Lake Winnipesaukee – The Heart of New Hampshire’s Lake Region Real Estate
Lake Winnipesaukee is located in central New Hampshire and is the largest lake in the New Hampshire lakes region. The locals refer to it as the “Big Lake” as it has 72 square miles of water surface, has 182 miles of shoreline, and includes 253 islands. Due to its size, location and beauty, Lake Winnipesaukee is a summer Mecca for tourism. In addition, due to its proximity to the New Hampshire White Mountains, many people visit the Big Lake in the fall and winter to view the foliage and to take part in outdoor recreational activities. Consequently Lake Winnipesaukee real estate is a precious commodity.
Having spent the last 30+ years living in New Hampshire, Lake Winnipesaukee has been a regular vacation spot for my family. I have also been fortunate to have owned Lake Winnipesaukee waterfront property in the town of Moultonboro, NH for the past 10 years. Like many I purchased an old camp, razed it and built a new modern home on it. We use our vacation home year round and take advantage of all the local amenities in the New Hampshire lakes region area.
As a frequent visitor and property owner of Lake Winnipesaukee real estate, I have witnessed the growth, and the occasional contraction, of the area for the past 30 years. Due to the fact that waterfront property is a limited commodity, New Hampshire Lakes Region real estate has, for the most part, performed extremely well as an investment. This said, there has been the occasional contraction in the market over the years. However compared to other areas of the state and country, Lake Winnipesaukee real estate seems to hold out better during down real estate times.
From the late 1990’s until approximately 2006, Lake Winnipesaukee real estate experienced a boom in new home construction. Home sizes and prices soared. The $3 Million, 5000+ square foot Adirondack McMansion became ubiquitous with the times. The dot.com bubble was most likely the event that triggered both the boom and the eventual contraction of the New Hampshire lakes region real estate market.
Though home sales have cooled since 2006, and prices have receded a bit, new Adirondack homes continue to spring up, albeit at a slower rate. The fact that new home construction continues during a major housing recession is a testament to the areas resiliency, as well as a clear sign of future boom times ahead for the Lake Winnipesaukee real estate market. However, again it is understandable. With its crystal clear waters, proximity to the foothills of the White Mountains and two other local mountain ranges, as well as only 2 hours outside of Boston, MA, Lake Winnipesaukee has it all. lake garda activities