Lakeside North Woods home in Ely lists for $2 million

For 15 years, Martha and Bill Scott enjoyed boating, fishing and hiking around their lakeside log home in Ely, Minn.

Built in 1997, the 4,980square-foot home sits on nearly 2 acresand was the perfect size to raise the couple’s four children and later have family get-togethers with their 14 grandchildren, Martha said. Now with most of their grandchildren living closer to the Twin Cities, the couple have listed their four-bedroom, four-bath North Woods home, hoping another family will love it as much as they have.

“We’re going to miss it — the lake, the deck and being out there in the summer,” she said. “When the weather was nice we’d be out on the big wrap-around deck and out there in the water.”

Martha, a 46-year-long Ely resident, remembers admiring the dark-wood log house for years before purchasing it.

“We had always seen this log home going around the lake and I thought it was so pretty,” she said. The couple jumped at the opportunity when it came up for sale.

As they settled in, the house had even more to offer than meets the eye. The open main floor plan made hosting easy, she said. The stone wood-burning fireplace kept the home warm all winter long. And with many windows, the place lit up during the day.

“I love the coziness of the living room with the fireplace,” she said. And the house “gets lots of sunshine and I love going upstairs and getting some quiet time up there.”

The Scotts also appreciated details such as carvings of fish and moose on a wooden staircase done by a previous owner.

The couple put their own stamp on the place, too. They renovated the kitchen and dining room, where they installed new cabinetry and appliances. Most recently, the Scotts updated the home’s laundry room.

They also remodeled the bathroom in the main-floor primary suite. The suite has a loft that fits four twin beds (and many sleeping bags), and two more bedrooms are separate from that, providing ample space for guests.

There’s also a downstairs that can serve as a “whole apartment,” Martha added. There’s a bedroom with a view of the lake and a room with two bunk beds, plus another bathroom and kitchen.

In addition to loving the house, the couple said they will miss all the activities the area has to offer. Near the property, there are several places to hike and, during the winter, cross-country ski. Less than a mile away are Bass Lake Trail and Echo Trail.

The property itself has also provided the Scotts with ample opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. Fishing on Burntside Lake (the home comes with a dock), relaxing on a private sand beach and kicking back on the wrap-around deck were some of their favorite traditions. Then there was enjoying the large sauna just off the shores of the lake that came with the property.

Situated far from neighbors and on a quieter part of the lake, the property is a peaceful one, Martha said.

“It’s rare to have much boat traffic at all. It’s very quiet, we’re in a bay on our end of the lake,” she said. “It’s wooded between the neighbors on both sides and there’s beautiful islands out in front to look at.”

Abby Andrusko (612-581-7787, abby@andrusko.com) of Keller Williams Integrity Lakes has the $2 million listing.