Leah Marsh- Associate Broker with Real Broker LLC

06/11/2026

So some real estate opinions today.

I’m seeing a bit of a trend going on with waterfront and vacation properties.

I’m not going to really speculate why except to say “economic changes”.

But prices are softening a bit. Homes are staying on the market longer and inventory is rising since the height of COVID when STR’s exploded. There are more FSBO’s looking for buyers. I’ve shown several in the past couple of weeks in Oconto, Langlade and Forest.

I see some STR’s posting “ last minute cancellations for holiday weekends”. This is also a sign. If the owners of these cottages can’t rent even on a holiday, they may be looking at liquidating in the near future. More inventory.

Full rec will always be expensive. I’m pretty sure, unless we have a major recession, we won’t see full rec year round homes anymore under 500k. The best lots are pretty much all developed.

But for those buyers that have been waiting for prices to drop, even a bit, you might want to contact your trusted Realtor and set up a search.

Upnorth market is starting to loosen.

Picture of a lakefront I recently viewed. May be coming soon!

05/21/2026

Just Sold and Closed!!

This 3 year old home on full-rec Rollingstone found its new owners. Just in time for a beautiful summer on the lake 🙂

Congrats to my sellers and thank you to Jeff and Jenn for choosing me to help them 🤗

05/21/2026

Getting ready to kick off another lake season this weekend!

Couple of things I want to share about buying/selling lakefront. It’s actually less about the house but amenities do tend to make price go up.

1) Location. location. Location. Matters more than anything for price point. Full rec with sandy frontage is going to be valuable and expect to pay a premium for this. Deeper and bigger ( acreage) lakes are usually more expensive.
2) full rec will be more expensive/valuable than slow wake/no wake lakes.
3) buildable lots are almost nonexistent. Expect to pay anywhere from 200k-400k for a full rec lot that you can build on.
4) price per foot is not a great equalizer. Every cottage/ lake home is unique. Some are “vintage”, some are newer. see #1
5) remember almost all lake homes come with extra costs if you build. Existing homes have these costs wrapped in:
A) landscape contour/ clearing
B ) well and septic. These can run anywhere from 15k-40k depending on type or depth
C) power. If you buy a raw lot and it’s got power at the road but it’s long and narrow, and you want to build nearer to the water, expect to pay big bucks to bring it down. I’ve seen 20k easy.
D) garages/ storage. I just saw a quote for a pole barn 30x40 garage that was 75k. Insulated, large garage doors and concrete slab. Plan accordingly.
6) it’s VERY common to have shared driveways and easements for water access. Know what you are buying and get it all in writing.
7) be aware of shoreland zoning rules, setbacks and wetlands. Many subpar lots come with wetlands so knowing where they are is crucial.
Lately, some areas are condoizing ( my word, lol) and selling only a small portion of land with the cottage and keeping the lakefront in an association or HOA. On paper, this might look more affordable but check the fine details.
Lastly, honestly, hire a knowledgeable Realtor to help you navigate this, not just anyone who has their license. So many people end up regretting their choices or sell at a loss because they couldn’t do what they wanted to do. Agents, have a buyer who wants water but you’ve never done one? Refer it!!
Thanks for coming to my TED talk 🙂




want more resources? this is a good place to start. https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/ShorelandZoning/Care/explore.html

05/07/2026

Thinking about buying a lake property? Lake structure is not the same!

04/30/2026

You may have heard April 12-18 was the “best week” to list your house.

04/29/2026

At some point, as you start thinking about the years ahead, this question tends to come up...

04/27/2026

According to Google Trends, online searches for down payment information recently hit an all-time high.

04/26/2026

So excited for my sellers! Less than 3 weeks to accepted offer. The ice just went out in the last few days! This buyer will be in before Memorial Day and be able to create some great summer memories!

04/23/2026

04/22/2026

Did you try to buy a home last year, but you ended up pressing pause?