Our owner builder experience!

Almost four years ago, we decided we wanted to retire to our little lake house on Cedar Creek Lake, 90 miles southeast of our home in Bedford, TX. Little did we know it would take us as much as 5 years to complete the process and have the place we wanted.

(Please disregard the picture at left. I'm new to this and can't figure out how to remove pics)

Back in late 1998, I began searching for a lake front property that would allow privately owned boathouses. At the time, I had no knowledge of what that meant, I only knew that was what I wanted. I learned that I needed to look at lakes that were not controlled by the US Army Corps of Engineers. That limits the search and prevented me from buying on the lakes I was most familiar with and had hoped to buy on.

After finding Cedar Creek Lake, I spent every weekend for the next three months or so with a realtor, looking at various properties for sale. Finally, I closed on the property on Feburary 15, 1999. It is a small waterfront lot in the '3-way View addition' close to the old Marimac Marina.

The lot is 60' wide but, about 350' long. As purchased, there was an old cedar sided cabin built when the lake was first impounded back in the mid '60's. It was in pretty awful shape but, it was 'lakey' and could be cooled in the summer and warmed up in the winter. It was maybe 700 square feet with a deck across the lake side about 6' above grade at that point. The end of the deck (lakeside) was at the 325' elevation, which for CCL is as close as you are allowed to build.

There was a one slip boathouse with an old wooden retaining wall at waters edge. The boat house was and still is about 75' from waters edge.

Initally, the idea was to not do anything to the place for at least two years. I wanted to make sure this was really where I wanted to retire. In July of 2001, Dana and I were married and thankfully, she loves the lake nearly as much as I do! So, by July 4th week in 2003 we knew this was our little piece of heaven and broke ground on our new future home.