Where We Live: Easy living and private pond in Governor’s Land
The property where Earl and Gail Hopgood chose to build their future home was the odd duck out in the neighborhood back in 2001.
Whereas most of the lots in the Barrets Pointe section of Governor’s Land were large and right on the river, the Hopgood’s was smaller but situated on a pond a stone’s throw away from their deck.
“We were meant to have it,” said Earl. The size suited the couple perfectly since they were looking to downsize, and the pond became a huge feature of the home.
To say the pond is near the house is an understatement. The proximity to the water means the couple can go fishing right from their deck. The Hopgood’s grandchildren and guests regularly fish for bass.
“People are shocked when they come here and they walk out to the backyard because from the road you don’t get any sense of what’s back here,” Earl said. “My friends joke and call it Lake Earl.”
It may have been a stroke of luck that led the Hopgoods to the unique lot, but the house they built on it was all their doing. After interviewing a few of the neighborhood’s preferred builders, they settled on Scott Cleckley.
“We picked Cleckley because we liked his style,” Earl said. “We didn’t know it at the time, but he builds a very quality house. In places that builders typically use wood, he uses steel. It’s just a very solidly built house.”
Governor’s Land offers a variety of luxury homes — Federal, Colonial, Georgian, and Cape Cod – to appeal to the genial mix of empty-nesters/retirees and young families that call it home. Located seven miles from Colonial Williamsburg, at the junction of the James and Chickahominy rivers, it encompasses more than 1,400 acres, sixty percent of which are dedicated green space, including 200 acres of shoreline and a wildlife sanctuary.
Read more about Governor’s Land here
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Psst, I’m a real estate agent.
This post was authored by local resident and REALTOR, John Womeldorf. John is known around town as Mr. Williamsburg, for both his extensive knowledge of the Williamsburg/ Hampton Roads area and his expertise helping buyers and sellers in the local real estate market.
If you are a homeowner searching for someone innovative to sell your home I would love to share my thoughts on marketing. You can read some of the stories I have written about the homes I have sold here.
Additionally, I have helped hundreds of folks find their dream home/ community and would love to help you find yours in Williamsburg, Yorktown, New Kent, VA Beach, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Isle of Wight Poquoson as well as Richmond.
You can reach me by phone at 757-254-8136 or email [email protected]
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