Just Bought Land On Paved Runway :)

Huckster79

Huckster79

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Huckster79
Just had to share w my pilot friends here:

My wife and I are so excited! We just closed on almost 4 acres right on the runway at 4y4. We plan on building a cabin there in the spring and someday maybe spend significant time there once split custody kiddos are grown. Northern Michigan is absolutely beautiful, if you haven’t been. And now all of N Michigan will be but a hop away when we’re staying there.

4200’ paved runway, the headwaters of Michigan’s Manistee river are right down the road, two private lakes we get access to, a club house with a hot tub, pool and water slide, as well as a golf course and restaurant. We are geeked and humbled this is now ours. Once we get built maybe have to do a POA invite breakfast or something

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View from where our property comes out on the runway. IMG_7745.jpeg
Our trail to the runway for now..

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Our first walk onto it as “ours”

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Tons of wild berries- yum :)

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The piece we bought shows “Bailey Judith”

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Home to 4Y4 on FF

Just an exciting moment, 2.5 hours from home on 4 tires, 40 mins or so in da Mooney… now to start planning construction…
 
But you're stuck in Michigan. That's why we bought on paved in Tennessee, and on grass in Michigan. No snow shoveling. :) After 50 years I'm sick of that.
 
Congratulations! I was in Traverse City and Empire a couple of weeks ago and it was beautiful. For my money, the beaches are nicer than anything we have on the East Coast.
 
Awesome... keep us up on the construction... so I am thinking 90% hanger, 10% living space? :p:D
 
AlleyCat67 said:
Congratulations! I was in Traverse City and Empire a couple of weeks ago and it was beautiful. For my money, the beaches are nicer than anything we have on the East Coast.
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The woods and rivers are over the top as well, there’s several neat islands to visit and the upper peninsula is breathtaking.
Ventucky Red said:
Awesome... keep us up on the construction... so I am thinking 90% hanger, 10% living space? :p:D
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Will do! Probably won’t break ground till spring. Probably may even skip the hangar for time being as it would just be a weekend or occasional week for now, but we will see as we get prices in and figure out how much we can do. Between her and I we’re capable of doing it all besides well/septic/foundation- but I’m not going to be able to knock off work for 3 months either. So gotta figure that balance out. I’m tracking some air bnb in the area in excel to see if we can dent the price by doing that when not in use…
kaiser said:
So when’s the fly-in?
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TBD :)
 
EdFred said:
But you're stuck in Michigan. That's why we bought on paved in Tennessee, and on grass in Michigan. No snow shoveling. :) After 50 years I'm sick of that.
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Well I may need to think bout that someday… I have an 8 yr old w 50/50 custody so may be able to think on that one in 10 or 12 years, yea shoveling sucks!
 
EdFred said:
But you're stuck in Michigan. That's why we bought on paved in Tennessee, and on grass in Michigan. No snow shoveling. :) After 50 years I'm sick of that.
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When you get snow in Tennessee, and they do, civilization as you know it ends.
 
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Eh, once every few years we get enough snow to shut things down for a day or two. No biggie!
 
4Y4, nice! I stop there often. The clubhouse restaurant there makes a fantastic burger, if you don't already know.
 
Country Flier said:
4Y4, nice! I stop there often. The clubhouse restaurant there makes a fantastic burger, if you don't already know.
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I read "clubhouse" and I think "private". Can you confirm that you are talking about The Settings Restaurant and that it's open to the public?
 
beautiful!
congrats!

Tell us about the organization, that always interests (concerns) me; who owns & is responsible for runway mx?
Is there a contract guaranteeing access to runway?
Building restrictions?
What is off the ends of the runway for the (next half mi) - anything that poses a future threat to runway?
Looks like you are among the first ones there!
 
That's awesome! Congrats! It looks like an absolutely perfect place to be - runway, airplane, nature. Good to end the day reading about somebody reaching one of their dreams.
 
Congratulations! Just spent a week on Elk Lake (annual trip). Such a great area.
 
I don't golf on a course that doesn't have a little windmill in the middle of it. Our neighbor does have a bar (complete with frozen Margarita machine) in his hangar. If the lights are on, the bar is open.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
beautiful!
congrats!

Tell us about the organization, that always interests (concerns) me; who owns & is responsible for runway mx?
Is there a contract guaranteeing access to runway?
Building restrictions?
What is off the ends of the runway for the (next half mi) - anything that poses a future threat to runway?
Looks like you are among the first ones there!
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There is an HOA, its a huge development size wise, so doesn't have a "development" feel like many in Michigan that are a corn field with a poorly installed road and lots surveyed off, there are more trees than homes anywhere ya go. My property abuts the "common area" of the runway and you can pull a permit to put a paved taxiway onto the runway. It's been there for 40/50 years and the runway looks to be in impeccable condition. I've yet to get to fly in, first couple trips we simply need more supplies than the Mooney can haul.

The Building restrictions are minimal... I believe it's a minimum square footage of 800 square feet, two buildings per lot, we have two lots. So not very restrictive at all, which can be good and bad but it appears most places in LOTN are nicely maintained homes, most are simple little homes and cute cabins and a few larger fancier places here and there primarily around the lakes, golf course and airstrip, but there are little chalets in those areas as well.

The one end of the runway is the golf course and the other end is just part of Lakes of the North but has a nice cleared out area for a ways beyond the runway on the other side of the road that is "common area".

There is definitely more undeveloped property than developed and been that way for decades. My step brother lives there, not on the airport but in LOTN, for the better part of a decade and has really enjoyed it, he said the HOA hasn't been burdensome, he sees turkey and deer and an occasional black bear, things seem pretty relaxed in Northern Michigan... :)

I think it was a case of it being built before its time and poor location for primary residence besides for the retired as there really doesn't seem to be much local economy anywhere very close. So I think it was a great idea that just was a bit ahead of its time. I talked with several folks interested in selling there, and most the story was the same "yea it was Dad's he bought it and was going to build and just never did, I inherited it and just haven't done anything with it" Several had never stepped foot on the property, taxes on em were low so I think they literally became "forgotten" pieces of land to a lot of "inheritees"
 
Ventucky Red said:
Awesome... keep us up on the construction... so I am thinking 90% hanger, 10% living space? :p:D
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That would do Burt Munro proud. But, why is living space as high at 10%?
 
Awesome dude! I'd be sleeping out there with a tent while you get the build done.
 
Well we have friends living there too! My son put up a trail cam and got a black bear and coyote last week :)IMG_4751.jpegIMG_4749.jpegIMG_4749.jpeg
 
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Sweet. Congratulations.
We live at the beach in Delaware but have vacationed several times in Michigan - likely our favorite state.
 
MajorTurbulence said:
Northern Michigan huh?
I guess the U P is considered something other than Northern Michigan, my pardon. ;)
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Oh the UP is next on the list to buy dirt in- there or Beaver Island. :)

We view this place as a homebase to explore all of N Michigan both peninsulas and the islands :). Well minus Mackinaw island- no interest in going there besides maybe for a food stop as it’s just a jammed tourist trap. But Beaver, Boise Blanc and Drummond definitely need visiting.
 
Now this guy swing by and said hello :)
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Any more lots for sale there? Link or message please.
 
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