On the Market · Perch Lake
6255 Dyer Road
South Boardman, MI 49680 · Perch Lake · Boardman Township, Kalkaska County
A turnkey chalet tucked in the woods with 60 feet on Perch Lake, a quiet no-wake lake where the loudest thing most mornings is the coffee maker. Cathedral ceilings, exposed beams, a sleeping loft, granite counters: cozy and updated at the same time. Morning coffee on the deck, afternoons on the water, evenings down at the water's edge. Fine is a cabin. Thriving is a place you keep coming back to. This one is the second kind.
What Stands Out
- 60 ft of private frontage on Perch Lake (no-wake)
- Soaring cathedral ceilings with exposed beams
- Sleeping loft over the vaulted main living space
- Granite counters, updated kitchen, kitchen appliances included
- New 1,500-gallon septic system and drain field (2021)
- Private dock and a lakeside deck
- Wall of glass to the water in the main living room
- Single-level living with accessibility features built in
- Sold turnkey (two small decor items excepted)
The Numbers
What It Could Earn
The listing itself flags this as a weekend getaway or vacation rental, and the zoning record shows a rental history. Boardman Township is one of the more rental-friendly jurisdictions in the five-county region right now (generally open, with no cap or permit system as of early 2026). Here is what larger homes on the same lake are renting for:
| Comparable rental on Perch Lake | Bd / Ba | Nightly |
|---|---|---|
| Waterfront home, hot tub + kayaks + pool table Sleeps 8 | 3 / 2 | ~$335 |
| Lakefront log cottage, hot tub, boats, pet friendly Near Traverse City | 3 / 2 | ~$308 |
These are illustrative estimates, not a lender quote or an income guarantee. The comps above are larger three-bedroom homes, so this two-bedroom chalet would rent below them. The one box left to check is the current Boardman Township ordinance, and with no HOA, there is no association layer to restrict short-term rentals. Whether a property actually pencils as a rental is exactly the kind of thing I dig into. I find creative solutions to the hard stuff.
Up North, At the Doorstep
This cabin sits in Kalkaska County, where roughly 177,000 acres of the Pere Marquette State Forest are open to the public and about 42% of the county is public land. The Boardman River, one of Michigan's top ten trout streams, runs through the watershed: summer is canoe, kayak, and fish, and winter brings around 126 inches of snow and more than 80 miles of groomed snowmobile trails. Locals count 20 lakes within 20 minutes, including Blue Lake, a clean 120-acre all-sports lake for the days you want something faster than no-wake Perch allows.
- Fife Lake, about 6 miles south: village beach and a couple of good places to eat
- Kalkaska, about 9 miles north: National Trout Festival town, the jumping-off point for fishing, hunting, and sledding
- Traverse City, about 22 miles: the bay, the wineries, the Cherry Festival, dinner when you want it
- Sleeping Bear Dunes, about an hour west: for when you feel like a big day out
Michigan heads-up: property taxes reset when a home sells, so the bill will not match the seller's number. Reach out and I will run your real monthly figure, taxes and all, in a couple of minutes.
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People are one of two things: fine or thriving. The right place to land is how you cross that line.
6255 Dyer Road is exclusively listed by Sarah Bailey, Coldwell Banker Schmidt (Traverse City), not by The Local Element. · Adrianna Berlin License #6501461347 · The Local Element Brokerage License #6505424661
Payment and rental figures are illustrative estimates, not a lender quote or income guarantee; your costs vary with rate, down payment, taxes, and insurance. Short-term rental use is subject to Boardman Township ordinances. · Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Verify all details independently.