuting
 

winnipiseogee, don't completely discount commuting from an island. Many people on the Gilford islands commute via Glendale, and local marinas. I did, for summer jobs for 6 years and my daughter and niece did for summer jobs as well. Once you have an island place, you'll find ways to spend more time there.

If you look at property on Black Cat keep in mind that you will pay Moultonborough taxes on one side and Meredith taxes on the other side.

Black Cat will have home pricing similar to standard mainland inventory since it is bridged, not like true island home pricing.

Gilford was great as Mink Islander stated. You pay a bit more in taxes but have Glendale to act as your guest parking, trash disposal, boat launch and an easy base to run to if you need to hit the mainland to run to the store. Gilford inventory seems to bring a bit more than some of the other towns. There is one on Mink right now, it has been listed for some time. There may still be 1 or 2 on the back side of Mark as well but they are not presently listed. Try Karen at Blue Water, she had her hands on them last season.

I hear that building in Meredith is a bit more stringent than some of the other towns. Cow has cheap taxes and seems to have a good sense of community. Since you live in Meredith it should be convenient, for us coming up from the seacoast it would be tough to be on Cow because of the car ride. Getting through Meredith on a weekend can be a nightmare.

In all honesty, it sounds like both you and your wife are working and you have 2 young children, that in mind I would personally put off the island living for a while if you want to give it a try. It is alot of work and a discipline compared to your current lifestyle. While it does offer more privacy it comes at a cost. Arriving in the dark on Thursday or Friday nights in pouring cold rain with a chop on the lake is not going to be too appealing with young kids in tow I wouldnt think. Just saying.......

only you can judge
 

Nah. Accept the challenge. The kids will build memories that will last a lifetime. People find ways to fit in the things that are important.

An old saying that has proven to be true: "If you want something done, give it to a busy person."

Rent for a Season?
 

I second the suggestion of Cow and the comments of my neighbor on the neighborliness!
But if you're uncertain of which island and whether you'd like having an island place, maybe you want to think about renting for the season? Although if rentals are based on a week, could get expensive if you only will use on the weekends. Maybe someone knows of rentals that are priced on weekend use?

Life's an adventure
 

My kids grew up in the summers on Mink Island and yes we have made the 4 mile ride from Shep's to the island in all kinds of weather, night and day on a lot of Friday nights during the school year. Bad weather just means a slower or delayed ride while you wait out the thunderstorm. A decent boat, a cautious approach, and knowledge of the lake is all you need.

That little bit of isolation from the "real world" is worth a lot IMO and the true family time together you will never forget. When your family is young is the BEST time to enjoy the unique experience of island living.

First off thanks to ALL that have posted!! The website is glitchy and only allows me to thank 1 person a day I think.

I understand SAB1's concern. In a perfect world we'd wait 2 more years - and that may happen. We have commitments this summer but will try and rent for next summer (unless we own by then).

The good news is that we live in Meredith year round. It makes travel arrangements pretty easy. If the weather is nice on a Friday we can leave first thing in the morning. If its crappy we can just wait until Saturday :-)

I run the ambulance service for most of the lakes region. Its a 24/7 type of job so the opportunity to disconnect is really quite attractive.

For us its about the sense of community and camaraderie that exists on the islands as well. It seems islander tourists are perhaps a bit.....nicer than some of their mainland counterparts.

Cow and Bear are definitely at the tops of our list. My only concern with Cow is Idlewild. With it being a "private community" does anyone know if that comes with the "private community" attitude one might find south of us? I want as laid back and easy going a place as possible!

Idlewild
 

I've walked over and around there at least a couple of times and never got any attitude. And I was trespassing, I suppose, so I felt vaguely guilty. It was in the fall, however, so not many people were around.

I misread your original post. I didnt notice you lived in Meredith year round. Much more understandable now!

Consider one of the islands that the mailboat visits. I grew up on Jolly and we never missed the afternoon trips to the boat where the entire island showed up rain or shine. We also have an annual island meeting and cookout which makes it easy to meet others.


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Neighbors
 

I don't care what island you are on, neighbors are everything. Bad neighbors can make your life hell!! While most island people are wonderful, make sure to do your homework and don't be afraid to ask around.

Luckily for us, we were blessed to have great neighbors on Welch!

Dan

I grew up on Cow, it's a larger island and so there are more places to potentially choose from. As other have noted some of the older places were built by the original owners before there was a lot of code enforcement so take a really good look around. We saw some pretty interesting electrical / plumbing and framing methods in our search so keep a good eye out.

As far as your little ones are concerned, I was 6 when my parents bought their land and started building and our kids were 2 and 4 when we started. I know I wouldn't be the same person if I hadn't had the summer time at the lake and my kids have had the lake for their entire lives. The disconnect from everyday life makes the islands special. We spend a lot of time with our neighbors, someone is always walking back and forth along the shore checking in, helping out with repairs, having others for dinner / drinks and so on. It's a really special place to be. I hope you and your family find a special place of your own!

Thank-you for that!!! It made me smile and is EXACTLY what I'm hoping my kids will be saying 40 years from now!

two sides to Cow
 

There are two different sides to Cow Island, on the Tuftonboro side people walk the shore line and stop and visit. The times I have been on the Idlewild side I have been stopped and questioned as to why i was trespassing, I have not found a lot of friendliness on that side on the Island, we rely on our neighbors and they rely on us.It just seems to me that the Tuftonboro side is friendlier, and that's what it's all about living on an Island. We have been here 15 years and would not trade it for the main land.

Bear Island has two different side as well. North and south Bear are separated by a narrow waist call The Carry. I know pretty much everyone on the northern end but only a few from the south. Both north and south have extensive, well maintained trails that are open to all islanders. There is a nondenominational church in the south that has Sunday services.

Building lots for sale on Bear are very rare.

As usual location is the key. What is the view? The boat traffic? When does an area have the sun? How far to the marina in bad weather? Does the lot have room for an upgraded septic?

Bear Island Trails
 

In our 46 years on Bear Island, we have hiked the many trails located on both the north and the south portions of the island. Both Islanders and their visitors walk on the trails in front of the cottages. We welcome this activity as it affords us the opportunity to visit with these folks. There are two large residential YMCA camps located on Bear Island [Camp Lawrence and Camp Nokomis]. Many property owners located on our portion of the island are members of the East Bear Island Association. The north end of Bear Island also has a similar group. The primary function of the EBIA is an informal opportunity to review matters of interest to its members as well as holding occasional social gatherings.

Bear Islaand Trails
 

In our 46 years on Bear Island, we have hiked the many trails located on both the north and the south portions of the island. Both Islanders and their visitors walk on the trails in front of the cottages. We welcome this activity as it affords us the opportunity to visit with these folks. There are two large residential YMCA camps located on Bear Island [Camp Lawrence and Camp Nokomis]. Many owners located on our portion of the island are members of the East Bear Island Association. The north end of Bear Island also has a similar group.

Orientation is absolutely key... Pay close attention to where the wind is likely to be from and where the sun will be at various times of the season. If you're a July 4th to Labor Day type, sun might not matter, but it makes a huge difference if you're an ice out to Veteran's Day type

I find that a SW exposure works well. Plenty of warm sun for early and late season. A cool breeze on really hot days. But docking can be a challenge on NW wind days if you're exposed. Nice sun sets too much of the time without getting too over heated in the late afternoon.

Being a little exposed to the common summer wind directions is great for keeping the bugs away too... There is rarely a bug to be seen in the broads side of Big Barndoor. It's totally the opposite on the Wolfeboro side.

Excellent advice. Another consideration is the swimming area off your property. Make sure it isn't shallow, weedy and/or rocky or conversely give consideration to sharp drop offs especially if you have little kids. Shallow water also can make approaching with a boat a challenge. The key is understand what is under the water. It is easy to miss this if you are buying in the early winter, late fall, etc.

a matter of preference
 

I think SW exposure is overrated by realtors. We face north and wouldn't want it any different. In summer, it can get quite warm when the breeze isn't there and the ability to sit on our front deck in the shade of our house or most of the yard in the shade of the trees is great. If we want sun we go out on our dock or beach or boat. We don't have the glaring sun beaming into the house on hot afternoons.:eek: We get a nice prevailing NW wind/breeze most of the time and have virtually no bugs except the couple of weeks in June.

Sun worshipers will surely disagree. ;) :argue:

Best side
 

Each site is unique. I grew up on the north side, moved to the south, later acquired some rights back to the north. The best side is the one I'm on now, this day, this moment. If you find a place that is reasonable $$ and otherwise fits your needs, buy it. In a couple of years, it will be perfect. When you pass it on to your kids, they will know that there is no better site on the 182 miles of shoreline than this one. (Hmmm. Bizer, That doesn't include miles of ISLAND shoreline, does it?). An island place isn't for you alone. It's for your grandchildren. There is no wrong choice unless you just don't want to
"Carry in., carry out."

Ideal Island
 

The comment about knowing the water is pretty insightful. Our neighbor just passed away. 90 years old. Knew the lake well. Always told people looking at island property to look at it from the water. On an island he said, you live on the land but spend as much time as you can in the water. He meant get in the water, or get yourself something simple like a pram or canoe to get around. You and the kids will be swimming about, up and down, poking around. The shore's like a backyard to a kid. We used to boat up close to a bunch of the island maybe 40 years ago and snorkel every inch.

Little hard to do in April:liplick: Either wait til the sun comes out or get yourself a 3-inch wet suit.

priorities
 

A lake cottage is just a place to sleep near your dock. It's all about the dock and the water around it. :)

You are so correct, here are a few reasons it's all about the dock.

Wow!!!! and thanks!

Just remember... There may be days that your dock looks like this and you won't be leaving...

But.....
 

A bad at the island beats a good day just about anywhere else! :D

Stay Put
 

Yep. Just a great day to sit there and admire what Winni can whip up.

Heck
 

Its a great picture to send the boss as to why I can't make it into work :)

I love the wild weather days (now that I know my breakwater will protect the boat). We have ~20 miles of pretty open water between our dock and Center Harbor so NW winds are always exciting. That's a big part of the charm of island living.

The exposure of your dock needs to be a consideration as you look at houses though. We looked at a place on the broads side of Diamond several times and the real estate agent at least warned us that there were plenty of days that she could not show the place if it was windy.

I spend a lot of time looking at windalert.com to try to gauge when it's easiest to come and go.

Anyone want to weigh in with an opinion on small island vs big island?

We looked at an amazing little property that was just listed. Wonderful level lot, southern exposure, sandy beach, awesome little camp/house, great neighbors. It was perfect. Only one problem. It's on mink island and mink is tiny.

We are concerned that we will go stir crazy being on such a small island. Our original thought was bear, rattlesnake, cow etc. a place where we can hike, run etc on days that are not wtaer sport friendly.

That said we are concerned that we are passing on the perfect little camp on mink. Anyone want to share their thoughts??

You need to follow your heart. No one can tell you where to buy. If the Mink Island reaches out to you, then there's your answer. We bought on a smallish island 30 years ago and never regretted it. The neighbors are friendly and the water is perfect. However, we have always been thankful that our island is a quick ride from the mainland!

There is a member on the forum with the handle "Mink Islander". He is a banker in Boston and lives in Norwell. He posts relatively frequently and seems to love Mink Island. He is also quite knowledgable about the island, fishing and Winnipesaukee in general. I just checked his activity and see he hasn't visited in about a month. If I were you I'd send him a personal message and see if you can get his input. Good luck.

I'm sure you know all of this but in case you don't:

Mink Island is approximately 12 acres in size and situated by Mark and Bear Islands. Most lots on Mink are composed of large amounts of waterfront with plenty of sand.

Spectacular views of Mt. Washington, and the Sandwich and Ossipee Mountains are enjoyed from the northeast side of the island, while the Belknap Mountain Range is prominent on the west side.

Mink Island property owners enjoy the benefit of the Gilford Town Docks located by Marine Patrol Headquaters. Being an island resident in the town of Gilford entitles you to day time docking, as well as vehicle parking and dumpster services - a great set up for islanders who reside full time on the island in season.

It can be really nice to live on a somewhat larger island where you can go bike/walk/run... There are a lot of days where water sports are difficult. We find the 1.5 mile circuit around Big Barn Door to be ideal.

You said young children... What about a medical emergency. Law enforcement issues, fires can all be replaced or repaired !! Medical or accidents need attention ASAP. Kids are always into something... Just some food for thought. :)

Emergency response on the islands is better than most people would imagine. On a 911 call the Marine Patrol are on scene in about 5 minutes. The Fire Boat usually arrives a few minutes later. I'm certain we have better response times than many areas on the mainland.

New Hampshire law gives Marine Patrol officers, when they are on an island, the same powers as the local police.

Parents regularly take their children hiking, camping, fishing, boating or to other remote locations in NH without being told they are endangering their children. Perhaps you should think a little more before you post. Just some food for thought.

That seems a bit harsh. I think Buoy #67 made some good points.

A bit harsh indeed.

Not all island are as easily accessible as Bear is.

As far as the laws regarding the powers of Marine Patrol when on an island, that remains to be seen. It is my understanding that they can go on an island when investigating a marine related incident however their jurisdiction does not allow them to cover the same things that the PD does. Case in point- a few years back when we were dealing with the late night hot tub marauders on the island it was Gilford PD that had to investigate and enforce, with Marine Patrol providing their transportation to and from the island.

Back to the thread at hand-

I lived in the area of Mink for 10 years and probably passed by that house dozens of times. Usually we would go out and around Mink instead of going through the channel, otherwise the count would be much higher. The peace and quiet of being tucked in the NWZ has its advantages and disadvantages. Your view will be limited and the water frontage may get a bit "weedy" in there. We never really walked around the island much, I think we probably hiked around it 1 or 2 times in many years. If we were there it was not to go hiking, so to that point a smaller island would be equally as fulfilling to us.

Mink Islander has a great view, one of the best in Gilford as far as I am concerned. I looked at the lot next door to him when it was on the market. As previously mentioned he'd be a good one to check in with. The listing agent Rob Wichland is a long time Mink resident as well, although he may be a bit biased.

I think you are right. I think the MP can only investigate on the water and docks, not on land. At least I know that is true on mainland.

There are 192 homes on Bear Island alone. Add the two children's camps and that must be close to a thousand children on the island on some days in the summer. The suggestion that parents on an island are isolating their children from emergency care is untrue. To suggest that is to suggest we are endangering our children. I take an accusation like that VERY seriously.

I can understand that the post was probably made in good faith without any intent to accuse. Yet that is what it did.

In my opinion the suggestion of child endangerment without knowing the facts is what is harsh.

Seriously, BI? Let's see, in the majority of cases, what property would get emergency responders first - mainland or island property? I think that's all Buoy #67 was eluding to. I'm sure all the summer camps have trained first responders on staff, so comparing those with private residences is apples to oranges. Child endangerment.... Sounds like something that the Mass DCF would dream up.

Seriously, BI, +1 here Seaplane Pilot.

The camps have RNs on staff.

If you read Section 270:12-a "Enforcement Powers Conferred" you will find that, on an island, in the absence of local police Marine Patrol have the same powers as local police. The section is kind of convoluted but here is the important part.

Any crime or offense, excluding a violation of title XVIII or a violation of title XXI not involving a boat or watercraft, that occurs on an island or on the mainland contiguous to inland or coastal bodies of water in the absence of any law enforcement agency with jurisdiction immediately available when immediate action is required...

:yawn:

Let's get back on topic or start a new thread.

Eh why does everyone get so worked up over something that could but is unlikely to happen? Sure kids get hurt from time to time, but common a life threatening injury so bad you need a entourage of first responders? Unlikely to say the least. Live a little!

People in other areas of the country live, not just vacation, in far more isolated areas than an island on a lake. Yet they manage to have families and survive just fine. ;)

Maxum got it right, live a little. Just a plan of action is all you need in the back of your mind in case the do-do hits the fan.
You won't regret living on the island. Just have a good foul weather, reliable boat.

Certainly each of us assesses risk daily. In a major decision, such as where to live, the real difficulty is knowing the correct issues to assess. Availability of emergency medical care is an issue that is perfectly valid to consider ; and, in fact, would be very helpful to point out to the potential islander. The inference that raising the issue suggests that parents of island children are somehow irresponsible doesn't make much sense to me.

It is the risks we don't know about that are the dangerous ones.