You would think it would be easy to define what Big Bear lakefronts are. But from time to time in certain places, there is some gray area surrounding the definition of what a lakefront property actually is. If a Big Bear home has an easement to access a dock on the lake, but whose actual property line does not touch the water, should that make that property technically a lakefront? What if your property has a dock right across the street with no private property between said home and the dock with only a public street separating the two? Is that a lakefront?
Per the local MLS rules, Big Bear homes for sale must have part of their property directly in contact with the lake to be considered a lakefront. So in both the aforementioned scenarios, neither of these homes would be considered a lakefront per the MLS definition.
If you are looking at Big Bear lakefronts for sale and are using the local MLS search to do so, your inquiries will not bring up homes that have easements to the lake or homes that are directly across from the lake with uninhibited lake access. Manytimes, buyer see these "non-lakefronts" as being just as desirable as "true lakefronts" per the MLS definition.
Case in point, the current listing at 39006 Willow Landing is a 3 bed, 1.75 nicely remodeled 1715 square foot lakefront home with a two car garage located directly across from scenic Boulder Bay. The dock to this house is directly across the street with the boat dock less than 20 feet away from the property itself. Yet because you have to cross a rarely travelled access road to access the dock, it is not listed as a lakefront in the MLS. This home has the great views and lake access that most other lakefronts have, yet technically speaking, doesn't fit the definition.
If you are looking at lakefront homes in Big Bear, you might want to make sure you are looking at homes that have all the advantages of a lakefront but perhaps don't have a property line touching the water. Manytimes these homes provide the opportunity to buy for all intents and purposes a lakefront but at a discount from the typical lakefront pricing.