Michigan Articles

Lakefront Specialist: Dave Schiller, Detroit Lakes MN

A life long native and resident of Detroit Lakes, Dave Schiller has been a real estate broker for the past 35 years. He got his start helping manage Lake Development Company, a family owned land company since age 21. He also operated Schiller Insurance Company, a large independent insurance agency, until 1996.

He received his broker's license at age 22 and founded Schiller Realty in 1981. While successful, he found that he couldn't devote the kind of time he wanted to the company. So he helped negotiate the merger of four different companies to form another firm. In 1998, Dave decided to re-enter the realty business full time and reformed Schiller Realty in the same year. 

Since then, he has used his experience and expertise to help individuals find their perfect lake home or property in the Detroit Lakes area. LakeshoreDreams.com had the pleasure of meeting with this talented broker and learn more about him and the wonderful area that he (and maybe eventually you) calls home.

LD: As a real estate broker, it is important to match your clients with the property that best suits their needs. How do you ensure that happens?

Schiller: I simply ask my clients where their interests lie. Are they more interested in seclusion, peace and quiet? Do they want to see the loons and the eagles, or are they concerned about being five minutes away from the country club? That determines where we go and what we look at, whether a more remote lake or one closer to town.

And I've lived in Detroit Lakes all my life. I own lake property and lake in the county so I'm very familiar with the area. Plus with my insurance background, I insured many of the resorts within a 50 mile radius so I am very familiar with the area lakes as a result.

LD: Certainly your experience and intimate knowledge of the area would help you find what your clients were looking for. So, if I were a prospective buyer, how would you sell me on Detroit Lakes?

Schiller: Detroit Lakes is a small community but it is very progressive. We have a fairly diverse population. The schools are very good and we have close proximity to a strong metro area in Fargo-Moorhead. It has about 150,000 to 200,000 people in it with all the services you would need if you need more than Detroit Lakes offers. We have a good hospital and medical community. It's also fairly easy to get around.

What I like most about the area is that we are on the edge of three different ecological zones: The tall grass prairie, deciduous hardwood forests, and the northern pines are all within 7 or 8 miles of here. It provides for great recreational opportunities all year round. We also have a community center with health facilities, theater and so on. The town offers more than you would expect, given a population of around 9,000 plus the surrounding area.

LD: Tell me a little bit about the land and the developments you're working with now.

Schiller: My background initially was in lakeshore, lake lots, and recreational land. The property we developed was primarily relatively undeveloped wilderness type property, not like the lakes near Detroit Lake, like right around the golf course for example. I really enjoy working with that kind of land. It's really fun, but getting harder and harder to find unfortunately. Today, I work on all types of lakeshore and recreation property.

LD: Are there any new developments being planned in the near future?

Schiller: Not too many new developments are going up right on the shoreline due to much of the better shoreline already having been platted and built on. New county and state standards are limiting second tier developing, to reduce the impact on the lakes.  Lake lot prices have changed drastically in the past 25 years. Excellent lots could be bought for $15,000 or less in the early 1980's. These same lots, if still undeveloped, are now re-selling for $180,000 to over $300,000, depending on the lake.  The area is seeing more tear downs and rebuilding of larger homes. This has caused some reaction by the counties and zoning authorities to prevent excess run off into the lakes, among other things.

LD: Tell me more about the county's new environmental standards.

Schiller: Becker County has a mitigation system for lots that are smaller than current standards call for that is being looked at by the state. Building permits are not just denied or approved. The county committee suggests environmental mitigations such as French drains to catch water run off, berms along the lakeshore, and so on to permit building on small lots but not degrade the lakeshore.

The goal is to preserve the water quality for everyone. There is a direct relationship between water quality and clarity and lake lot value, not to mention that preservation of our lake quality is imperative for us today and the people who come after us. Much of the attraction of our lake country is gone without clean lakes.

For more information on properties in the Detroit Lakes region please visit Dave Schiller's listing page on LakeshoreDreams.com.

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