Though not technically on Lake Martin, Tallassee’s Hotel Talisi has been a regional attraction for decades, until early this month.  It was destroyed by an alleged arson.

The new owners of Hotel Talisi have apparently lost everything, and are in need of our help.  A donation fund has been set up by one of the members of lakemartin.com forum.

If you would like to help out, please send any donation to:

Bodenburg/Shores Fund
c/o Banktrust
P.O. Box 780607
Tallassee, AL 36078
(334) 283-7000

Any donation will help.  According to this post on the forum, “It is a total loss…..Some really great local folks put a lot of work into refurbishing it. It caught fire from a building behind which caught fire. A wonderful couple who moved from Minnesota were living in and managing the hotel. They got out with their lives Thank GOD, however, they have lost everything including their jobs and insurance.”

Thanks!

Coverage of the fire in the Montgomery Advertiser:

1. Tallassee plans meeting on downtown area Thursday Thu Dec 10, 2009

   Tallassee will hold a town hall meeting Thursday evening to discuss the future of the city’s downtown. A fire destroyed the Hotel Talisi on Nov. 30. The landmark was considered the anchor of downto… more…

2. Juvenile in custody, charged in Tallassee blaze Wed Dec 9, 2009

   A 17-year-old male remains in custody for his involvement in last week’s early morning blaze that swept through the city’s downtown area and eventually destroyed Hotel Talisi, one of Tallassee’s ma… more…

3. Juvenile may be charged as adult in Hotel Talisi fire Wed Dec 2, 2009

   The Elmore County district attorney’s office wants to charge as an adult a juvenile accused of starting the fire that destroyed the historic Hotel Talisi. If the juvenile is tried as an adult, the … more…

4. Blaze destroys Tallassee icon Wed Dec 2, 2009

   One of Tallasee’s most historic landmarks was destroyed by an early-morning blaze that swept through the city’s downtown area on Monday. An effort by more than 100 firefighters from nine different … more…

5. Investigators: Hotel Talisi fire began to cover up burglary Tue Dec 1, 2009

   TALLASSEE – Investigators believe a fire that destroyed a landmark hotel in east Alabama was started to hide a burglary in a nearby business. A spokesman with the state fire marshal’s office, Ragan… more…

Bailey Jones‘ book Growing Up tells you nothing you need to know to enjoy Lake Martin, but in it he tells you everything that you should feel if you really love it.

A couple of months ago, I got on a kick to read a bunch of history related books about Lake Martin.  I even went so far as to create Lake Martin Voice Library.  There are quite a few good ones out there that go into much rich detail about the land before the lake, the Indians, the settlers, and the people that developed it after the dam.

Sandwiched in between those readings, I returned again and again to a privately published collection – Growing Up by Bailey Jones.

I had heard of him before. I used to look forward to reading his column every month in Lake Martin Living. To me, it was a highlight of the magazine.  So you can imagine my pleasure to secure a copy of this book, a collection of some of his more popular columns.  At first I figured his quick reads would supply a brief palette cleanse in between chapters of history.  Yet I found myself sneaking more reading time on Bailey’s book instead of doing my homework.

I have been writing this blog for a couple of years now, and some of my more complimentary friends joke that I am the Garrison Keillor of Lake Martin.  Hogwash.   My writing stinks in comparison.

I say Bailey Jones is the Garrison Keillor of Lake Martin, except without the nose whistle and constant references to Scandinavian superiority.  Plus, I doubt Keiller has any real skilz like catching frogs and running from responsibility, getting stuck and unstuck in red clay mud.  Has Keillor known both the impotent feeling when the outboard won’t crank, and the Ragnar the Viking like thrill when it roars to life, when you have to hang on to the jon boat with one hand and steer with the other?

I think it’s relatively easy to spin fictional fables about the frozen north.  Give me a writer who can catch ring necks, get out of yard work, conquer wasps, scare weaklings in the dark, and take a good nap.

That’s why it doesn’t matter where you like to go on Lake Martin, you will see yourself in Bailey’s childhood memories. His book isn’t filled with location specific stories.  In fact, I only figured out where his cabin was by reading a (now timely) piece about the original Catherine’s.

It doesn’t really matter that you currently own or rent a place on the lake. If you read this book, and have taken it personally when you don’t catch fish, or have known the pride of a decent TV antenna giving you clear reception in otherwise bandless lands, then you will smile and nod as you read.

His dedication to boredom, to doing absolutely nothing, is chief among his wise advice. That’s what I loved the most about going to the lake when I was young, was the nothing.  I guess now “experts” would call it time for creativity.  Whatever.  But Jones gets the fact that the most fun, the richest experiences are gained when nothing is going on.  Do you want a total immersion experience? Why travel to France when it’s available in Elmore County?

When I was growing up, especially in my post teenage years, we Coleys tested each of my new girlfriends (such as they were) and my sisters’ boyfriends by one simple rule – do they love the lake? If we sensed any sort of hesitation about swimming in the lake, they were out.  If they did not absolutely swear that the Blounts put on the best fireworks show, they were traitors.  If they so much as raised an eyebrow at The Herculon and Kelvinator, well, they never got a second chance. Sure, it was an extreme standard.  But Jones gets it, and I hope he would approve.

I could go on and on, but I guess I would risk over-hype.  I will say this – buy the book.  Go to Bailey Jones’ website here and order it.  When I scrape together some more advertising dollars, I will be buying 10 more copies.  In all the Lake Martin homes I tour, I have never seen this one sitting on the coffee table.  I’d like to think that those who are in the know, and own the book, have it sitting, well read and well loved, on their bedside table.

Just don’t buy the book if you want to know about the number of miles of shoreline on Lake Martin, or who won the Miss Wind Creek contest in 1954.  He doesn’t tell you.

What he does tell you, is the why of Lake Martin.  To me, that’s all you need to know.

Contrary to the doom and gloom peddlers, there ARE people out there looking to buy real estate right now, even in a  second home, waterfront, luxury market like Lake Martin, Alabama.

If a buyer is hesitant, a common objection I hear is they say “I don’t think the  Lake Martin real estate market is at the bottom yet” or an even more abstract “I think prices are going to come down.”  This is usually followed by the inevitable “I’m going to wait and buy at the bottom.”

OK.

Good luck.

Maybe you can do it, but I give you about a 1% chance of success.

Why not?  Here are 3 quick reasons why Lake Martin buyers will miss the bottom:

1. If Lake Martin sellers missed “the top” in 2006, what makes you think you can pick the bottom? Lately I have been meeting with a lot of potential sellers.  Almost every one of them lamented that they should have sold in 2006. What’s ironic is that many of the sellers whom I met with in 2006 declined to sell, saying that they wanted to wait one more year to get some appreciation.  They didn’t see the 2007 drought or the 2008 national real estate meltdown coming.  Neither did I.  The seller’s market did not last forever, and neither will this buyer’s market.  Newsflash – supply and demand always prevails.

2.  When / if the market hits the bottom, how will you know? If you ask, what day saw the lowest value (relative to GDP) for one share of IBM stock in the last 20 years, I have a definite answer.  But if you ask the same question about Joe Smith’s home on 123 Lake street, it’s impossible to know.  Each share of IBM stock is the same. But not every Lake Martin home is the same.  One might smell like cat pee.  The other might be near where you learned to ski.   Both of these things tangibly contribute to the calculation of value to a buyer and seller.  Try to graph that one.

3. Timing “the market” is almost impossible in ANY market – because we are all humans and therefore imperfect. Picking a perfect bottom or top is almost impossible in any market, be it for ligers or lake homes.  I am not talking about saying “I knew that lake homes prices were getting too high” – I am talking about telling me the EXACT day and the EXACT price at which to sell.  Don’t tell me “I knew Google would be a winner” – show me your receipts from the IPO when everyone was laughing at the geeks and suckers paying $85 / share.

Here are some quotes from a few of the many people who are smarter and more experienced than I am:

“Ignore market timers, Wall Street strategists, technical analysts, and bozo journalists who make market predictions…Admit to your therapist that you can’t beat the market. Investors would also benefit by remembering this simple phrase: trading is hazardous to your wealth.”
- Jonathan Clements, Columnist, Wall Street Journal

“I am fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful.”
- Warren Buffet, A Guy Who Is Way Richer Than You

“After nearly fifty years in this business, I do not know of anybody who has done it [market timing] successfully, and consistently. I don’t even know anybody who knows anybody who has done it successfully and consistently. Legendary investor Bernard Baruch said it best: “Only liars manage to always be out during bad times and in during good times.”
- John C. Bogle, Sr., Former Chairman & Founder, The Vanguard Group

SO WHAT?

Am I recommending throwing out all logic and making real estate decisions with the heart?

Of course not.

I am merely saying that if you wait until every talking head in America says it’s OK to buy real estate again, it will be too late.  At that point, we will be on the verge of another bubble bursting.  If now is not a good time for you to buy on Lake Martin, OK. No problem.  Just don’t let Matt Lauer be the one to make your decision for you.

Agree? Disagree?  Leave a reply and let me hear about it.  Click on the Comments link and let’s talk.

CNBC re-ran the story on HealthSouth founder and former CEO Richard Scrushy – On a show called “American Greed.”  Not exactly the sort of bio that any businessman wants.

Every story I have ever read or watched about Scrushy inevitably mentions his “Lake Martin mansion.” Don’t get me wrong, it is a mansion all right.  By almost anyone’s standards.

I don’t know if it is the biggest home on Lake Martin. I know of one that may be larger by square feet. But it is up there. His home is located inside the gates of Willow Point, one of Lake Martin’s most exclusive communities.

That home wasn’t his only dealings on Lake Martin. Scrushy also developed a neighborhood called Marina Marin (apparently his middle name is Marin) – off of Highway 50 on the south side of the lake. While not as upscale as Willow Point, it is pretty nice itself; former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville owns a home there.

I can see why CEO types such as Scrushy enjoy Lake Martin.  You have relative anonymity, unless you rip around in a loud speedboat like he used to do.  Plus, coming from Atlanta and Nashville, executives see a relative bargain in the homes, where $500,000 gets you a very nice home and $1 million is close to the top of the market.

Would you like to browse around Lake Martin homes for sale? Click here for my home search, it includes all realtors and brokerages that participate in the Lake Martin MLS.  For my exclusive listings, go here.  If you see anything you like, give me a shout.

Related Posts:

For everything I have written on Scrushy, see Scrushy Category

My family recently moved to a new-to-us home (fyi my “old” home sold in 2 days).  The new home is on a septic tank system, whereas the old one was tied in to the sewer system of the City of Montgomery.  This got me to thinking about a claim my father has long made, that is, those “flushable” wipes they sell these days may be flushable, but they are bad for septic systems as they do not properly disintegrate like toilet paper does.

I did some research, then an experiment.  The results made me immediately think about homeowners on Lake Martin, as I would hazard a guess that 99% of waterfront homes on Lake Martin are on some sort of septic system.

THE EXPERIMENT:  Do “flushable” wipes degrade like toilet paper?

Modus: Following the suggestion from this site, I took 3 separate Tupperware boxes, filled them halfway with water. In one I placed a ball of our walmart brand toilet paper (as a control to disintegration).  In another I put 1 walmart brand flushable wipe. In the last I put 1/2 a square of our walmart brand paper towel (as a control to non-disintegration).  I put the tops on, and  shook all of them vigorously.

Results: The TP dissolved immediately.  The wipe did not, nor did the paper towel.  I even left them overnight in their containers, hoping time would help.  Alas, the next morning, it was the same story.  The wipe was as strong as the proverbial new rope.  Check the pics, the wipe is to the left, paper towel on right:

here is another, hanging the paper towel thing.  Again, the wipe is on the left.

Application: I guess this means that I cannot in good conscience flush these wipes into my septic system.  If they don’t dissolve, that means they will eventually clog up my septic tank, causing an overflow of poo into my yard, and an expensive visit from the septic guy.  But I really like these wipes.  Their fresh, sanitary use has taken us all to a new hygienic level.  As Jerry Seinfeld is to Coach Class Airfare, I can’t go back.  I won’t.  So what to do?

Guerrilla Septic Tank Tactics

Here are some ways to continue using the wipes without endangering your system.  Be warned, these are for hardcore hackers only.

1. Go at work – This is the optimal situation.  You can keep your wipes at your desk, cubicle, or in your lunch pail or purse. Whatever.  Once you learn to disregard the severe social stigma of being one of “those people” that goes at work, you are home free.  They are probably on a sewer system there anyway.  If not, what better way to stick it to “the man,” right?

2. Go at your neighbors’ – Notice I said “your system” above.  Perfectly OK to affect the other guy’s yard as long as they are downhill from you. We live in a society where it’s all about ME anyway.  This is just a logical extension of that admired ME FIRST attitude.  Carry your wipes hidden in your pocket and slip in unnoticed when they’re cutting the grass or doing something altruistic.

3. Go at the new guy’s home – Corollary to #2 above.  When the new family moves in to the neighborhood, drop by in the guise of the welcome wagon and go for it.  They don’t know you yet so they are blind to your true motive.  Offer the housewarming gift in one hand, in the other you are palming your wipes.  In the frenzy of opening the gift, they won’t notice if you slip off for a minute.

4. Go on the way home from work - establish a route that goes by some sewer friendly friends.

5. Go on the way to Lake Martin – again, do your research and pick your spots.  Encourage all family members to be proactive so that there is no need to go during your stay.  If you are diligent in 1 – 4 above, you can avoid stressing your lake home’s system.

6. If you gotta go at the lake – see 2 and 3 above.  Just apply it to your Lake Martin neighbors.

I guess if you are not a true guerrillero or a hacker, and can’t do the above, you can go at home, and just pay the $150 +/- to have your system pumped every couple of years, or however often your septic professional recommends.  Because if you are using these wipes, chances are good that you are heading towards a blockage.

I was over in the Pleasure Point area the other day, going by two homes for sale that I have listed over there. One is on Claytons Lane and the other in on Captains Road.

If you are ever riding around in that section of Blue Creek, off of Tallapoosa County Road 34, you might find it interesting that there is an old cemetery off of, you guessed it, Old Cemetery Road.

I snapped these pics:

Here are some closeups:

And one last one:

If you do happen by there, BE CAREFUL.  Proceed at your own risk.

To continue the post I did yesterday on Lake Martin’s  Deadening Alpine Trail, I wanted to include these photos of the Cherokee Ridge Trail.

The Cherokee Ridge Trail is also maintained by the (duh) Cherokee Ridge Alpine Trail Association.  Its trailhead is on the Scenic Overlook, on Overlook Drive off of Highway 50, just east of Martin Dam.  It’s kind of near Ghost Hollow and Whiskey Ridge if you know where they are.

The Scenic Overlook offers stupendous views of Lake Martin, looking west, all the way to Kowaliga Bridge, with a little bit of a vision to the south (Martin Dam) and the northeast towards Chimney Rock. If you ever want to get a sense of the VASTness of Lake Martin, head here.  Take a picnic, there are lots of little tables and lots of paved parking.  From there you can drive down to Martin Dam (if the road is open) and check out the Dam close up.

The Cherokee Ridge Trail is actually a system of trails. There are 3 that can be accessed here, The Cherokee Ridge Alpine Loop, The Chimney Rock, and the Kowaliga Bay Trails.  Depending on how you hike it, you can take a 1 mile up to 7 mile hike.

The trailhead is similar to the one on Deadening Alpine Trail in that you have a little sign in box and can borrow a staff if desired. Be sure to sign in so that they have an accurate count of visitors.

As on all trails, please be careful and proceed at your own risk. This particular trail gives spectacular views, especially in the winter and fall when the leaves are changing colors or have no leaves so you can really see the water.

Related Post:

Deadening Alpine Trail

The Annual Lake Martin Cleanup portion of the Renew Our Rivers program will be held this Saturday, June 7, 2008.

Renew Our Rivers is a joint effort between Alabama Power and the Middle Tallapoosa Clean Water Partnership.  If you pitch in and help, you’ll get a free T shirt and all sorts of other cool swag.  Plus you get the satisfaction of helping keep Lake Martin clean.

How long have you just ridden by that old air conditioner that’s laying in the woods just off the road to your cabin? What about that fast food bag that someone threw out last Labor Day?  How long do you actually plan to keep those 4 silver bubble floats that have been punctured since 1991?

Depending on your location, sometimes it’s hard to find legitimate places to dump trash around Lake Martin.  So if you have procrastinated cleaning up because you didn’t know where a dump was, here’s your chance to do a good deed and get a T shirt to boot.

Here is some more info taken from this article in the Outlook:

“Collection sites will be Dare Park, Real Island Boat Ramp, Kowaliga Boat Ramp and the Alexander City Coley Creek Boat Ramp. The event begins at 8 a.m. with Alabama Power giving volunteers t-shirts, plastic gloves and trash bags at each collection point.

Last year, the Lake Martin Cleanup Day saw 167 volunteers collect 6.17 tons of trash.”

Why not go ahead and sign up for the Poker Run to benefit the Sherriff’s Girls’ Ranch so that you’ll have something to do after the cleanup?  It’s sponsored by 93.9 FM – call 334–887–9999 for more details.

Related posts:

How To Get One Up On Lake Martin Wannabes

The Ridge Marina on Lake Martin hosted its In Water Boat Show for 2008 last weekend. I went down there on Thursday and filmed a little video footage of the Marina. It was a beautiful day, albeit windy. I was going to post this on Friday to give folks a chance to look around before they came. So by posting this today, I guess it becomes a “in case you missed it” vlog.

Russell Marine had a lot of boats out for show. There were also a lot of homes for sale in the Ridge that were open for touring, as well as some townhomes in The Ledges at The Ridge for sale.

A couple of Sundays ago found us at Willow Point eating lunch to celebrate my Moms birthday. We ate lunch in the Willow Point Clubhouse, which overlooks the golf course, and of course, Lake Martin. I had my camera with me, and it was such a beautiful day, I thought to take a few photos.

Why do most Lake Martin lovers wait until Memorial Day to come to the lake? Beats me. Springtime has great weather “ plenty of sun and temps in the low 70s. What a beautiful day. Enjoy:

Willow Points 18th green:

Willow Points Driving Range:

The tee box on number 10, one of the holes that play along Lake Martin:

Willow Point Villas (available for rent by members):

The Pool & Cabana: