Ohio Lakefront Community Spotlight: Shawnee Hills Lake
Over the past few years, working with dozens of lakefront buyers to find them their dream lake home, I don’t think I’ve found another lake like Shawnee Hills. A private 250 acre lake, Shawnee Hills is one of the best examples I can think of when it comes to clients not ever hearing of a certain lake in Ohio. Another victim of the “Ohio’s Best Kept Secret” Philosophy, Shawnee Hills is well known in it’s local area, but relatively unheard of in the three major cities that are within easy driving distance; Columbus, Cincinnati, and Dayton. A great lake such as Shawnee Hills deserves a little attention to help bring buyers more knowledge about this great opportunity to experience the lakefront living lifestyle.
A private 250 acre lake, Shawnee Hills is located in Jamestown Ohio, only a 1 hour drive from Columbus and Cincinnati and only 30 minutes from Dayton giving it a prime location for anyone looking for a second home or a full time residence. And no matter where you drive from the trip is easy enough as it is mostly on interstate. The lake has more of a suburban feel and is not as rustic as other lakes but has a nice community surrounding it. The community has several clubs that help keep the lake high quality, as well as throwing major events such as 4th of July and the famous Lake Festival hosted at the community center and beach, where last year they even had helicopter rides available. This lake has no horsepower limit and is open to all boating activities including tubing, skiing, kayaking, canoeing and of course jet skis! The water of this community is of high quality and ranges from depths of 10 – 30 feet. Swimming is allowed, especially from the private communities’ well maintained beach located by the association office which is open to member use with a playground, volleyball court and picnic areas. This lakefront community has half a dozen waterfront common areas located around the lake which are open to members for fishing and to launch kayaks and canoes as well as to have community friendly activities. The lake has few coves due to it’s shape and so most homes have a nice panoramic lake view.
One of the best highlights about Shawnee Hills that is appealing to lakefront buyers (Once they hear about the lake that is) is that Shawnee has some of the cheapest HOA fees in the entire state. Most lakes have a new member fee of $500 or more but Shawnee has managed to keep their new member fee to $100. And all other private lakes have annual or monthly HOA fees to help manage the lake and amenities that range in the thousands per year, but Shawnee Hills only charges members $150 a YEAR as long as they don’t have additional lots. Part of this low cost is because Shawnee Hills has few amenities besides the lake; including a beach and a community center and some association areas but lack other amenities that other lakes have. However, in my experience a lot of lakefront buyers who buy a secondary home do not actually use the offshore amenities as much as they think they would.
One of the best parts about the lake is also the fact that is is overall more affordable than a lot of other private lakes in Ohio. Buyers can expect to see lakefront homes from anywhere $275,000 up to $500,000, and even for the few outliers who are priced above the $500,000 mark the price per sq foot is usually a good deal for buyers as they can get a high end home for a lower per sq ft price than most other lakes.
In summary, Shawnee Hills Lake has a great location in Ohio and is a nice affordable option, both in price and HOA fees, for lakefront buyers. For more information about Shawnee Hills lake or about homes on the market there make sure to talk to your Lakefront Specialist. And Remember this is the year to BUY THE LAKE HOUSE!
Written By Justin Shelton Lakefront Consultant – The Lake Team
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