Buying on one of the county's lakes

Lapeer County is dotted with small lakes, and lakefront homes are a big part of the local market — from Lake Nepessing and the Barnes Lake and Millers Lake communities to Lake Metamora and the lakes around Dryden’s Seven Ponds. A place on the water is wonderful, but lake living comes with a few things to understand before you buy.

Most of these lakes have a legally established lake level that’s maintained by the Lapeer County Drain Commissioner, and the cost of the dams and weirs that hold those levels is usually paid by the lakefront owners through a special assessment on their property tax bills. Lakefront property also comes with riparian rights (and rules) about docks, and many lakes have an association that handles weed control and other shared upkeep — sometimes funded by another assessment. And since lake homes outside town are on wells and septic, a septic system close to the water is something to have inspected carefully.

None of this is a reason not to buy on a lake — people love it here — but ask about the lake level, any assessments, the lake association, and the septic system before you sign.