lake front living

Northern Michigan Lakefront Real Estate

Northern Michigan Lakefront Real Estate—Guided by Experience

Buying lakefront property in Northern Michigan is not simply about finding a home—it’s about choosing the right lake, the right shoreline, and the right long-term fit for your lifestyle.

Many of my lakefront clients come from downstate Michigan or out of state. They know what they want in a home, but they don’t yet know how different Northern Michigan lakes truly are—water clarity, boating culture, privacy, depth, shoreline quality, winter access, and long-term value all vary significantly.

That’s where experience matters.

I understand this journey personally. I moved to Northern Michigan from California and purchased my own lakefront home in 2000. Before becoming a REALTOR®, I owned and operated my own general contracting business—giving me a trained eye for construction quality, shoreline conditions, and long-term maintenance considerations that many buyers overlook.

Today, I specialize in helping discerning lakefront buyers navigate Northern Michigan with clarity and confidence.

This website was created specifically for northern Michigan homes and lakefront/waterfront buyers who want more than a basic property search.

Here, you’ll find:

Curated lakefront and waterfront listings
Insight into the character and amenities of individual lakes
Guidance on shoreline types, boating activity, privacy, and seasonal use
A thoughtful, informed approach to comparing properties—not just viewing them

My goal is to help you quickly determine which lakes fit you best before you ever step into a showing.

Whether you are early in your search or ready to narrow your options, I’m happy to serve as a local resource and sounding board—no pressure, just informed guidance.

When you’re ready, I invite you to explore Northern Michigan lakefront living with someone who understands both the lifestyle and the investment.

—
Gordon Liechti, GRI
The Mitten Realty Group

Please click on the lake links to view details and new lakefront home listings!

Gordon Liechti

Whether you are considering a home or condo in town or a vacation waterfront home in northern Michigan, Gordon and the team at The Mitten Group are involved every step of the way using the latest real estate software tools to help manage your purchase or selling of real estate. As your Buyer's Agent, Gordon’s experience in using state of the art AI based software search tools will find listings that meet your exact requirements moments after a new home is posted on the MLS. With years of experience in sales negotiation, Gordon will work to deliver the best terms and purchase price which will help the often-stressful steps of purchasing real estate much easier and more efficient than if you did it all yourself. He will assist you in finding the best financing sources, inspectors, surveyors and/or contractors which will help prioritize the paperwork and detail to guide you and saving valuable time. As your Sellers Agent, the detail prep work in selling a house on your own can be an overwhelming task. There's advertising to plan and budget for, open houses and private showings to arrange, purchase offers to negotiate, contract contingencies to worry about, and complicated paperwork to fill out. Make it easy on yourself by putting your home in the hands of an experienced former sales executive, business owner and professional realtor. The attention to detail begins with the process of creating a comprehensive market analysis study to determine the most appropriate price for your home, an essential first step. Gordon and his team will provide home staging advice and suggest landscaping changes that will help draw buyers. We'll take professional photos, video and advertise your home through a variety of methods, including local & national publications, social media and online MLS listings. When it comes to negotiating a purchase offer, Gordon will make sure that you get the best price the market will allow. He'll help you understand contract contingencies and details of the closing process, title work in addition to handling all of the paperwork. Essentially, he's here to represent you throughout the entire selling process, and to make sure that your real estate transaction is a positive and profitable experience. A little more about Gordon; After graduating from college with degrees in Biology and Business, Gordon was recruited by Texas Instruments with positions in strategic sales on the west coast, working with C-Level executives for over two decades, traveling around the world. After re-locating four times in his career, Gordon retired from high tech. Finally, as many others before him that have grown up in southern Michigan and vacationing in northern Michigan, Gordon relocated his family “up north” and purchased a lakefront home in Bowers Harbor, Old Mission Peninsula. At the same time he purchased a successful contracting business in Traverse City working closely with many of the area’s residential and commercial architects and builders. The company thrived offering customers top notch customer service. After building a large base of residential and commercial clients for almost a decade, the company was sold to a local contractor. Gordon began a career in real estate and has been enjoying helping clients from all over the country find their dream home in northern Michigan. Why choose Gordon as your realtor; There are of course many choices of fine realtors in Traverse City. Finding a common bond with your realtor is essential. A great realtor asks many questions as they must know their clients inside and out. Investing time with your realtor and having patience is important. With a love of architecture and attention to detail, Gordon’s first goal is to closely listen to his client, processing every detail. If it’s a requirement for a sunrise view over morning coffee or a sunset view with a glass of wine, the attention to detail is a top priority. Gordon becomes personally involved in both your personal and family life style requirements. If your objective is to sell your property, he has the experience of the area and its amenities to assist your lifestyle requirements.

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