Located in majestic Cheboygan County, Long Lake has remained a little-known secret within the angling community of Northern Michigan. With an assortment of species of fish inhabiting Long Lake, anglers are discovering that, while the panorama is beautiful and the property is pristine, it’s the plentiful supply of native Michigan fish that makes it a real catch.

At over 400 acres, Long Lake boasts fishing opportunities for all levels of anglers. Among the species found in the lake are bluegill, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, walleye, northern pike, rock bass, perch, and sunfish. Whether it’s fishing for largemouth in the shallows or ice-fishing for perch in the middle of winter, Long Lake offers depths of up to 60 feet in some places.

With Spring upon us, so too is the beginning of Walleye season. Northern Michigan is world-famous for its excellent Walleye fishing. Long Lake is no different. With the stimulation of their food supply, the walleye have begun to emerge from the depths to seek out their spring diet. In order to capitalize on this migration, here are a few simple tips to catching these hearty fighting fish:

1. Cast or troll minnow-shaped crank baits along the bottom, slowly working your way up while checking for activity.
2. Jigs and Lindy Rigs may also be effective at the right depths.
3. Search for reef-like areas where the shallows meet steep drop-offs and try to work the depths near these junctures.

If you love to fish, we hope you have the opportunity to visit Long Lake and all of Northern Michigan. It’s truly an angler’s paradise.

The Cheboygan area hosts one of the most unique convergences of fresh water in the great lakes region. With the Cheboygan River, Inland Waterway, Long Lake, Burt & Mullet Lakes, Lake Huron, and the Mackinac Straits to the north, this region has become the jewel of Michigan boat enthusiasts, fisherman, and, more specifically, property buyers/owners.

As McKeough Land Company offers land for sale on Long Lake, it is our goal to put buyers in unique locations with access to any number of water-related activities. Northern Michigan is the literal intersection of Lake Huron and Lake Michigan; it constantly attracts travelers and adventurers of all kinds. With hundreds of miles of lakeshore (both inland and coastal), Northern Michigan has received recent and special attention from such magazines and news outlets as The New York Times, Hour Magazine, AARP, Field & Stream, and Town & Country.

These phenomena have assisted in making waterfront property for sale near Cheboygan a new priority for property buyers from California to New York. The reason the area is getting so much attention is the fact that, relative to other areas on the west coast of Michigan, Cheboygan waterfront property is still very reasonably priced, the area is not congested, and the town and surrounding area offer a tremendous amount of things to do from dining to outdoor activities.

McKeough Land Company purchased a spectacular piece of property on the east side of Long Lake in Aloha township, which we turned into our premier lakefront community Michakewa Shores. Each of the 29 homesites offers 100 feet+ of private lake access, sandy lake bottom, high and dry building sites, and perfect sunset exposure.

Heavily wooded, private, and overlooking a pristine lake, Michakewa Shores is the quintessential Northern Michigan lakefront property. Visit MichakewaShores.com for more information.

Michakewa Shores is a wooded, waterfront community in northern Michigan with one-acre building sites and 40 acres of common land dedicated to wildlife viewing and bird watching.

A few weeks ago, we published an overview of things to consider when evaluating lakefront property. Since that article was published, several clients have asked more detailed questions. Through these discussions with our clients, we’ve developed an additional list of factors to consider before purchasing lakefront property:

1. Lake Frontage: How important is private vs. shared frontage?
2. Body of Water: How important is it to be on an all-sports lake vs. no-wake lake or river?
3. Woods: How important is a wooded homesite?
4. Lake Bottom: How important is a sandy bottom lake vs. mucky bottom lake?
5. Lake View: How important is a big, unobstructed lake view?
6. Sunset View: How important is a sunset view?
7. Protective Covenants: How important is it to know quality homes will be going up next to yours?
8. Immediate Usability: How important is it to have a home ready to use vs. building your own?
9. Roads: How important are paved roads vs. gravel or two-track?
10. Utilities: How important is it to have underground utilities already installed to the property’s edge?

Again, this is a partial list and it assumes that the location of the property already meets your requirements. We hope, however, it gives you an idea of the different factors that should be considered when purchasing lakefront property. At Michakewa Shores, for instance, we have spent a lot of time comparing our property to other lakefront property in the area using these criteria and it has helped us to put a value on the property. We invite you to come explore Michakewa Shores and see how we stack up against other options in the area.

With eight homes completed in the past two years, three currently under construction, and possibly two more starting this spring, we thought it would be a great time to share with you the story of Bob and Linda Goltz, a couple that will soon have their ideal, Northern Michigan retreat at The Reserve.

In the summer of 2007, Bob and Linda Goltz closed on their homesite at The Reserve. With three grown children living in various places across the country, Boyne Mountain offered a convenient location with amenities and activities for their entire family. The Reserve at Boyne Mountain provided the Goltzes a location that was convenient to all of the activities of Boyne such as skiing, golf, hiking, biking, and the beach at Deer Lake, but was out of the hustle and bustle of the base—allowing them to create their own space to spend time together.

Working with Josh Howard of Howard Smith Corp., a builder that has completed several homes at The Reserve, the Goltzes outlined several requirements for their ideal family retreat. The home was to be a log home, had to provide ample open space for family gatherings and entertaining, enough bedrooms to comfortably house the entire family, have a walkout lower level, and be well-equipped to handle all the snowy and muddy gear that is part of outdoor life at Boyne Mountain.

Taking advantage of the homesite, Josh situated the house so it would accommodate a walkout design. With some modifications to the original plan, the garage was angled from the main section of the house to give the entrance a warm and welcoming feel. The breezeway that connects the garage to the house was designed as an oversized mudroom and catch-all. The interior has a very open floor plan—perfect for entertaining and connecting with family—a first floor master suite, two other large bedrooms, and a den that can be used as a fourth bedroom if necessary.

A few extra design features were also important: the main floor of the house is completely wired for surround sound (that will be extended to the patio this summer) and all the interior walls are insulated to help contain the noise of the socializing.

The Goltzes’ home was started in mid-Winter and should be completed by May—just in time for their first family gathering. Throughout the process, Josh and the Howard Smith team have been communicating with the Goltzes and working to ensure they’re completely satisfied with their new family retreat at The Reserve.

The Reserve at Boyne Mountain is a perfect place to create your family retreat. If you are thinking of buying and building, now is a great time to move forward—interest rates are low, construction is reasonable, and it’s a buyer’s market. You could soon be in the same position as Bob and Linda–planning your first family retreat at The Reserve.

Over the last couple of months, several customers have asked about alternate ways to finance land they are considering purchasing for investment. This isn’t surprising considering that McKeough Land Company is offering some significant discounts for multiple-lot purchases. Based on these conversations, we researched alternate ways for people to take advantage of this buyer’s market.

One interesting and little-known opportunity is the ability to purchase land through a self-directed IRA. “Golden Opportunities in Real Estate for Savvy Investors” explains the process for using a self-directed IRA to buy any type of real estate.

There are several reasons to consider buying land using funds from your IRA, but the most prominent one is that any profit that is generated from the investment is tax-deferred, just like the earnings from your regular IRA or 401K. Once you have decided that you would like to make an investment in land, the process of buying through your IRA is pretty simple:

1. Create a self-directed IRA account (several companies offer this type of product)
2. Liquidate funds from your current IRA or 401K and place the funds in your new self-directed IRA
3. Purchase the land through your self-directed IRA

There are restrictions and accounting considerations, and the details are included in the article linked above.

To make the process of land investment using your IRA easier, McKeough Land Company’s Northern Michigan office has created a strategic alliance with Retirement Investment Alternatives, LLC, a Suttons Bay-based company that specializes in helping clients set up and purchase property through self-directed IRAs. If you would like more information on our strategic alliance and how to purchase land using your IRA, please email Thompson Godfrey or call (800) 290-LAND.

Chicago Agent Magazine recently featured Lake Chapin Banks online and in their magazine.

Located in Southern Michigan, Lake Chapin Banks sits on the St. Joseph River just minutes by boat from Lake Chapin.

One of our expert Land Consultants takes you on an informative walking tour at The Reserve at Boyne Mountain.

The Reserve is an exclusive community of vacation home building sites nestled between the slopes and golf courses at Boyne Mountain. To learn more about The Reserve, visit The Reserve at Boyne Mountain or send us a message.