Lake Martin Voice Realty
Archive for the 'Developments' Category
Neighborhood Spotlight: The Landing at the Rock on Lake Martin
The Landing at the Rock is a waterfront development on Lake Martin. It was formerly called Karis Park, and is across the water from another Lake Martin development: The Village at Lake Martin. Both of these neighborhoods have a central-eastern lake location.
I shot this video from The Village to give you an overall look at the neighborhood. I’m not the listing agent for The Landing (Butch Billingsley is), but I can help you find a home in this neighborhood, or any property in the Lake Martin Area MLS. Just give me a call or contact me using the “Contact” tab at the top of this page. I’d love to help.
Enjoy the tour!
Lake Martin Real Estate Spotlight: Windermere West
Windermere West – off of Windermere Road on Lake Martin – is a Russell Lands waterfront development that was started in the early 1990s.
It had two phases, and about 236 waterfront lots. The typical Windermere West lot is well wooded, and deep – most homes are not easily seen from the road. Because it is off of Windermere Road and close to highway 63, it is close to the Russell Crossroads town center.
Windermere West is a great mix between town and country, for lack of a better phrase. They have Covenants and Restrictions to protect the homeowners’ rights of development. They have 2 landscaped entrances for aesthetics. But, they don’t have amenities such as a clubhouse, pool, or walking trails. Windermere West does not have its own sewer system, each home has its own septic system. Depending on your wants and needs, that could be good news. The upside is that Windermere West has a relatively minuscule HOA fee – currently $20 a month, same as it has been since 1991.
Here’s the first entrance from Windermere Road:
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Windermere West Parkway:
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There is an old cemetery right across from the second entrance
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Would you like to buy a home in Windermere West? Contact me, I would be glad to help. There aren’t many undeveloped lots left, but there are a few for sale. Call me at the number at the top of the page, I can help you find the best deals.
Video Tour Of The Ridge – Beach Park, Ridge Trails
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
Amenities Of The Ridge, Lake Martin
I am working with a couple of buyers in The Ridge, a Russell Lands development in Lake Martin. I always get asked lots of questions about the amenities at the Ridge, so I thought I would shoot a video to show some of them.
Basically, if you own a home, a lot, or a town-home in the Ridge, you have the right to access all of the amenities, like the pool, the Ridge Club, the tennis courts, walking trails, boat launch, and Beach Club. The Ridge Marina is public, but of course easily accessed by Ridge owners.
Here is the video:
I should have shot more footage of all the walking trails and sidewalks of the Ridge, a lot of people like to use them. Maybe it’s material for a future video.
Properties for sale in The Ledges at The Ridge:
276 Ledges Trail (click here for property description)
here is a video tour of the townhome:
Related Posts:Lake Martin Real Estate Spotlight: The Ridge
Lake Martin Real Estate Spotlight: The Ridge Update
Lake Martin Real Estate Spotlight: Trillium
Trillium, one of Russell Lands’ more mature Lake Martin developments, is located just west of Kowaliga Marina. Along with Willow Point and The Ridge, Trillium has some of the more high end homes on Lake Martin.
Trillium was one of Russell Lands’ first neighborhoods that were completed in different phases. The first homes were built there around 1989. One element that was new to Lake Martin at the time was Russell Lands’ use of causeway construction.
Years of erosion on Lake Martin had made islands out of former peninsula. Russell Lands poured a lot of money in the construction of causeways to bring paved roads and utilities, thereby rescuing millions of dollars of real estate. I can remember one such “island” on the first phase. It was divided into four huge lots and priced at $250,000 each. It was laughingly dubbed “million dollar island” by hordes of us skeptical locals. We pondered “what fool would pay that much for one lot?” Eighteen years later, that amount will barely buy you any sort of waterfront lot, much less a showcase one like those on the points at Trillium. Turns out that we were the fools for not realizing the demand that would spur a long bull run for Lake Martin property. Lots like those would now cost you 10 times that amount if you could buy them at all.
By my unofficial count, there are 213 waterfront lots in all of Trillium. As of this writing, there are 8 homes and 4 lots for sale in Trillium in the Lake Martin MLS. If you would like any information on them, give me a call or email me.
Amenities:
Trillium does not have a clubhouse. It does have a guardhouse protecting the lone entry, but I have never seen a guard there. I suppose they could put someone there in the future if they wanted.
Because Trillium doesn’t have a clubhouse, it does not have any related things like a pool or workout center or anything. They do have some walking trails that are cut through the non-waterfront woods.
Lot types:
Waterfront lots in Trillium are flat. Just as many of the lots in The Ridge (link) are sloped, Trillium’s overall topography almost guarantees that each one of its lots are flat.
Generally, the lots are also big (for Lake Martin) and deep, sitting far back from the roadways. Trillium’s lots are also well covered with tall, mature pines.
There are no interior lots or homes. All homes in Trillium are waterfront. Who knows, maybe one day Russell Lands will sell off the interior land. Right now, they have retained fairly large sections of woods in between the phases to give Trillium a beautiful, woodsy, private feel.
Factoids:
Back in the heyday of “Russell cabins” Mrs. Edith Russell used to have a couple of cabins at the end of Pine Point. Apparently she was a fan of the trillium, a pretty, symbolic wildflower native to this part of Alabama. Hence the name of the subdivision and its types the names of many of its streets: Wake Robin, Nodding, Grandiflorium, Underwood, Catesby, and Narrowleaf.
Lake Martin Real Estate Spotlight: Eagle’s Point
One of Lake Martin’s newest developments – Eagle’s Point – has a model home that is ready to see plus several other spaces for lots.
Located at the easternmost end of Coosa County Road 20, Eagle’s Point has big water views looking southeast at the junction of Parker Creek and Kowaliga towards Willow Point and Sand Island.
Density: Phase I of Eagle’s Point has a total of 11 homes planned. Each home will have and its own pier. They have already cleared out the home sites, so if you drive by boat or car, you’ll see the phase I area. The planned Phase II extends east, across the causeway towards Veazy’s Marina. There are 20 planned homes in Phase II. A Phase III of interior lots is also planned.
House Plans: Eagle’s Point offers three different house plans. There are 2 plans with 3 
bedrooms and 2.5 baths. One plan has 4 beds and 4.5 baths. All are three stories and have at least 2,500 square feet.
Builder: All the homes will be built by Lake Martin builder Sammy Ransome. You cannot bring your own builder.
Pricing: The smallest home on lots 4 and 5 go for $980,000. The 2,762 square foot 4/4.5 is priced at $1,175,000. Right now there are 2 on the MLS – lot one (a 3/3.5 and 2,762 sf) priced at $1,115,000 and lot two (4/4 at 2,762) priced at $1,150,000. Prices like these put it in a similar to other Lake Martin developments like The Ridge and Willow Point.
Amenities: Eagle’s Point will have a gated entrance, private beach, common area fire pits, community dock for guests, golf cart parking by boat launch.
Directions: Eagle’s Point is in the Coosa County side of Lake Martin, at the end of Coosa County Road 20. Google Map to Eagle’s Point
2 or 3 Thousand Expected at The Ridge Showcase of Homes – Lake Martin
Russell Lands is hosting the “Annual Showcase of Homes” at its newest Lake Martin development – The Ridge.
The showcase is happening over two weekends – September 15 and 16 as well as September 22 and 23, 2007. Many of the builder spec homes that are for sale will be open to the public to tour. Russell Lands is also having the Grand Opening of The Ridge Club on September 15.
I am not sure which or how many of the The Ridge spec homes that are currently for sale will be in the Showcase. By my last count on the Lake Martin Area MLS, there are about 35 homes and 8 town homes (The Ledges at the Ridge) for sale right now in the Ridge. In the Spring Home and Boat Tour, (the last “parade” they did) I think they had like 14 or so homes available.
According to their press release by Schroder Public Relations, Russell Lands expects between 2,000 and 3,000 people to come through these two weekends.
Would you like a friendly, unbiased, neighborhood realtor to help guide you through the festivities? Drop me a line and I would be glad to help.
Lake Martin Real Estate Spotlight: The Ridge Update
The Ridge – Russell Lands’ newest Lake Martin development – is near to completing its Ridge Clubhouse and Pool Area, while Phase III construction is ramping up.
I popped by The Ridge last week to look at some lots in Phase III. Phase III – which stretches south towards the Dixie Sailing Club, which is Lake Martin’s largest sailing organization. Phase III already has a few spec homes on the MLS, and builders are already started a few custom builds.
Originally, Russell Lands had planned to move Dixie Sailing Club out of The Ridge to their new digs by Labor Day 2007. But this letter from Russell Lands General Counsel Steve Forehand has forestalled that trail of tears until Labor Day 2008. Maybe they made this decision because sales in 2007 have not been as brisk as 2006. Who knows. The fact is, the old salts at DSC have one more year.
While I was checking out the view of Lake Martin from some new lots at The Ridge, I stopped by the Ridge Club to see how construction was going. As I stated in this earlier post, I really must say that The Ridge Club will be very nice when they are done. The pool area is comparable to many area country clubs, with a resort style, multi leveled, no sharp angle feel.
Inside The Ridge Clubhouse will be nice, too. I am a sucker for big stone and big wood, and the architecture in here looks like something out of Rohan. I’m loving it.
Check the numbers here; now is a great time to be a buyer in The Ridge. Need help?
Related Posts:
Free Boats at The Ridge Boat Show & Spring Home Tour
Lake Martin Real Estate Spotlight: The Ridge
Lake Martin Real Estate Spotlight: Bolton Cove Update
Lake Martin has a lot of development and new construction going on right now. One of the newest neighborhoods is called Bolton Cove. Below are some pictures of the construction progress, and how it compares to their plans.
Will the above be the site of the Bolton Cove Clubhouse?
The above is a rendering of the planned Bolton Cove Clubhouse per the developer.
To the left is an example of the “Tuscan inspired lake homes that will be the theme throughout Bolton Cove. I doubt you will be able to rent any of these.
Below is a pic, I assume of home sites, next to an existing Lake Martin home that is 
not part of the project.
The pic to the left was made standing on the south end of the cove, looking west to the back of that slough. I couldn’t easily tell by looking around how much waterfront the lots will have on Lake Martin. Maybe the next time I check I will be able to see some stakes or something.
Planned amenities of Bolton Cove:
The Bolton Cove Manor provides:
- A community meeting room
- Dressing areas
- Swimming pool
- Hot tub
- Covered pavilions
- Outdoor fireplace
- Lake side beach
Concierge services:
- Boat valet to the marina
- Private slips
- Lawn care
- Hosting for Manor events
To find Bolton Cove by land, from Birmingham you take 280 east, then take a right on highway 9 south at Kellyton, Alabama. Then take a left on Coosa County Road 20 east. Take Coosa 20 east until you take a right on the second Bywater Road, Bolton Cove is immediately on your left. You can take a left on Kowaliga Cove Road, it borders some of Bolton Cove, too.
From Montgomery, take Alabama highway 9 north, take a right on 259 north at Equality, then a right on Coosa 20 east, see above.
From Auburn take 280 west, then take a left on 22 west in Alex City, then a left on 259 south, then left on Coosa 20 east, see above.
By water, you need to be on the Kowaliga side of Lake Martin. Go north towards Willow Point. Pass by Sand Island. Head towards Veazy’s Marina and Scrushy’s house. When you see the point across the water from Veazy’s, hang a left and go west. Bolton Cove is almost directly west of Veazy’s.
Related post:
Have You Heard About These 4 New Projects On Lake Martin?
Lake Martin Real Estate Spotlight: The Ridge
Russell Lands has developed neighborhoods on Lake Martin for over thirty years, but its newest, The Ridge, is vastly different from any one it has done before.
Russell Lands has gated communities like Willow Point, and the Ridge is near to its other developments of Windermere, Windermere West, and Windover. But The Ridge is a totally new animal. Here are 5 Things That Make The Ridge Different:
1. Heavy emphasis on selling through approved builders – Russell Lands started this Lake Martin trend a few years ago with Phase I of The Ridge, and continues it with Phase III. They sell a certain number of lots to “approved” builders, who build spec houses and then turn around and sell them for the builders. In prior developments, they sold almost 100% to the end homeowner. The use of approved builders gives them much greater control over the quality of the homes. They also get a lot of design consistency on the look of the homes by also having “approved” architects. I think this also drives up the price so that their initial offering lot price to homeowners is pretty high. As far as I can figure there is no real “pre-construction” pricing.
2. The Ridge Marina – Russell Lands owns plenty of marinas around Lake Martin, but The Ridge Marina is the only one that is inside the gates of one of their developments. It is a safe bet to say that The Ridge Marina is one of the largest marinas 
on the lake. The marina is close to Chimney Rock by water. They sell gas, they have a huge line of boats that they sell, and also sell boating and skiing accessories. Another big part of their business is boat storage. You can rent a wet slip (a parking spot at a dock), but they are more expensive and rare than dry storage. Dry storage is where they stack your boat on a huge rack inside their warehouse. When you are ready to go, they come pick it off the rack with a forklift and put it in the water. No matter how many times I see that it still makes me nervous. They are adding on to the dry storage. A company official was quoted as saying the The Ridge Marina will have the “biggest dry storage east of the Mississippi.” That’s big, friends.
3. The Ridge Club – Russell Lands is currently building a 9,000 square foot clubhouse called The Ridge Club. While Willow Point has its Golf and Country Club, Willow Point residents are not necessarily members of the club, and vice versa. In the Ridge, however, part of the homeowner association dues pays for membership to The Ridge Club. Planned amenities include swimming pools, tennis courts, 
athletic fields, children’s play center, workout / cardio center, and a bar and grill. From what I hear they have commercial lots set aside for possible restaurants, etc. See the construction progress photos on the left. It looks like it will be as nice as promised.
4. Off water activities – Usually, in Lake Martin new construction developments, merely token emphasis is placed on off-water lots and properties. At The Ridge, Russell Lands attempts to offer something to do off of the water, and (I assume) by association, raise 
the value of off-water residential lots. They have designed sidewalks all through the Ridge, which is very different for the lake. They also have cut in extensive walking trails through the woods around The Ridge. I hear that the ultimate plan is to be able to walk, run, or bike on trails from The Ridge to Willow Point. Look at a Lake Martin map to appreciate how huge of an area that is. They also have plans for a town center located on highway 63, close to Windermere Road, that will have kitschy shops, a high end grocery store, and a gourmet restaurant. (I will post more news as they confirm the details.)
5. Marketing and Events – Russell Lands has promoted The Ridge like no other Lake Martin development. If you haven’t received at least 3 mailers on it, you should have your feelings hurt, because they sent them to everyone in the area that pays taxes and has a pulse. They also have been all over the home design type magazines. Their homes have had multiple spotlights in Southern Living Magazine, and had tons of other regional media attention and write ups. They also have really played up the Spring and Summer Tour of Homes. This spring they have even tied the events in with a boat show at The Ridge Marina. I have to hand it to them, it works. In the past ten years Lake Martin has gone from a regional treasure to getting attention on a national level. This was due in large part to Russell Lands’ tirele$$ promotions.
If you wonder how long this will last, check the map. They are selling Phase III now, with (I guess) a couple more phases left up the sleeve for The Ridge. Then it’s on to the next big thing. Does anyone have a guess on where the next one will be? Comment below!
