Lakefront living only way for some

HOLDING WATER: Scott Freerksen, owner of Lakefront Living Realty, in front of his lakeside home in Mansfield. The lakefront market is stable even during economic downturns, he says. / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL PERSSON
HOLDING WATER: Scott Freerksen, owner of Lakefront Living Realty, in front of his lakeside home in Mansfield. The lakefront market is stable even during economic downturns, he says. / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL PERSSON

Born and raised along Bungay Lake in Mansfield, Scott Freerksen has a deep appreciation for and understanding of the green benefits and challenges and the emotional attachments that come with lakefront living.
So it was not surprising when after 17 years in the field of engineering, Freerksen gave up his corporate job in robotics to sell lakefront and pond-front properties for a real estate company.
In 2009 Freerksen, who calls himself “The Lake Guy,” formed his own company, Lakefront Living Realty, located on the same lake where he was raised. He employs four additional agents who also handle only lakefront and pond-front properties in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New Hampshire. He’s planning to expand to Vermont and Maine.
“Lakefront is a niche that’s provided the ability to stay steady” even during downturns in the overall real estate market, said Freerksen. “They tend to sell better when they become available and they tend to hold their value better.”
The real estate company’s online site gets 25,000 visitors a month, he said.
“There are a lot more buyers than there are properties. And all I deal with is direct lakefront homes,” he said. “About 70 percent of the stuff you Google is not really lakefront. It’s across the street or has water rights.”
Handling properties on lakes and ponds means there’s not the concern that comes with other waterfront properties affected by tidal changes, and in the longer view, the possible impact of climate change, Freerksen said.
“You do have to deal with conservation commissions because you’re a short distance from the water and it falls under the Wetlands Protection Act,” he said. “You have to be aware of issues like construction run-off, wells or septic systems and flood insurance.” Many homes on lakes or ponds were originally built as summer cottages and when homeowners make it a year-round residence, they have to deal with current building requirements.
“It used to be if you left up one wall, it could be a remodel, but now more and more towns say if it’s more than 50 percent, you have to comply with all the new regulations,” Freerksen said.
Some natural energy efficiency comes with lakefront living.
“In terms of building green on lakes and ponds, there’s almost always a constant breeze. So many homes don’t have central air conditioning and most of the time you can get away with cross-ventilation and take advantage of the breeze,” he said.
Natural light is another plus.
“We have giant windows that take advantage of the light, so it cuts down on electricity and we have a lake view,” Freerksen said. “I have double-pane windows with argon. It’s a colorless gas that allows them to be more efficient.”
Then there’s Freerksen’s toasty floor. He has radiant floor heating, which heats through water tubes running under the floor.
“Once you heat it up, it stays constant and it can make a dramatic difference – about a 10 to 50 percent savings,” he said.
The breezes and the natural light and the lifestyle on the water all add up to more than property value, he said.
“The thing about lakefront homes,” said Freerksen, “is once you get lakefront living in your blood, it’s hard not to live on a lake.”
Rene Gaudet, president of the Johnson’s Pond Civic Association in Coventry, feels the same about his property along the water.
“The pond is my front yard. I’m in a cove off Acres of Pine Road. There are tons of pine trees,” said Gaudet. “In the summer, people go water skiing or go out on their float boats – pontoon boats. It’s really nice on a summer evening.” The house Gaudet lives in on Johnson’s Pond was built in 1947 and belonged to his grandparents. Gaudet left to go into military service, but returned to his home by the water to settle down.
“It’s picturesque. I wake up in the morning and the sun is rising in front of my house. At night, the moon rises,” Gaudet said. “We get all types of birds. Occasionally, great blue herons come in.”
Putting energy back into caring for the land brings gifts. Dealing with regulations comes with the territory today, he says.
“When my house was built in 1947, there was no regard for green concerns. Then with the Clean Water Act, things changed,” he said.
“Many of the homes have septic systems. We have very strict septic constraints. For most of the septic systems, they have to be checked quarterly,” he said. “My septic system doesn’t come under that, but some of my neighbors complain that they have to pay $80 for that quarterly inspection.”
There are regulations about not making any improvements that would bring the current structure closer to the water.
“My wife would like to have a big bay window, but if it’s even a foot closer to the water, you have to apply for a variance and I just haven’t bothered,” Gaudet said.
The growth of invasive plants in the water is an issue, as with many ponds, he said.
“Phosphates from fertilizer leech into the pond and exacerbate the invasive weed problem.
Even with the invasive weeds and building and environmental regulations, homes for sale along about 17 miles of shoreline around Johnson’s Pond, also known as Flat River Reservoir, don’t stay on the market long, he said.
“You never find properties around here,” Gaudet said. “Even with a really tight economy, waterfront is always at the top of the list.” •

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