38676 W Schroder Ln

An off-grid log cabin on the Betsy River in Whitefish Township, 900 square feet with one bedroom, one bath and a sleeping loft, listed at $155,000. The listing describes 20 private wooded acres with the river running through the property, a whole-house propane generator, a drilled well and a separate bathhouse with a soaking tub. The parcel numbers on the listing show two parcels, and Chippewa County records the one it prices at 10 acres, so the 20 acres depends on both conveying. It went under contract in June and came back on the market at the end of August at the same price.

The land and setting

The listing gives 20 acres and names two parcels, 01648400700 and 01648400800. County records for the second read “SEC 34 T50N R7W E 1/2 OF E 1/2 OF NW 1/4 OF SW 1/4. 10 A M/L”, 435,600 square feet, 10 acres, in Whitefish Township. Two adjoining 10 acre parcels would make the 20 the listing describes.

The listing says the Betsy River flows through the property and that established trails lead to fishing. The photos show the cabin among red pines above a bend of river and marsh, a boardwalk running down toward the water. The view is listed as Water.

The listing mentions deer, bear and moose as frequent visitors. Access is Schroder Lane, and the listing does not say whether it is public or private, who maintains it, or whether it is plowed, which matters between Whitefish Point and the Tahquamenon country.

The cabin

Built in 1976, 900 square feet over one and a half stories, log construction on a pillar, post and pier foundation under a metal roof. One bedroom, one full bath, and a sleeping loft above reached by a ladder.

Inside is open plan, log walls throughout, hardwood and laminate floors, double pane windows. Heating is Propane, cooling None, with a gas range and refrigerator included. No fireplace is listed, though a woodstove appears against the wall in the photos.

Sliding glass doors open onto a deck facing the river, which is the point of the place.

Power is a whole-house propane generator, listed under electric as Generator - Wired, and water is a drilled well. No sewer or septic is named.

The bathhouse is a separate building, listed under additional structures as Outbuilding, with a propane wall heater, on-demand hot water, a shower, a sink and a soaking tub. The photos show it finished in corrugated metal with a sliding glass door onto its own deck.

The facts

What to know before you call

The acreage depends on two parcels, and the county shows 10 acres on the one it records. The listing says 20 acres and names two parcels. Chippewa County records 016-484-008-00 at 435,600 square feet, 10 acres, legal description ending “10 A M/L”. The likely explanation is two adjoining 10 acre parcels with the visible county record covering one. That is a reading, not a confirmed fact. Get both parcel numbers into the purchase agreement and have the title company confirm both convey, because if only the recorded parcel transfers you are buying half the advertised land.

The taxes are very low, and they will not stay there. The history shows $304 in 2025 on an assessed value of $9,100, and years as low as $80 in 2017, far below what a $155,000 purchase suggests. Under Michigan’s Proposal A, taxable value rises by no more than inflation or five percent a year while one owner holds a property, then uncaps in the year after a transfer and resets to the state equalized value, half of market value. A sale at $155,000 points to a taxable value near $77,500 against the $9,100 on the current roll. The $304 is the current owner’s bill, not yours. Ask the Whitefish Township assessor what a sale at this price would set.

Check whether either parcel is enrolled in a forestry program. County use is Residential Improved and state use Residential, with no forestry classification, so nothing in the record suggests Commercial Forest or a Qualified Forest exemption. The assessed values are low enough to confirm rather than assume. Commercial Forest requires 40 acres, which neither parcel reaches alone, though a Qualified Forest exemption has a lower threshold. Both carry withdrawal penalties that follow the land, not the seller, so ask about each parcel separately.

It is off-grid, and that shapes financing. Power is a propane generator wired to the cabin, not a utility connection. Terms are Cash or Conventional, no FHA, VA or USDA. A 1976 log cabin on pillar, post and pier with no grid power is a hard conventional appraisal and many lenders will not write on it. Talk to your lender first and expect cash to be the realistic path.

No sewer or septic is listed. The listing gives a drilled well and names the bathhouse fixtures, but says nothing about septic or waste disposal. For a property with a shower, sink and soaking tub in a separate building, close that gap before you offer. Ask whether there is a septic system, whether it is permitted, when it was last inspected, and what serves the cabin itself.

The bathhouse is a separate structure and permits are not mentioned. It is listed only as Outbuilding, and the photos show it finished with plumbing, heat and on-demand hot water. Ask whether it was permitted, whether the plumbing and propane heater were inspected, and whether it appears on the assessment record, since unpermitted structures surface later as tax or resale problems.

A woodstove appears in the photos but not in the listing. Heating is Propane only, has fireplace is No, fireplace features None, yet a woodstove sits against the log wall in one photo. An unlisted solid fuel appliance is an insurance question this far from a fire hall. Ask whether it works, whether it was installed to code, and whether your insurer will write with it in place.

It went under contract once already. Listed 6/19/2026, pending 6/22, back on 8/31 at the same $155,000. A deal falling through is not by itself a red flag, but ask what happened. If an inspection or appraisal ended it, the answer bears on everything above.

Nothing here is described as year-round. The listing calls it a retreat and a getaway, and does not say the cabin is winterized or that the road is plowed. Ask before you plan on using it in February.

You can see everything else we have listed on the properties page. Nearby in the same township we have an off-grid cabin on 80 acres between two blocks of state land, and 72 acres on the Tahquamenon River, which is under contract.

To ask about this one, call Jane Merrell at RE/MAX NorthStar Realty on 906-748-1089, or the office on 906-635-1000, and reference MLS 26-521. Tell them where you saw it.