Houses in mid-priced lake communities typically range from $175,000 to $300,000 for non-lakefront homes, and from $300,000 to $500,000 for lakefront homes. Houses are larger than "affordable range" communities, with a minimum of three bedrooms more typical. Lot sizes are also somewhat larger, although you generally don't get into acreage-sized lots with privacy until you move to the upper end lake communities.

Lake Devenoge, Highland Lake, NY

Lake Devenoge is a lovely, smaller (100 or so acres) non-motorboat lake in the SW part of Sullivan County. The lake is one of the few here that is generally sand bottomed, with a gradual grade into the lake, making it great for swimming. There are two "sides" to the lake. The western shoreline has smaller lake cottages dating back to the 1940's, on smaller parcels with closer neighbors. Lakefront cottages on that side range from $250,000 to $350,000. (Non lakefront houses on the older side range from about $150,000 to $250,000). On the 'newer' side, the eastern shoreline, houses are larger, on larger parcels, typically about an acre. A lakefront house on the eastern shoreline can range from $400,000 to about $600,000, with non-lakefront houses going in the $300,000 range. The community lake area has a nice sand beach, but there are no other shared facilities here like pools or tennis courts.

Elko Lake, Parksville, NY

Price range: $200,000 to $300,000 non-lakefront, $350,000 to $500,000 lakefront. Elko is a smaller non-motorboat lake in the northeast part of Sullivan with maybe 30 or so homes. Elko typically has the most affordable lakefront on acreage (5 or so acres) in the county. Houses here are 1990's era, ranging in style from cedar sided "vacation chalets" to vinyl-sided ranches and two-stories. Elko is located within the boundaries of the Catskill Park and has a rustic feel. The roads are private, but the community isn't gated. The lake itself can be shallower than some, but is fine for fishing, kayaking and swimming. Some parts of the lake have grassy shorelines or wetlands, necessitating a boardwalk to reach the open water. There is a very nice community recreation and beach set up here, with tennis courts and a picnic pavillion, for the non-lakefront homeowners.

Emerald Green, Rock Hill, NY

Price range: $175,000 to $300,000 non-lakefront, $325,000 to $750,000 lakefront. Emerald Green can best be described as Sullivan County's "suburb on a lake" (that lake being Lake Louise Marie, a non-motorboat lake.) EG was developed in the 1970's when cul de sacs were 'in', and the Brady Bunch were at the apex of their popularity. The streets are paved (unlike many lake communities, with gravel roads), there are streetlights, and extensive community facilities, including an outdoor swimming pool complex (with lifeguards), a community beach, tennis and basketball courts, a fitness center and "Entertainium" with, you guessed it, entertainment in the summer. For many years, Emerald Green was the premier address in Sullivan County. Starting in the 1990's, tastes among second home buyers shifted to more "rustic" lakes with a more mountain lake getaway feel (like Black Lake and York Lake, in the "Upper End Lake Community" section. As a result, prices have remainded quite moderate at Emerald Green and you arguably get more for your money here than at any other lake community in the county.

Emerald Green has a very ecelectic mix of houses, from modest 70's vacation style homes (including a handful of octagon shaped houses popular at the time), to grand lakefront houses in a 70''s style (think Loretta Young descending a grand staircase into a cathedral ceilinged living room clad in redwood paneling), to newer vinyl sided colonials built in the last 10 years. It was very hard to choose a single house photo that captured Emerald Green because the house styles are so varied. Prices tend to be lower on the eastern end of the lake, because the closer proximity to Route 17 can result in some road noise. The southern and western shores of the lake are more preferred.

Emerald Green is often overlooked by buyers who want that more "authentic" mountain lake getaway feel. But it offers a lot for your money, and is particularly great for families with children because of the extensive recreational facilities. The community is also one of the most convenient to New York City, just 80 miles from the GW Bridge.

Lake Joseph, Forestburgh, NY

Lake Joseph is a 250 acre non-motorboat lake about 5 miles south of Monticello that was once the summer retreat of the Archbishop of New York. There is a small development of a couple of dozen homes on the western shore of the lake, but otherwise most of the rest of the lake remains undeveloped. (Mar. 2010: the undeveloped acreage is on the market, and likely to be developed at some point in the future.) Between 2005 and 2010, Lake Joseph has labored under the black cloud of the previous owner of the lake and undeveloped acreage who finally went belly up in 2009. During those years, houses here were tough sells because of issues related to the previous owner of the lake that are too involved to get into here. But the result in that house prices, particularly for lakefront, have remainded quite moderate here. Expect to pay $350,000 to $400,000 for a 3+ bedroom lakefront home on 1/2 acre lot. The small community also has an outdoor swimming pool and tennis courts. Lake Joseph also features the lovely Inn at Lake Joseph, one of the only pet-friendly inns in the county.

Masten Lake, Wurtsboro, NY

Masten Lake, just north of Wurtsboro, is a smaller motorboat lake. It is not organized as a single development with community facilties, but rather indivudal homes around the lake. A well established children's sleepover camp, Camp Lakota, surrounds the northern rim of the lake. Masten is the closest motorboat lake in Sullivan County to New York City. Houses here tend to be on narrower lots (60 to 100 feet), although there are a handful of homes on the eastern side of the lake with 150 to 200 feet of frontage. Houses, overall, however are pretty tightly spaced. Most of the non-lakefront homes access the lake at community beach area along the northern part of the lake. Expect to pay $200,000 to $300,000 for a non-lakefront home here, and upwards of $400,000 for a lakefront home. Just beyond Camp Lakota, a bit northwest of the lake, is a hidden little community known as "Mamakating Park", comprised of about a dozen Victorian-era summer "cottages", most of which are now on the National Historic register. These cherished homes, which are seldom on the market, share a small beach club on Masten Lake.

Sackett Lake, Monticello, NY

Sackett Lake, a smaller non-motorboat lake about 5 miles south of Monticello, is a bit of a hodge podge. Houses tend to be very tightly set, particularly on the dense western shoreline, with roads lined with summer cottages running perpendicular from Sackett Lake Road to the lake. Expect to pay $300,000 to $400,000 here for a lakefront cottage, more for one of the handful of larger lake houses on larger parcels on Winston Drive at the southern end of the lake.

Swinging Bridge Lake, Monticello (Mongaup Valley) NY

Price range: $150,000 to $250,000 non-lakefront; $250,000 to $750,000 lakefront on the non-Chapin eastern shoreline. Swinging Bridge, our largest lake (1,100 acres, 9 1/2 miles long. motorboating), isn't a single "community". Individual lakefront and non-lakefront homes run stretch along the eastern shore of the lake, while the upscale Chapin Estate is on the western shore of the lake. (Chapin Estate is covered on the upscale lake page. This section deals only with the non-Chapin areas.)

There are 4 general "sections" along the eastern shoreline. At the top of the northern finger of the lake are a dozen or so houses on lakefront acreage (5 or so acres) that afford more privacy than sections further south, but the lake is narrower at this point. Prices for the lakefront acreage houses typically range from $600,000 to over $1 million. Further south on the northern finger is the most affordable lakefront section, along Lake Shore Drive. Houses in this are on smaller lakefront lots ranging from 70 to 100 feet wide. The terrain is steeper here, often involving steps down to docks. There are non-lakefront houses in this section as well, across the road from their lakefront counterparts. Lake access for these houses is via rights of way between houses. On the northern finger, 2 bedroom lakefront houses are in the $250,000 to $300,000 range, while 3 or 4 bedroom houses are typically above $400,000. The third residential section is further south, along Starlight Road at the widest central part of the lake. Houses here are also typically on smaller 70 to 100 ft. wide lots, but are more expensive than houses on the northern finger because of the wider sunset lake views and more gentle, gradual access to the lake. Expect to pay upwards of $500,000 for a 3 or 4 bedroom lakefront home in this section. The last residential section is the lower 3 miles of the lake in Forestburgh township. There are a couple of dozen lakefront acreage parcels (5+) here, affording a lot of privacy but with one major caveat. The lower 3 miles of Swinging Bridge is an eagle nesting sanctuary, and no tree cutting or clearing is permitted within 300 feet of the lake. Houses have to be built a minimum of 300 feet back from the lake and do not have lake views.

There is one non-lakefront "community", Swinging Bridge Overlook, with houses on approx. 1/2 acre within walking distance to a private lake access area that includes motorboat docking space. Swinging Bridge also has two commercial marinas where dock space is available for rent.

Tanzman Lake, Parksville, NY

Tanzman Lake is a newer gated lake community a few miles east of Parksville. There are 35 lots here, ranging from 2 to 10 acres, 13 of which are direct lakefront on Tanzman Lake, a smaller non-motorboat lake. As of March 2010, 19 of the parcels were available, ranging in price from $239,999 to $479,999 for lakefront and $119,999 to $199,999 for non-lakefront with lake rights access. There is also a spec home on the market here for $479,999. There is a common area with lake access for non-lakefront home owners. Homes here are in a cedar sided or Beaver Mountain log style, and the developer is offering home/land packages on non-lakefront lots starting at $299,999. More information can be found at www.tanzmanlake.com.

Timber Lake, Yulan, NY

Price range: $250,000 to $350,000 for a non-lakefront home; $400,000 to $600,000 for a lakefront home. Timber Lake is almost a "hidden" lake, a very pretty 43 acre non-motorboat lake that doesn't show up on maps. Timber is a gated community with private roads. Houses here are quite private, in wooded settings with minimum lot sizes of about 5 acres. There are about 15 to 20 houses on the lake, as well as a number of non-lakefront homes. The non-lakefront homes access the lake at a sand community beach with a shallow slope to the lake (making it a very nice swimming beach for children.) The style here tends toward log homes and cedar sided vacation chalets or contemporaries.

Wanaksink Lake, Rock Hill, NY

Price: $150,000 to $250,000 non-lakefront, $300,000+ for lakefront. Wanaksink Lake (prounounced "wanna-sink") is a private non-motorboat lake community just east of Route 17 between Rock Hill and Wurtsboro. Lake cottages here date back to the 1920's. Most are quite small and modest, and pretty tightly spaced. One of the big draws here is a charming lakeside clubhouse with one of the best community beaches. This is a very kid friendly lake community. Very few houses comes on the market here, because, like Wolf Lake, many are passed along among friends or family.

White Lake (and White Lake Homes), White Lake, NY

White Lake isn't a single community, but rather a motorboat lake with a number of different communities on it, as well as houses that aren't part of a community. The largest community on the lake is White Lake homes, on the northern end of the lake. Most houses in White Lake Homes were built in the 1960's and sit on 60 x 120 ft. lots (approx). Non-lakefront houses in White Lake Homes run in the $225,000 to $300,000 range, while lakefront homes start at about $500,000. White Lake Homes is surprisingly expensive for the amount of house and land you get for your money. One reason is that families who have been coming here for generations want to find houses for their grown children and continue the tradition. The other reason is that this is the only lake community in the county within walking distance to restaurants and amenities. Homeowner's dues at White Lake Homes are $1,250 per year, but that includes dock space for a motorboat on White Lake. There is also a swimming pool and clubhouse. ** There are other communities on White Lake in addition to White Lake Homes, as well as lakefront properties with both White Lake and Kauneonga Lake (the other name for White Lake) addresses. If you're interested in White Lake, email me and I can pull together a full list of lake properties.

Wolf Lake, Rock Hill / Wurtsboro, NY

Prices: $200,000 to $300,000 non-lakefront, $300,000 to $500,000 lakefront. Wolf Lake is one of the most sought after "traditional" lakes. The community, surrounding a private 300 acre non-motorboat lake, oozes that rustic mountain lake feel. Most houses here, many dating back to the 1940's and 50's, evoke nostalgic images of the "cottage at the lake." Houses are on fairly small parcels, but extensive covenants limiting tree cutting, gives them a nestled-in-the-woods feel. Community facilities include a community beach and clubhouse, with organzied summer activities for children, tennis courts and even a target shooting range. Homeowners here have use of 1,500 shared community acres for hiking, hunting and cross country skiing. There are actually 3 lakes here, the main Wolf Lake, the smaller Division Pond, both with have houses on them, and a third lake which is kept forever wild with no homes, but available to owners for fishing and canoeing.

The inventory of available houses on the market at Wolf can be pretty limited, particularly larger 3 or 4 bedroom lakefront houses. Many owners here have kept their houses in original condition (although well maintained), so buyers looking for more contemporary layouts or newer kitchens or baths should plan on renovating or adding on.

Yankee Lake, Wurtsboro, NY

Price range: $125,000 to $200,000, non lakefront; $300,000 to $500,000 lakefront. Yankee Lake is the largest non-motorboat lake in Sullivan County, about 400 acres and the closest here to New York City. Yankee, however, is not a single "development", with the kind of deed covenants that enable nearby Wolf Lake to maintain a consistent "mountain lake" ambience. As a result, Yankee is a bit of a hodge podge, with everything from small and sometimes run down lake cottages to very nicely done and well kept larger lake houses. The community association has a clubhouse, tennis courts and a couple of hundred shared acres for recreational use. However, Yankee doesn't have a community beach. Non-lakefront homeowners gain access to the lake from a series of rights of way, typically 20 or 30 feet wide, dotted around the lake, so lake access is usually only a few hundred yards away at most. The downside of this is that there isn't a central beach area where children can gather and play, which is an attraction of many lake communities.

 

 

 

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