7409 River Rd, Fredericksburg, VA 22407

I spoke to the owner today as I was deciding what to write here. I was drinking a cup of coffee and planned to ask her a few questions about the property. Soon I realized it was impossible to describe this home without describing our conversation. They used the lower level as an in-law suite but it would work well for an entertainment space for older children. The same was true of the walk up attic. "It would make a great craft room", she said. I had questions like these about how the owners used the space but quickly the conversation turned to how much they loved and would miss the home. In the summers their grandchildren learned to fish in the lake. They would take the john boat out or float in tubes and spend the hotter days swimming. The lake is 2 acres and fully stocked with Large Mouth Bass, Brim, and Catfish. It feels like a place you would go on a retreat or a vacation with the multiple decks and a walking trail to the river. They used to carry canoes from the house to the 131 feet of river water front and set out from there. There is an outside shower to keep sand out of the house. In the winter they would set out hay bales and sled down the hill next to the home. Once During the holidays they walked the 24 acres to find a pine tree for the house. Kids love the creek that runs out from the lake she told me. "It would be perfect for someone who loves gardening, " she said. She's right. The raised gardens, the ivy, the holly, the crape myrtles alive with butterflies and hummingbirds- there is something blooming in all seasons here. They planned it that way. "Maybe a bird watcher will buy it, " I said thinking about the bald eagles, the ducks and geese, gold finches, purple martins that live in the boxwoods, and the heron they sometimes see fishing in the lake beside them. The home is unique: sitting right off the lake so most window views are of water or woods. The kitchen was recently remodeled and when I walked the house I should have been noticing the heart pine floors, the upgraded counters, the pickle pine cabinets, or the abundance of seating with bar stools around the island and kitchen nook. But my attention was drawn to the bay window looking out at the lake. That's the thing, the scenery tugs at you. The home is open and light filled. It's private while also being just a few minutes from Wegmans Grocery Store and Downtown Fredericksburg. The master bath is impressively modern with a fireplace built in and standing shower. The closets are large and the rooms are mostly oversized. The living room masonry fireplace keeps everything cozy while the cathedral ceilings widen the space. The master is large and fits a king easily but still feels homey. They have replaced the back windows recently and they have set up a line to the grill so no tanks are ever needed. The crawl space was renovated in 2019, the kitchen in 2020. There's a second kitchen in the basement. There is even a waterfall that empties into the lake. All of this is amazing and beautifully designed but that's not what you notice. "We had a wedding reception here, " she tells me. I can see it. A tent on one of the decks and the main level rooms can be arranged in any configuration to accommodate a large crowd. What you notice is the quiet, I think to myself. You notice the quiet and the nature surrounding you. The owner tells me she watches fawns playing in the lake sometimes. "You see different animals at different times. Coffee in the morning and wine at night and the animals are always different. We'll miss this place, " she says. I would too.