Orchard Lake Orchard Lake Village – Lake Homes on Orchard Lake in Oakland County

Orchard Lake is Oakland County's 3rd largest lake at 788 acres.  It is the second largest all sports lake in the county behind Cass Lake.  It is bigger than Walled Lake, Pontiac Lake, and White Lake.  If you are looking for a custom built luxury home then this may be the lake for you.  If you are looking for a small lake cottage then this is not the lake for you because there are no small lake cottages on the lake.  It is a public all sports lake but there are rules that really keep the boaters in line.  Also there is usually a sheriff boat on the lake now and then.  So it is not a crazy lake.  Max boat and jet ski speed is 40 MPH and you cannot have alcoholic beverages in boats on Orchard Lake.

There are 2 islands on the lake, Cedar Island and Apple Island.  The large island on the lake is called Apple Island.  It is owned by West Bloomfield school district and is about 35 acres in size. Chief Pontiac and the Indians once used the lake.  There were apple trees on the lake and that is why it was named Apple Island.  Orchard Lake is a Kettle Lake formed by a glacier thousands of years ago.  It is about 110 feet deep in the deepest spot.  Because it is a public lake it can get busy on the weekends and on holidays.  It has quite a few parking spots for cars and trailers at the DNR launch. 

Depending on where you live on the lake your children will go to West Bloomfield Schools or Bloomfield Hills schools.  The majority of the homes are on paved roads.  One item you need to be aware of when looking at Orchard Lake homes is that some of them sit across busy roads.  Orchard Lake Road, Commerce Rd, Pontiac Trail are busy roads.  So do a google map of the homes before you go out and see them.  It will save you time and trouble.  There is even a cut through road that connects Orchard Lake Road and Commerce Road that is called Indian Trail.  It is only a two lane road but all the homes sit across the road from the lake.   They have a small strip of grass on the lake but it is not very wide.   Because Indian Trail is a narrow two lane road it is a slow moving road so it isn't really dangerous to try to cross the road where the other 3 roads could be dangerous   ***Not all homes on these three roads are across the road.  

Most of Orchard Lake homes are on city water and sewer.  However there are some that still have not hooked up to sewers because their septic system is still working.  Some home owners also still have wells, but the majority don't.  You are going to find luxury estate homes with lots that are going to be over a half acre.  Some of the lake houses are over 1 acre and there are a few over 2 acres.  I am guessing that there is about 140 homes on the lake. 

Most of the homes on the lake are custom built homes.  Many of them are luxury homes and many of them are good size. There are just about every style of home that you can think of on the lake except lake cottages.  Here are some general characteristics of the waterfront homes on Orchard Lake.

     *   2 to 8 bedrooms

     *  2 to 11 bathrooms

     *   2 to 6+ car garages

     *  Square footage ranges from 1500 to over 15,000 square feet.  The 1500 square foot may have been torn down.  The majority of the homes are 3,000 to 6,000 square feet, but there are quite a few homes over 10,000 square feet.  

      *  Majority of the homes have basements, some walkout.  There are a few homes that are on slab or crawl spaces.

Fishing I have been told is good!

Orchard Lake St Marys a catholic boys high school owns a sizeable frontage on the lake.  They use the lake to row on, but not much more than that so it is not a negative for lake home buyers.

When buying a lake home is pays you to have the best representation possible.  A lake real estate agent that really knows the lakes will save you time.  So give me a call.  Check out all my testimonials and client reviews.  I'm good at helping clients buy and sell homes.  My cell is (248) 310-6239

                                              Russ Ravary your lakes area realtor

One of the best things about buying a lake house in Bloomfield or West Bloomfield is that you "should" get a good return on your money.  When buying a lake home it usually is a good investment if you buy right and not over spend or over build.  Lake home prices usually drop less during a correction or recession.  They seem to hold their value better.  One of the reasons is that they are just no building more lakes around metro Detroit.  The number of lakefront properties is not going to increase.  So for all those home buyers that do not want to drive hours up north or want to be close to work a SE Michigan lake home is their best option.  Demand for metro Detroit lake homes will always be strong.  They do not turn over as often as other homes.  It usually is a good investment not including that your quality of life will go up.

Click here for more real estate and information about the size of Hammond Lake in West Bloomfield.  Hammond Lake lies in both West Bloomfield and in Bloomfield.  It is just nice private non all sports lake.  If you want a lake that is all sports and the similar size then nearby Square Lake may be for you.  Learn more about West Bloomfield's lake sizes, depths, and whether it is private or public.  I have photos of the homes on the lake and of the lake itself to help you know more about the lake.  

Homes on Adams Lake in Bloomfield Michigan are going to be on a small private non all sports lake like Harris Lake homes in West Bloomfield.  If you have questions about any lake or would like to sell your home on the lake email me at yesmyrealtor@gmail.com or call me anytime.