Out Poking Around Torch Lake

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Out Poking Around Torch Lake

Sunday 5/25/2014

The next day we decided to just go out and explore the areas close to Bellaire. We drove west to Torch Lake and then drove south on Torch Lake Drive to the town of Alden.

A view of Torch Lake looking north from the public docks in Alden.

Torch Lake is 19 miles long, with a width of almost 2 miles on the average. It has a depth of 297 feet. Torch Lake like most of the lakes around here were glacier carved and are spring fed.

On the west side of Torch Lake, we stopped and looked at a property that is for sale. It has a very small 900 sq ft cottage with 1 bedroom and 1 bath. The garage has been turned into another bedroom.

The property sits on 1.7 acres.

Off to the south of the property is a two story garage and storage building. All this for $425,000. We would just need another $500,000 to build the mansion in front of the guest cottages.

As we headed back south around the lake, we stopped at a home that had a FSBO on it. We called the owner for the information. He told us we could go inside because it was unlocked.

It had a very small front yard on the main road that goes around the lake.

The best part of the home was that it had a full length porch facing the lake.

The backyard was about the same size as the front yard, and the side yards were nil! The asking price was $460,000 for this 3 bedroom, 1 bath 1,417 sq ft waterfront home. The attic was unfinished and could be finished off making 2 more bedrooms and another bath.

As we continued back toward Bellaire, we came upon Torch Grove Camping. This campground is located across the street from Torch Lake. We didn't know about this place. It was a pretty simple park with no frills, but close to the big lake.

If interested in camping here, here is the phone number to get the specifics.

We stopped in Alden so Joe could ask a realtor about a property that we were interested in. We had seen it last fall, and watched the price fall through the winter. We wanted to see it when we got here, but I heard it went to auction. While out this day, we drove by it and it still had a sign out front, so we wanted to see if it was still available. Unfortunately it was closing that week. It was the lowest price home we had seen on Torch Lake to date at $380,000. It had 4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths and had 1,952 sq ft. The realtor told us it had a septic tank problem that had to be replaced. There goes about $30,000 to put in I think.

Back on the east side of Torch Lake, we saw another side for a FSBO home.

We called the phone # and the owner said we could walk around the property and peak in the windows. The place had a really nice deck just off the shoreline.

This is the information we found out from the owner about it. Doesn't fit in our max budget, until I win the lottery, and then this would just be not good enough. He He! As everywhere in the US, lakefront property is very expensive!