The Lake Martin MLS* shows that waterfront property sales were up again this month, when compared to 2007. In November of 2008, 6 waterfront homes were sold through the MLS as compared to 3 in the drought baked 2007 year.

I know what you’re saying  – 6 homes sold on all of Lake Martin?  Sounds wimpy to me, too.  But if you take a step back and look, this is good news.  If we compare 2008 to 2007, we now have beaten last year’s sales in 4 out of the last 5 months. In the one month (August) that we didn’t beat 07, it was a virtual tie.  Perhaps this will point to a return to a more balanced market in 2009.

However, it does not appear that total 2008 lakefront sales will beat 2007 on Lake Martin.  The first few months gave 07 an almost insurmountable lead.  At the end of November 2008 we have sold 133 versus 152 in November 2007.  Despite the late summer and fall rally, I don’t think 23 homes will be sold in December 2008 by Lake Martin agents.  I think it will be more like 5.  I hope I am wrong, though.

Check out the graph of cumulative sales:

With only 6 sales, the market did not do much to absorb the total number of waterfront homes for sale on Lake Martin.  We did have another reduction, which is great, but we still are near our 24 month high of total number of listings. In November 2008 there were 463 homes for sale, which was lower than October’s 490 but still a far cry from January 2008’s 341.

Looking forward to the 2009 real estate market, what does this mean..

To Buyers?

We still have a lot of waterfront homes and lots for sale on Lake Martin.  The buyers I talk to need help sorting through all of it.  They ask: Which are overpriced? Which are in solid neighborhoods, and which are teetering on the edge of bank trouble? Which sellers will take a lot less than their list price, and which will be tighter on it?  As a Realtor, my ability to answer these questions is how I make a living, and I certainly have a lot of opinions, backed up by the numbers, that helps a buyer spend the dollar most effectively.

To Sellers?

How will you make your Lake Martin home or lot stand out among the noise?  The market has changed, that much is obvious.  How will you react? Will you rely on the same old tired real estate tactics? Or will you realize that there is a difference? If you are thinking about selling this year, I would be honored to talk to you about your property, and develop a custom marketing plan that will include a heavy emphasis on internet marketing, supported by traditional advertising techniques.  I would be glad to share the testimonials of the satisfied clients that made 2008 my best year in real estate.

(*)Disclaimers: All of the above info was taken from the Lake Martin Area Association of Realtors Multiple Listing Service. Accuracy is not guaranteed but deemed reliable. The above does not include sales by FSBOs or developers that sell privately and not through the MLS. But, I do think that the above represents a very large majority of all sales on Lake Martin.

Related Posts:

Lake Martin Market Statistics Category

I get asked a lot about a.) how the real estate market is on Lake Martin, and b.) how I think the industry in general is going to cope with this downturn.  The answer to a.) =  slow.  The answer to b.) – I think this market will weed out most of the half hearted, hald serious realtors.  Hopefully it will also weed out the lazy and the rest of the baddies that give us such a bad rap.  If I may be so bold, I submit that to survive this market, and to improve our reputation, we all should resolve to the below.  Maybe by suggesting these, it will give ME some accountability to make sure I try to do these everyday:

Realtors Need To Copy Thomas The Tank Engine Train:

Be Helpful – Don’t treat everyone as either a “lead” or a “non-lead.” If someone calls to ask you for directions, where to rent a boat, or something seemingly unrelated to Lake Martin real estate, be nice, don’t blow them off.  Be an ambassador for the region.

Be Hardworking – we Realtors need to put in the hours it takes to help people find what they want.

Be Useful – Unlike 2005 when sellers were rare, in 2008 I think that you have to convince buyers that you can be useful to them.  You have to show them how you can help them cut through all of the inventory and save them time and money.

Don’t Be Cheeky - This is one of my favorite phrases in Thomas movies.  I just had to work this in somehow.  As much as I enjoy to try and write cleverly for this blog, maybe I should watch my cheekiness.

Form Alliances – just as Thomas formed alliances with the other vehicles in the Isle of Sodor, Lake Martin Realtors need to have a strong network of mortgage brokers, builders, subcontractors, boat people, restaurants, anything that their buyers or sellers need.

Lake Martin’s newest deli and grocery – Catherine’s Market at Russell Crossroads – officially opened on Tuesday, December 16, 2008.  I went by there today for lunch to check out the inside of the store and deli.  It was really nice, a first class operation.

As advertised, the market section had lots of cool, higher end grocery items.  The wine shop was well stocked.  I even found my favorite Rioja. I didn’t scrutinize the meat counter very closely, but I am sure that it is nice.

The deli was rippin and roarin. It was covered up with Russell Lands sales agents and employees.  I also saw 2 or 3 tables worth of people that drove down from Alex City, including Mr. Ben himself, one of my fourth grade teachers, and a lady we’ve gone to church with for decades.  That’s one thing I like about Lake Martin, I always bump into friends wherever I am eating lunch.

I played it pretty safe and selected the stacked ham sandwich on wheat with pasta salad.  It was good.  A friend got the 1/2 and 1/2 – the soup of the day was some sort of seafood bisque, which he really liked.  You order at the deli counter and then go and sit down, they bring you the food.  It took about 15 minutes for them to serve it, which I guess wasn’t bad for their first week.  With a sweet tea, I was in and out of there for about $11.00, which is comparable to another one of my Lake Martin favorites, Green Valley Market & Cafe.

My only criticism is that I detected some sort of flavor to the sweet tea, like a peach or fruit or some sort of whang.  It  definitely has some sort of fancy angle to it, to which I am morally opposed.  Just give me some straight up tea, please.  If you want to get fruity on me, please put it in a separate dispenser and let me know ahead of time.  Admittedly, I am a purist, a stickler for good sweet tea, so maybe I am on the fringes of opinion here.  But this is a relatively tiny complaint when put against the entire experience. It really was nice, clean, well run, and tasted good.  I expected all kinds of problems as this is their third day in biz.  None such.  Very professional.

Meat Counter:

Fresh veggie aisle:

Lunch menu:

I wish them the best.  I think they are a great addition to the Lake Martin area, I am sure to be back in the future.

Click here for the Catherine’s Market menu

And here for the back of Catherine’s Market menu

Also see:

All of the pics I took of Catherine’s Market, and my entire collection of web photo albums on Picassa, including waterfront property on Lake Martin that I have for sale.

Since I have a waterfront lot listed for sale in Lake Martin’s The Ridge, I get a lot of questions about the various amenities of the Ridge. One of the huge benefits to owning a waterfront home or town home in the Ridge is access to all of the “stuff.”

Though I have been in the neighborhood countless times, I had never been by road to The Ridge’s Beach Park before yesterday.  It was really nice, it has a big covered pavilion, changing / rest rooms, and, of course, a big beach.  The water view is of Lake Martin icons Chimney and Acapulco Rock Islands.

While I was there, I also hiked a bit on some Ridge Trails (download a map). The developer, Russell Lands, has done a really nice job about incorporating off the water features here.  There are tons of mulch lined trails through the woods, that explore common areas and various other parks in the Ridge.

One example is Red Oak Trail and Hickory Hill Trail, I took these down to Hidden Park.  Hidden Park has its own gazebo, boardwalk, and fishing pier.  It was really nice and peaceful.  Now that the leaves are down, you can sit up on the gazebo and get a nice view of woods and water of Lake Martin.

If trail hiking is not your thing, you can stick to the sidewalks.  There are many of those around The Ridge, too.  Check out my video of the morning:

If you are interested, see my listing info for Lot 72 The Ridge.

Related Posts:

The Ridge Amenities Video Tour
Lake Martin Voice Neighborhood Spotlight: The Ridge

Between my cashed in kitchen passes and Thanksgiving break, it has been a while since my last post.  I tried to keep the Lake Martin Voice “A” students informed with my Twitter updates, which are visible at the bottom right margin.  I am enjoying using my Twitter account as a micro blog, a way to quickly update the world or link in to interesting articles or info from other bloggers.

Over Thanksgiving I mostly stayed away from the computer. I caught up on reading the WSJ.  I helped my kids swing on a vine in the woods. I read a bunch of good books about Alabama and the greater Lake Martin area.  It was glorious.  As a side note, I have created a Lake Martin Voice Library page.  Here I will post links to various books that I think the average fan of Lake Martin would like.  I promise to keep it on point, refusing to indulge myself with too many books on too many topics.  I will try to limit it to a.) Lake Martin history, and b.) real estate in general.  If any of you have any suggestions, please leave a comment on the Library page and help us all out.

You out of towners should consider a visit to your Lake Martin home in between now and Christmas.  If you have never been here when the leaves are gone, you’re missing a treat.  Everything looks different (in a good way).  Almost no one is here, so it is incredibly peaceful.  Plus there are some things going on like opening of Catherine’s Market at Russell Crossroad, and shopping in downtown Alex City.

Cloud Nine -  Downtown Alex City Shopping, Lake Martin

I realize that every small town in America is pimping their downtown revitalization, but I submit that Main Street Alex City is on the right track.  Just about every building (with some notable exceptions) has been redone inside and out.  Carlisle’s Drugstore – the iconic spot where you can get a scrip filled and eat an egg salad sandwich or a chili dog – did a great job.  Henry Foy has a great little wine store, and is expanding into his own renovation.

Another huge surprise is the renovation of the old Queen’s Attic Antiques building by Dr. Larry Tuggle.  he gutted the entire place and transformed it in to a Bourbon Street – esque town experience, complete with cobblestones and clocks.  He created little micro stores inside, which play home to many little local vendors.  It is really cool.

Some pics:

From Downtown Alex City Shopping, Lake Martin

Note all the wrought ironwork:

each mini store is unique:

From Downtown Alex City Shopping, Lake Martin