Continuing my discussion about buying lakefront property, we are going to take a look at the characteristics of the land itself. Several of my criteria for choosing the right property concern the lot itself; distance from the neighbors, the typography of the lot, and the amount of lake frontage.

In my previous posting on parking I mentioned that most of the lakefront lots on the Portage Lakes system are narrow, and if they aren’t it usually means that several lots have been combined. The width of the lot can be very important based on how well you can tolerate having neighbors in close proximity.

When I bought my current home, I knew that this was an important issue. In my previous waterfront home I had nice neighbors that I knew more about than I cared to. The houses were close together which meant that our outdoor entertaining areas were also close together. And since we were all lined up about the same distance from the lake as well as having close sideline set backs, our conversations were easily heard from one house to the other through open windows. If you like a lot of quiet relaxing time alone this situation might not be for you. If the more the merrier is your attitude, you will probably enjoy it.

The second lot consideration is the typography of the lot. Does it have a steep slope down to the lake or is it fairly flat? If it is steep you may have a broader lake view and possibly a walkout lower level which will optimize the square footage of the house. A steeply sloped lot usually means that it has steep steps or a steep walkway to get to your dock. Steep slopes also come with some unique landscaping challenges such as the need for retaining walls to provide adequate terraces, and ground cover rather than a difficult to mow lawn. Special provisions for handicapped accessibility might also be a consideration.

And my last lot criterion is the amount of lake frontage. Some believe that you can’t have too much lakefront footage. They will tell you all about the advantage of having a large swimming area separate from your boat docking area, a more open view, a bigger entertaining area, and possibly a more valuable lot with its attending bragging rights.

On the other hand some argue that all you really need is enough frontage for a dock to park your boat. My own lot is somewhat wedge shaped with two small lots at the lakefront connected to three other lots along the street. This affords me with just enough lake frontage to have a small swimming area and dockage for two boats with more land at the street for added parking.

Watch for my next posting on quality of construction. For more information on the Portage Lakes area, email me at

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