For decades, second-home ownership in the Lake George basin followed a familiar script. You bought your waterfront piece of paradise, enjoyed it through the summer, and when autumn hit, you handed the keys to a single local caretaker or "handyman." They drove by occasionally, plowed the driveway in winter, and were the person you called when a pipe leaked or a storm rolled through. That pinch point no longer works and is a liability nightmare.

Everything you need to know to care for your lake house on Lake George, New York.