Page 30 of Diego

“I never considered living on the lake.”

“Why?”

I look at her. “Bugs.”

She smiles.

“And mold,” I add. “Anything sitting this close to the water makes me think of moisture problems.”

“That would be a concern in the wrong property.” She moves closer to the windows, still speaking in the same easy professional tone she has used since we arrived. “But this house was built specifically for lakefront conditions. The materials, drainage, ventilation, and exterior systems were chosen with that in mind, and the inspections are all available if you want to review them.”

“And the bugs?”

“There are companies that specialize in lakefront pest control. I have a few I can recommend, or you can use whoever you prefer. Either way, it is manageable.”

“You came prepared.”

“I stayed up really late.”

I laugh.

She smiles warmly and gestures toward the windows. “Why don’t we do the outside first? Then once we’ve gotten that out of the way, you can come back in and appreciate the interior without wondering what’s behind the glass.”

“Lead the way.”

We cross through a kitchen that I barely look at because the lake is still dominating everything in front of me. I register stone countertops, an island large enough to seat several people, high-end appliances, and cabinetry that probably cost more than some houses, but Blair keeps moving toward another wall of glass.

Then she touches a control beside the doors.

The entire section begins to slide open.

I stop again.

The panels disappear almost completely into the wall until the kitchen and the deck become one continuous space.

Blair looks over at me. “This was one of the reasons I picked the property.”

“I can see why.”

She steps outside, and I follow.

The deck runs nearly the full length of the house, broad enough to accommodate several separate seating areas without feeling crowded. The lake spreads out beyond the railing, close enough that I can hear the water below us.

“You have multiple access points from the house,” Blair explains as we walk. “The kitchen is the largest opening, but there are doors farther down from the main living areas too. The deck is large enough for entertaining if that matters to you, but it isn’t laid out like one enormous event space.”

I glance at her.

She gestures toward a smaller seating arrangement tucked closer to one end. “If you wanted to bring a cup of coffee out here in the morning, you wouldn’t feel like you were sitting in the middle of an outdoor ballroom.”

I think immediately of the property Randall showed me yesterday.

He had pointed to a massive terrace and started talking about how many guests it could accommodate before I even told him whether I entertained at home. Blair is showing me an equally large outdoor space and explaining how it can still feel personal.

There is a significant difference.

“And the sunrises are spectacular,” she says.

I look out over the water again. “You are making a very strong case for mornings.”