Lake Anna best place to buy vacation home - Axios Washington D.C.Log InLog InAxios Washington D.C. is an Axios company.

Lake Anna ranked top U S city to buy vacation home

A November 2007 lake day on the warm side of Lake Anna. Photo: Gerald Martineau/The Washington Post via Getty Images Under-the-radar Lake Anna, the third-largest lake in Virginia, is the top place in the country to buy a second home, according to , a vacation rental management company. Vacasa ranked cities based on their ROI, or return on investment. In Lake Anna, the median sale price is $435,000 and the average annual gross rental revenue over the last 12 months came in at $81,293. That’s a 12% ROI. Why it matters: The vacation community is only two-ish hours away and less packed than its Maryland rival for D.C’s lake crowd, Deep Creek. Details: Lake Anna has two sides – one is warm because Dominion Energy plants warm the water. Just yesterday, . But the warm side is strictly residential. The cool side allows businesses, so visitors can rent boats and dine out more easily. Zoom out: Vacasa analyzed real estate data in places with at least 50 Vacasa-managed units and at least 250 units managed by others. Two OBX towns made the top 25 list. In Corolla (#4), the median sale price is $930,000, and you can bring in $131,121 in annual rental income. In Nags Head (#17), you’re looking at a median $887,000 price tag and rental income of $85,734. Our thought bubble: If you can’t swing buying a home in D.C. – where the median sold price in July was $725,000 – but can handle renting here and buying elsewhere, Lake Anna is tempting. What can you get for less than $500k? Here are three homes for sale, all with boat slip access and within walking distance to the lake. $499,950 3 bed, 2 bath 1,627 square feetSits on just over an acre on the cool side of the lake. Look at those floor-to-ceiling windows. $469,900 3 bed, 3 bath 2,449 square feetOn the cool side of the lake. Love the open living area and the multiple decks. $499,900 3 bed, 2.5 bath 1,928 square feetOn the warm side of the lake. Screened in porch . Get more local stories in your inbox with .Subscribe Support local journalism by becoming a member.

More Washington D C stories

No stories could be found Get a free daily digest of the most important news in your backyard with Axios Washington D.C..Subscribe Support local journalism by becoming a member.