Minnesota is  known as the land of lakes, since the state offers thousands of square miles of untouched northern wilderness, much of it covered by tranquil, glassy rivers, lakes, and waterways.  Finding a beautiful secluded lake cabin is the goal for many in the Great Iron Range area.  Who wouldn’t want to wake up every morning  enjoy a cup of coffee, then head out onto the water to watch the sunrise over the pines?  Or, even to just listen to the sound of the loons and the gentle waves on the shores of your own private Minnesota paradise?

So, how do you find this elusive Great Iron Range area lake cabin for yourself?  You can start by asking yourself a few questions about your dream Minnesota lake cabin.

A Few Tips on Finding that Perfect Minnesota Lake Cabin
How often will you use the lake cabin?  Will it be a weekend retreat or full time residence?  If you won’t be there every day, you might want to think twice before putting an offer on a 3000 sq. foot cabin.  The last thing you will want to do every weekend you are there is clean all that square footage!  But, if you will be living there full time, look beyond that A-frame with a tiny kitchen, you’ll need some room to roam!

Do you want prime waterfront or a short distance from the lake?  Having access to the lake and living on the lake are two different experiences, each with their own sets of pros and cons.  Though rare, you do have to worry about having the lake in your home if you live on it.  And if you live near it, you may want to think about how you are going to get to that lake.  Can you handle the daily walk or won’t mind the drive?

How about neighbors?  Do you like to have them?  Sometimes the lake lifestyle is a quiet and secluded one, with your neighbors being a dock away instead of right next door.  Make sure you see how far your neighbors will be and make sure that it’s the lifestyle you are looking for.

Regardless of the type of lake cabin you’re searching for, the person that can help you the most is your Minnesota real estate specialist.   At Iron Country Realty, we specialize in areas throughout the great Iron Range encompassing Side Lake, Buck Lake, Swan Lake and the many smaller lakes in between. We have the passion and expertise to find you the perfect lake cabin, country home, hunting property, investment property, starter homes and foreclosures offering great values.

Whether you have a home in Chisholm, Hibbing, Virginia or anywhere in-between, there are fortunately some simple steps you can take to cut those energy costs significantly.  Instead of home into a frozen Lake Vermillion, take a few steps to keep your home more energy efficient while still staying comfortable.

• Learn to love 68 degrees. In the winter, set the thermostat between 65 and 68 degrees during the day and 65 to 58 degrees at night or when away from home for several hours. You’ll be surprised how “warm” 68 degrees really is, and heck this is the great Iron Range, we are known for our tolerance to cold!
• Keep the cold air out!  Take a tour of the outside of your home. You’d be surprised how many “gaps” you will see.  Seal all holes surrounding pipes and wires that enter/exit your living space. This includes weather-stripping doors and windows.  If you can see daylight around a door or window frame, then you better get sealing!
• Don’t use the fireplace.   It may seem counterintuitive, but it’s never energy efficient to use a fireplace as a heat source for your home. Even as a supplemental heat source, the cold air introduced to a warm home from an open flue isn’t as efficient as sealing off a fireplace and using the primary source of heat. For natural gas fireplaces, turn off the pilot light when not in use. Seal off the fireplace area or the flue area to prevent cold air from leaking in.
• Seal that duct work.  Yes, no one likes crawling up in their attic and getting covered with insulation and dust.  But, this is the absolute number one way to conserve energy. Make sure that all ductwork is sealed at joints and intersections with duct sealer or silicone caulk. Otherwise, supply ductwork can leak heated air into the attic or crawl space, and outside air can be drawn into the return ductwork, increasing costs and reducing comfort dramatically.  Last thing you want to be doing is paying to heat your attic.
• Lower your water heater temperature.    Did you know that most water heaters are automatically set at 140 degrees?  Yes, it’s easy to reset the temperature?  And, lowering the temperature on your water heater to between 120 and 125 degrees will reduce the amount of fuel needed to heat the water.  Don’t worry, the water is still warmer than what’s in Lake Vermillion right now!
• Replace your furnace filters, monthly!  The last thing you want to pay for in the middle of the winter is a broken furnace.  Dirty filters are the top reason for furnace breakdowns.   Do your furnace a favor and purchase less expensive filters and change monthly instead of using those expensive filters!  And always have a professional furnace “check up” and cleaning annually!

While you can’t control how cold our Chisholm, Minnesota winters are, you can definitely control how much they cost you!

When you’re looking for an Iron Range property, give the local experts at Iron Country Realty a call. We’re always happy to help!