Rochester couple builds a beach home to 'last forever' on Lake Pepin
LAKE CITY, Minn. — When Brad Clemens thinks of life on the water, it's fishing, relaxing and enjoying the scenery.
He said his family's boating tradition has created many relaxing days on the water. After about 10 years of owning vacation rentals in Lake City, Clemens knew the "premiere spot" for their home project: Central Point. But first Brad and Kelly Clemens had to find a lot to build their home.
After a five-year search, Brad Clemens described their lot find at 700 Central Point Road as a "pure fluke." The for sale by owner sign had partially blown away leaving only four digits of a phone number. Still, he discovered the owner.
"We figured we wanted to build a home that was going to last forever and be there forever so we didn't really spare any money on doing things the right way. So it's extremely energy efficient, it's got beautiful views of Lake Pepin," Clemens said.
Hok-Si-La Municipal Park and Lake Pepin surround the property, said Lakeshore Real Estate Krage & Associates Realtor Jodi Gillard.
The home was built through the winter of 2021-22, as the couple worked through the permitting process with Lake City, Goodhue County and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. The property previously had a trailer home.
"We've never built a modern home before so we gave it our best shot," Clemens said. He is also a commercial builder. "It was something we always wanted to do."
The three-bedroom and three-bathroom home includes high-end exterior finishes and kitchen appliances. Other details include an in-home stereo in the garage and a cement patio bordering much of the house. Gillard said "it truly speaks modern luxury." One of their specialized elements, a dock with a 7,000-pound lift, is about 100 feet from the shore.
"... The water and the lake shine from every angle in the house," Gillard said. Three glass garage doors also open to a view of the water with space for entertainment.
Clemens said they enjoyed playing games and watching TV in the space. The garages, which are separate from the two garage stalls on the woods side of the property, are designed to have water "flow through the home" should flooding become an issue. The Mississippi River in Lake City crested at 18.98 feet in 2023. The property includes 70 feet of beach.
While homes like those on Lakeshore Drive offer water views, Gillard said the Central Point homes, townhomes and condos have beach access and water views. Central Point has full-time and part-time residents. People can see the bluffs and the Minnesota and Wisconsin sides of the Mississippi River in Lake City.
Clemens described it as their "summer fun home." The couple lives in Rochester and so they don't get to enjoy it as much as they'd like to.
"The views are priceless," Gillard said. "They're almost like million-dollar views because you're looking right down the river and right at Lake Pepin."
The views, and the community in Lake City, drew Gillard and her family to the area in 2021. She said the lake views are a beneficial option instead of driving several hours to the North Shore. Whether boating on Lake Pepin or cruising on the Mississippi to Red Wing or La Crosse, Gillard said the beaches are a popular spot for families. Her family's beach favorites include the sand dunes by Reads Landing and Long Point Beach near Frontenac.
"Just driving down the hill coming down into Lake City, it's almost like there's a sense of peace and gratitude, it's so close. You just feel like you're enjoying a little piece of heaven," Gillard said.
She enjoys watching the sailboats, Mississippi River Cruise ships and barges. After building their own home on Central Point, Gillard knows the feeling of a "lakefront retreat home" like the Clemens' home, which is listed for $1,500,000.
"There's so much recreation on the water, it's amazing. You can see the boaters going through with their children and tubing," Gillard said. "There's just lots of opportunity for people down here for recreation as well as just leisure."
On their family's water days, Clemens said they "like to get right out in the middle of the lake and anchor." They also look forward to building their next home.
"We have a few of them (boats). We have a wake boat and then like a bass fishing boat and then a smaller fishing boat," Clemens said. "You can only use one, though. That's what I keep telling everybody, one at a time."
