B
uilding homes has become a bit of a hobby for Dave and Jolette Olig.
“Between us, I think this is the ninth house that we have built,” said Dave. “We each built a couple before we were together, but this is the sixth we’ve done together.” That sum includes three lake homes, including their feature home in this issue. There’s an old bit of wisdom which alleges some marriages are not cut out to survive the stresses of building and moving. Don’t lump Dave and Jolette in with that group. “But, I will tell you that this will be the last one,” he says, sharing a burst of laughter with Jolette. After catching her breath, Jolette adds, “It does get harder, though.” “The internet makes it harder,” he agrees. “There’s too many choices!”
Finding a Lot
The couple’s previous lake home stood on Big Cormorant Lake, a few miles west of Detroit Lakes. It was part of a planned unit development that shared common shoreline and access on the lake.
“We had a beautiful home there, and we loved it,” says Jolette. Over time, however, the hustle and bustle of the growing community on Big Cormorant got them thinking about finding a lot that offered a little more peace and quiet, with its own lakeshore. So in 2018, they decided to sell and build again. At the time, the couple made their permanent home in Fargo. Not long after they found a buyer for the Big Cormorant home, they attended a graduation party back in their Fargo neighborhood. While visiting, the topic
98 Lake & Home Magazine MARCH / APRIL 2021
of their lake home came up, and they broke the news of the pending sale and their plan to build in a new location. One of their neighbors piped up at that point, suggesting that they build next to him on Big McDonald Lake, near Dent, Minn. He explained that he and his wife owned two adjacent lots and had decided to sell the second one. The Oligs already knew the spot well. Close friends of theirs owned the home on the