One of the finest pleasures in my real estate life is working with buyers who have a deep connection to Geneva Lake. I enjoy introducing the lake to new buyers who may not be familiar with it, but true satisfaction comes when I work with buyers who already get the lake. What “get the lake” means is very subjective and personal, but it’s fair to say that selling homes to buyers with some level of Geneva Lake nostalgia is very high on my favorite things list. Right behind whiskers on kittens, in case you’re keeping score at home. I do enjoy educating buyers on the nuances of this magnificent lake, but some of my most frustrating moments occur when buyers don’t see the value in Geneva over any other body of water. To many people, a lake is a lake is a lake. One such person appears to be Chicago’s own Mike North.
To be fair, I must disclose that I listen to quite a bit of talk radio. It won’t surprise you to learn that I listen to quite a bit of conservative radio (is there another kind?), and I listen to more sports radio than I should. The winter of 2001 found me remodeling a small Fontana cottage in my spare moments, and during that cold winter filled with few sales and lots of manual labor, I started listening to talk radio. To be specific, I started listening to Mike North. I didn’t necessarily like what I heard, but I listened anyway, and for a while, Mike had a nice rhythm to his show on 670 AM. I felt you should have this bit of background so you know that I don’t hate Mike North like many people seem to. I like Mike, but I find his choice in lakes to be disconcerting.
Mike has a couple of lots for sale on Murphy Lake, in Park Ridge. As Mike explains it, Murphy Lake is an oasis of purity in an otherwise polluted suburban world. Murphy Lake is a gem, and it’s perfect for anyone who likes to fish, boat, swim (he didn’t say swim, which is alarming…), and enjoy nature. Murphy Lake is as easily the end all as it is the be all. I’ll give Murphy Lake this much- it looks wet. In that, it is a lake. At 14.5 acres, the lake is more pond, even though the prices appear to be more reflective of a lake. Here’s Mike North extolling the virtues of the wondrous Murphy Lake.
I’m concerned that some people actually watch that video and consider that a lake. I was out with a customer over the weekend, and after looking at some lakefront property, he asked me what other lakes were in the area. My face grew flushed, which may or may not be a manifestation of my elevating blood pressure, and my tone probably grew unintentionally condescending. I went on to briefly explain that there are no other lakes that compete with Geneva. Perhaps Green Lake is comparable in terms of water, but even Green Lake (another 2 hours+ north of here, making weekend drives miserable and unbearable) lacks the complete lakeside charm and open water capabilities of Geneva. There is no other lake within a five hour radius of Chicago that compares to Geneva, and much to Mike North’s dismay, that includes Murphy Lake.
As I write today the sun is up, the sky is blue (bluer than the sky over Murphy Lake, Mike) and the winds are light and variable. It’s going to be a beautiful fall weekend at the lake, and for a guy that loves the crisp lines of white sails cutting through blue water, this is a perfect weekend to watch some sailboat races at Lake Geneva. Starting today and running through Sunday, Geneva Lake and the Lake Geneva Yacht Club host the Megles24 Fall Championship Regatta. Races will take place (wind permitting) Saturday and Sunday beginning at 10 am. While it’s best to watch sailboat races on a boat, the races can be watched from shore depending on which section of the lake is hosting the action. Such races are unique to Geneva, and for sailors and those who appreciate the sailing action, Geneva is indeed a world class inland destination.
Sailboat races may also be occurring on Murphy Lake this weekend, so be sure to look for those races. If you’d like to compete in such races, you can borrow the model pond boat that rests on a table next to my desk. Just bring it back when you’re done. See you at the lake. Not “a” lake, “the” lake.