What You’ll Find
The numerous lakes, streams and cranberry bogs running through Medford serve to define many of its residential communities, with neighborhoods named for the lakes they surround, including Centennial Lake, where some of the largest homes are found. Other lake communities are dotted with log cabin-style homes, but not as many as are in Medford Lakes, a separate municipality that sits like a doughnut hole in the middle of Medford Township.
Regarding the log cabins, Ms. George, the Weichert agent, said: “People either love them or hate them. They have to decide if they can live with the inconveniences in exchange for all that charm.”
While log cabins may not suit all tastes, many buyers express interest in lakefront properties, which aren’t easy to come by, said Ms. George, noting that “when people have something on the lake, they don’t get rid of it.” Most of the lake communities have their own associations, giving neighborhood residents who join access to the lake beaches and clubhouses.
With its wooded pockets and open farmlands, Medford has avoided some of the excessive development of nearby townships like Cherry Hill and Mount Laurel, although it has been a struggle to keep it that way, said Mr. Watson, the mayor. Since 1970, the township’s population has tripled, and the state’s continuing mandate to build more affordable homes has triggered lawsuits and much debate in Medford. To comply with the latest negotiated settlement, the township is adding 1,000 new homes, about a quarter of which will be affordable housing, the mayor said.
“I wish that none of those houses had to be built and it could have remained farmland,” said Mr. Watson, 64, a lifelong township resident. “While I’m not happy about all this development, it’s a lot less than what we were once facing. We did the best we could.”
