Mouse Island, just off the shore of Catawba Island is on the market.<\/p>\n
TOLEDO, Ohio \u2014 If you\u2019ve ever wanted to buy an island (and you have an extra $5 million burning a hole in your pocket) now might be the time to pull the trigger – especially if you want to stay close to northwest Ohio<\/a>.<\/p>\n Mouse Island<\/a>, which sits approximately a quarter of a mile off the north tip of Catawba Island in Lake Erie is officially for sale.<\/p>\n If you’ve ever taken the Miller Ferry to Put-in_Bay, you may have wondered about the mousy little island as you rode past. Now it could be yours.\u00a0<\/p>\n The seven-acre island, when viewed from above, really does resemble the shape of a mouse taking a swim toward Cleveland with a short tail at its western terminus.<\/p>\n According to the realtor.com description the island offers \u201cbreathtaking 360\u00b0\u201d views of the lake and \u201cunmatched privacy\u201d – two things one would hope for from a small unoccupied island.<\/p>\n
At one time the island was co-owned by Fremont\u2019s favorite son President Rutherford B. Hayes who, according to ShoresAndIslands.com<\/a>, \u00a0plunked down money for the island as a private retreat for himself and his family.<\/p>\n The island could even be considered the “Kennebunkport” or “Mar-a-lago” of its day, being referred to as the “Summer White House” due to the amount of time Hayes spent there while he was president.<\/p>\n If you want to make it your vacation home, however, be ready to lay out some cash to make improvements.\u00a0<\/p>\n The realty listing says there is potential for custom development but doesn’t mention existing amenities – unless mature trees and rocky shorelines count as amenities in your book (which they certainly might).<\/p>\n As you consider whether buying Mouse Island is right for you, you may wonder what the cost is to buy a private island in other – maybe more tropical – parts of the world.<\/p>\n
Consider these island properties listed on privateislandsonline.com:<\/p>\n White Island<\/a>, in the Caribbean, is 10 acres. It is just a little bigger than Mouse Island and is also undeveloped. The island boasts white powdery beaches, crystal clear waters, and dramatic topography. Cost to own… $9,500,000.<\/p>\n 5 acre Iguana Island<\/a> in Nicaragua can be yours for less than $500,000. That island even has a three bedroom, two bath turnkey home on it.<\/p>\n 600 acre Nail Bay Land<\/a> in the British Virgin Islands, site of a sugar plantation in the 1800s, will set you back just $6,200,000.<\/p>\n Undeveloped Florida Keys Island<\/a> is 15 acres. It can be yours for a cost of $3,900,000.<\/p>\n
\nHistory of Mouse Island <\/p>\n
\nComparables\u00a0 <\/p>\n