Where can a SW Engineer buy a lakehouse?

(slfxm) · (slfxm) **Join Date: Jul 2006** 03-08-2010, 8:31 PM

I've always wanted to live on the lake but it seems like anyplace that has decent salaries and opportunities (I'm a senior software engineer) is ridiculously expensive. The lakes that have affordable waterfront properties don't seem to have decent paying job opportunities.

Anyone know of any hidden gems? Somewhere an engineer can afford a full-time lakehouse. Preferably somewhere where humans are near the top of the food chain (i.e. no alligators)?

(fuller313) · (fuller313) **Join Date: Oct 2006** 03-08-2010, 9:33 PM

Have you checked out San Antonio/New Braunfels area? There are several lakes with waterfront property.

(ixfe) · (ixfe) **Join Date: Aug 2008** 03-08-2010, 11:10 PM

Need more specifics...

What do you consider affordable? How big does it have to be? What sort of SW engineer are you?

(wakereviews) · (wakereviews) **Join Date: Sep 2006** 03-09-2010, 5:46 AM

When we looked into moving to TX a while back, it seemed lakefront there was very affordable.

(fly135) · (fly135) **Join Date: Jun 2004** 03-09-2010, 8:14 AM

Orlando area is very affordable.

(sidekicknicholas)

Olando/ Winter Haven (most of Florida except coastal area) - not bad
Central Wisconsin - not bad
MN outside of the cities

(acurtis_ttu) · (acurtis_ttu) **Join Date: May 2004** 03-09-2010, 11:14 AM

Still very affordable in Texas.

U can buy mine

http://search.har.com/engine/dispSea...MLNUM=35273177

(slfxm) · (slfxm) **Join Date: Jul 2006** 03-09-2010, 6:29 PM

Nice house Adam. What's the commute like to Houston? Texas and Florida both sound nice. Anyone know anything about Tulsa, Ok? It looks like the cost of living there is great and there are a couple of lakes within twenty minutes or so.

Minnesota and Wisconsin sound awfully cold.

DBC-I figure a house somewhere around three times a person's salary is ideal. Four is possible but more than that and living becomes uncomfortable. Salary.com shows the median senior software engineer's salary in Houston is 112K so Adam's house (listed at 389K) fits right in there.

Houston's looking better and better! What's the job market like down there?

(jason95gt) · (jason95gt) **Join Date: May 2006** 03-09-2010, 7:40 PM

Wisconsin has some great lakes and hidden gems.

(osukellen) · (osukellen) **Join Date: Feb 2010** 03-09-2010, 8:15 PM

slf-I lived in Tulsa for 25 years. PM me if you want to know more-Grand Lake is beautiful and about 40 minutes from Tulsa.

(kstateskier) · (kstateskier) **Join Date: May 2002** 03-10-2010, 9:28 AM

HiJack on**

Adam, house looks amazing. Only thing that seems totally out of place is that master. Is that really the door to the left of the bed??? The master looks like it's from a totally different house. Other than that, amazing job. Good luck with the sale.

HiJack off**

(acurtis_ttu) · (acurtis_ttu) **Join Date: May 2004** 03-10-2010, 10:23 AM

Nick, never thougth of it that way...looks weird prolly b/c the fireplace is a see thru ( it's for the living room and master) The doors off the master go to a private side deck area.

The front door is the pciture with the stair case.

My commmute ( door to door) is realitcially about an hour to my downtown office. It's less during the summer. Traffic really isn't that bad....it's the mileage, close to 28 miles each way. they are opening up a large freewy ( summer 2010) that should cut 10-15 minutes off the commute.

Thansk for the comments.

Just as an FYI, the my house off the water woudl be close to $100k less.

Best part about my lake is you can ride in almost any conditions, if the lake ( coves) is rough, you drive 20 minutes up to one of two rivers that feed the lake. They are both tree lined and no bulkheading.

there are spots I can find glass at 2 pm on a sat afternoon in the summer with 10 mph winds on the lake.

(kstateskier) · (kstateskier) **Join Date: May 2002** 03-10-2010, 10:29 AM

Yeah, it's probably just the pic.

Selling the house and boat!!!

(acurtis_ttu) · (acurtis_ttu) **Join Date: May 2004** 03-10-2010, 10:37 AM

Good thing about both Texas and florida is no state income tax. But in Texas we have fairly high property taxes. I pay roughly $6500-7k in property taxes a year.I fight my apprasial every year ( As such, I've kept my tax value down). apprasial and market values are usually different. It's a good idea to check apprasials on homes down here.

(acurtis_ttu) · (acurtis_ttu) **Join Date: May 2004** 03-10-2010, 10:40 AM

Nick,

I've got a pontoon boat and two jet skis plus the wakeboard boat. I dont' have enough time to use/maintain them all. In all honesty, the boat prolly wont' sell this year.

I spend more time on friends boats than I do on mine. Pontoon and jetskis are paid for.

(kstateskier) · (kstateskier) **Join Date: May 2002** 03-10-2010, 11:26 AM

Adam, at least you don't live in Illinois. I pay $6100 on a house appraised at $272k and my back yard is a corn field! Oh and I still have to pay that pesky income tax thing.

(acurtis_ttu) · (acurtis_ttu) **Join Date: May 2004** 03-10-2010, 1:07 PM

Property taxes around us are around 3%. I only pay taxes on my apprasied value

....not my asking price.

(eubanks01) · (eubanks01) **Join Date: Jun 2001** 03-10-2010, 1:33 PM

Sick house Adam! Why are you moving?

(kstateskier) · (kstateskier) **Join Date: May 2002** 03-10-2010, 1:50 PM

I need to call my appraisor's office !

(chris4x4gill2)

Huntsville Alabama. More Engineers per sq mile here than any other place in the world. Within an hours commute is Tims Ford Lake, (winchester TN) Guntersville lake, Wheeler Lake , and at 1.5 hours is Smith Lake.

(bmartin) · (bmartin) **Join Date: Jan 2007** 03-11-2010, 1:17 PM

I would imagine Little Rock has ops for soft ware engineers and has affordable lake houses within 1 hour. Lake Norrell is 30-45 minutes (hidden gem), there are some oxbow lakes off the AR river, and in the 1 hour range are lakes Catherine, Hamilton, and Degray which are way more popular, especially Hamilton. Can't boast year round riding like Houston or FL but we don't have the climate of MN or WI either.

(acurtis_ttu) · (acurtis_ttu) **Join Date: May 2004** 03-12-2010, 7:08 AM

Eubanks, We ( my wife and I ) want to be closer to work. We don't use the lake as much as we used too. I'm only on the water on the wekends. Her parents live on another lake a little further north ( Conroe) If the house sells I'll move one boat up to her parents house, and leave a jetski up there. Prolly give a buddy of mine the other waverunner and leave another boat on this lake.

we've been eyeing this....

http://search.har.com/engine/4002-B-...AR78172634.htm