As I stated in my original posting on "How to buy lakefront property" I have a list of criteria that may be used when considering the purchase of a lakefront or waterfront home. In the second posting in this series I discussed the location of the property in relation to the sun. Now, let’s talk about PARKING.

 When you cruise the Portage Lakes system in your boat, you are getting the "front door" view of each property. The front yard is considered to be the lakefront side, while the back yard is the street side. Everything is geared toward the lake and the entertainment associated with lakeside living. From the lake you will see expansive decks, patios, and lots of windows.

What you normally can’t see from the lake is the parking area for that property.

In order to maximize the number of houses on the available land, lots tend to be small and narrow. Over the years most of the houses have been expanded to fit current lifestyles so that now there may be little yard left. This means that frequently there is also very little parking. Sometimes there is barely enough parking for the residents, let alone their guests.

Since entertaining goes hand in hand with lakefront living, parking for your guests becomes a real issue. When my wife and I bought our present home we knew that we needed a lot of extra parking space, which eliminated several nice prospective properties from our list of possibilities. So we kept looking until we found our present house which has a very rare and desirable parking situation. We have five lots that total up to a half acre, and enough parking for at least 20 cars.

If the property you fall in love with does not have parking adequate for your entertaining needs, all is not lost. Consider alternatives such as street parking availability, public parking lots within walking distance, community guest parking lots, and friendly neighbors who don’t mind sharing their extra parking spots in exchange for the same consideration. And for very large gatherings, some people have even gone to the extent of hiring valets to park guests’ cars in a public lot or of hiring a shuttle to transport guests to and from an off site parking lot. Plus, some of your guests may be arriving by boat.

If you are considering buying a lakefront home, watch for my next blog entry on the lot itself. If you would like to receive information on all of the available properties please email me at

 Tom@TomMcCombs.com or call me at 330-644-2413.