Ready for a lake home or cabin? Today is a good day to begin your search, and that’s no joke.

I know. Today is April first. But let’s get serious here.

If you’ve been dreaming, surfing, and browsing all winter long, it’s time to get serious about your search for a lake home or cabin. Too many buyers wait until May or June. But if you’ve finally decided that this year is the year, then it’s time to get started right now.

Here’s why: It may take us a while to find the lake and the cabin that are just right for you. Figure a little negotiating before you have an accepted offer, and then typically about another 60 days before the actual closing can take place. (With new banking regulations that have recently gone into effect, the few exceptions are generally cash offers with no inspections or other contingencies. They can usually happen faster.) So if you’d like to enjoy weekends at your new cabin this summer, it may not make sense to delay your search until May or June.

Best case… Suppose you’ve already narrowed your search to a certain community or a couple of favorite lakes. You have a price range in mind, you contact me today, we move fast, there’s a little negotating, and the sellers accept your offer a week or two from now. Even if all the stars align perfectly, the odds are good that your closing still won’t happen until just before Memorial Day.

Actually, that wouldn’t be so bad. You could spend part of Memorial Day weekend unpacking, and part of it swimming or fishing. Then spend the rest of the summer enjoying your new cabin. And given the realities of the timeline I’ve just outlined, to me that sounds a lot better than waiting to even begin your search on Memorial Day. I’d say… Today is April Fool’s Day, and it’s time to stop fooling around.

So if you’re ready to turn those up-north cabin dreams into reality, give me a call now. Jean Hedren, Edina Realty, NW Wisconsin www.JeanHedren.com