Lake Martin Voice Realty
Archive for the 'Developments' Category
Emerald Shores Time Lapse Sunset and Lot Sales Update
It’s hard to beat a Lake Martin sunset. I’ve been experimenting with this time lapse app on my iPhone, and the other week I recorded some pretty skies over Emerald Shores. The video below is the sunset view from Lot 18, a 1.26 acre lot with +/- 321 feet of shoreline that is still available for sale. For all the listing information on Lot 18, CLICK HERE.
Here’s an Emerald Shores SALES UPDATE, too.
As of April 23, seventeen of the twenty-nine lots that were released for sale by Alabama Property Company are under contract. Two additional lots are in negotiations. In thirty-eight days, sixty-five percent of the lots offered have gone under contract or are being negotiated (we at Lake Martin Voice Realty joyfully listed these lots on March 16, 2013). These are strong sales numbers, especially when you look in the Lake Martin MLS and consider that in the entire year of 2012, a total of 38 lots waterfront lots were sold on Lake Martin, by all agents, all brokerages, everywhere.
Like I’ve said before, if you’re interested in one of these lots, NOW is the time to call me. They’re moving quickly, but there are still some beautiful lots available.
Lot 18, featured in the time lapse video above, is a great example. It’s flat, wooded, and private. Alabama Property Co. has already installed a rip rap seawall, and that wall is included in the sales price. It’s also a flexible lot; there is a variety of ways to place and orient a home on this lot. Check out the pictures below:
I also really like the lots on either side of Lot 18 – Lot 17 and Lot 19. Big views. Pretty sunsets.
For more information, give me a call at (334) 221-5862, or CLICK HERE to email me. Lake Martin Voice Realty is the listing company, so we can answer all your questions.
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Emerald Shores: Lot Sales Update
Of the 29 Emerald Shores waterfront lots that were released on March 16 for sale, NINE are already pending, and SIX more are currently under negotiation.
As the listing agency for Emerald Shores, Lake Martin Voice Realty is excited about the public’s interest in these lots, and we want to make sure you have the latest information on this east side development.
CLICK HERE for listing information on Emerald Shores.
Contracts on these lots have been brought by our company, along with several other Lake Martin real estate companies. My point in telling you this (I know this sounds like typical Realtor barking) is that you really need to give us a call if you have any interest in a lot in Emerald Shores. Don’t wait until you get around to it because the lot that you want, in your price range, and with the view you like, may be gone.
Why all the interest in Emerald Shores?
Well, there’s clearly a demand for lots in a deed restricted neighborhood on this popular side of Lake Martin. And frankly, Emerald Shores has really pretty lots on the big water of Blue Creek. It’s an established community with homes already built, so there’s a history of sales and construction.
For more information, give me a call at (334) 221-5862, or CLICK HERE to email me. Lake Martin Voice Realty is the listing company, so we can answer all your questions.
Quick Video Tour of Emerald Shores:
Video Tour of the Blue Creek Area of Lake Martin:
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Emerald Shores Waterfront Lots for Sale
Lake Martin Voice Realty is excited to team up with Alabama Power and offer 29 new deeded waterfront lots for sale in Emerald Shores.
Emerald Shores is a waterfront neighborhood on the eastern shores of Lake Martin. These are big, wooded lots surrounded by the big water of Blue Creek. They’re part of an already established neighborhood (entrance signs, roads paved, utilities, boat ramp, common area trails), and they’re close to all the east side Lake Martin restaurants, marinas, and landmarks.
Lake Martin Voice Realty is proud to be the Listing Agency!
The first phase of Emerald Shores began in 2004. 17 lots were sold at that time, then six after that, and now 29 more are available. There’s a lot of choice for buyers here: lots range in size from 0.6 to almost 2 acres, and waterfront footage ranges from 115 feet to over 1,000 feet of shoreline per lot. At the center of Emerald Shores is a 17 acre wooded common area with a paved walking trail. A neighborhood boat ramp makes it convenient to launch your boat.
Another big perk for many buyers: covered boat docks are allowed in Emerald Shores. That’s a big deal on Lake Martin.
For more information on these deeded lots, CLICK HERE, or give us a call at (334) 221-5862. We have plat maps, tax maps, photos, a video tour – everything you need to learn the lay of the land.
Emerald Shores is on the east side of Lake Martin, so it is convenient to Atlanta, Auburn, I-85, and Highway 280. By car, take Highway 49 and turn onto Highway 34. Turn left onto Win Blu. At the stop sign, turn left onto Holiday Drive. Take 1st right onto South Holiday. Follow all the way to Emerald Shores entrance. By boat, it’s on the north side of Blue Creek as you drive toward StillWaters.
For a quick video introduction to Emerald Shores, click below:
And for a video tour of the Blue Creek area, click below:
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The Tunnel to Somewhere
Unlike some crazy civil engineering projects I’ve seen, this tunnel under Highway 63 has major significance for the Lake Martin area. Most of you know that there’s been road construction near Russell Crossroads for about 3 years now now. Part of this construction project is a nifty tunnel.
This tunnel is a really big deal for Russell Lands and therefore, Lake Martin real estate. It’s a huge part of Russell Lands’ plan to link together their waterfront neighborhoods of Windermere, Windover, Windermere West and The Ridge to west side of Highway 63′s Willow Point. The central hub of all of this will be Russell Crossroads.
Right now the idea is to open the tunnel road to hikers, runners, bikers, golf cart and horse riders. I love the it.
I think this will be especially transformational for Windermere, Windover, and Windermere West which do not have neighborhood amenities. After the trails and roadways are complete and christened for use, homeowners in Windermere, Windover, and Windermere West will figure out that Saturday morning coffee at Catherine’s Market is a five minute golf cart ride away. Big things will happen.
I can envision a lot of other things happening along this trail system. The fact that you don’t have to cross Highway 63 opens up a realm of possibilities. Willow Point people can ride to The Ridge Marina on their golf carts. People in The Ridge can mountain bike through the tunnel and explore Russell Forest trails. Homeowners in Windermere and Windover neighborhoods can do all this, plus go to SpringHouse restaurant or Willow Point Country Club. The ease and sense of community will be a great thing.
This really reminds me of Sandestin in the late 1970s. If you are old enough, like me, to remember the original Sandestin, it used to only be a residential development on the bay side, and an unconnected beach on the gulf side. You had to get in your car to cross Highway 98, and the whole thing was disjointed. Then they put a tunnel under the highway, developed out some commercial space, and suddenly everything in between flourished.
I’m not saying the Russell Lands is about to have a mega development like Sandestin, but I am saying that all of these neighborhoods are going to truly be able to use Russell Crossroads. I think it will increase property values in all of these developments. Russell Lands has pumped millions into this project, but homeowners will reap the benefits over the next 5-10 years.
If you’d like to know more about homes in the above mentioned neighborhoods, check out my Neighborhoods page, give me a call at (334) 221-5862, or CLICK HERE to contact me via email. I can help you with any property for sale in the Lake Martin MLS, regardless of who has it listed.
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The Gates of Lake Martin
As a real estate agent here on Lake Martin, I get a lot of questions. Many of these questions are the basis for subjects on this blog. Recently, a buyer asked a really good one: She wanted to know which of the waterfront neighborhoods on Lake Martin are gated? I asked her, “What do you mean by gated? Like with a full time guard?” She said, “Well, that would be nice, if it’s not too expensive, but a gate with a coded entry would be nice too.”
That got me thinking. How many waterfront neighborhoods on Lake Martin are like this?
I can think of many neighborhoods that have a guard house, and a gate, but most of these have no person in the guard house and the gate is always open. In this buyer’s view, that doesn’t count. So I compiled a list, with links to the particular ones on my website’s Neighborhood Pages. If you would like to explore other neighborhoods, simply go to the “Neighborhoods” button that is below the big picture at the top, hover your cursor there, and a menu will pop up with different neighborhoods. Each page has a description, a video tour, and also a live link from the MLS with homes and lots for sale.
Here are the neighborhoods with full time guards. Click on each neighborhood’s name to go to the page:
Willow Point
or
or
Here are two neighborhoods with coded gates:
and
Pace’s Bluff is another ones that comes to mind, but I don’t have a Neighborhood page for it yet.
Do you know of any that I have omitted? Please comment below and let me know!
Just like any waterfront home, lot, or condo on Lake Martin, I can help you with it, regardless of who has it listed. I would love to be your real estate agent. CLICK HERE to contact me, or you can email me (info @ lakemartinvoice . com), or you can call me at (334) 221-5862
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The Harbor Neighborhood Tour on Lake Martin
The Harbor is a Lake Martin waterfront neighborhood tucked away on the south side of the lake, but very close to Chimney and Acapulco Rocks. It was developed around 2000, and is a short drive for folks from the Montgomery and Auburn sides of the lake. If you like being in the center of Lake Martin action, this neighborhood might be a good fit.
If you would like to see waterfront homes and lots for sale right now in The Harbor, CLICK HERE to go to my Harbor Neighborhood page. I have a report that shows every waterfront home and lot for sale – by all agents, all brokerages, on Lake Martin. It pulls from the Lake Martin MLS so it will be current no matter when you visit the page.
It’s basically one big slough with homes on both sides. Lots in The Harbor vary from gently sloping to steep as you can see in the video tour below:
The Harbor is across from The Ridge Marina by water, but if you’re looking to store your boat, you might try Anchor Bay Marina a little to the west of The Harbor. It would be a shorter drive by car, depending on the direction you’re coming from.
If you have more questions about The Harbor in general, or about a specific home for sale in The Harbor, give me a call at 334-221-5862, or CLICK HERE to contact me via email. I can talk about and show you any waterfront home in the Lake Martin MLS, regardless of who has it listed.
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Windover Neighborhood Tour on Lake Martin
Windover is a small Russell Lands’ waterfront neighborhood that was built in the late 1980′s on Lake Martin. It’s tucked between Windermere and The Ridge – two other Russell Lands’ developments, and has a mixture of folks who live there year round and part time. All homes here have an Alexander City address and city utilities.
If you would like to see waterfront homes and lots for sale right now in Windover, CLICK HERE to go to my Windover Neighborhood page. I have a report that shows every waterfront home and lot for sale – by all agents, all brokerages, on Lake Martin. It pulls from the Lake Martin MLS so it will be current no matter if you visit it next week or next year.
Windover lots are large and flat and wooded – usually it’s hard to see the homes from the road, and sometimes even from the water. Windover, like Windermere, is cool. It’s non-pretentious, 80′s cool – lots of room, lots of trees, homes where your friends lived in high school. There aren’t any neighborhood amenities because back in the 80′s, the lake was the amenity.
If you have any questions about Windover, or want information about a specific home for sale in Windover, give me a call at 334 221-5862, or CLICK HERE to contact me via email. As a Lake Martin realtor and member of the MLS, I can talk about and show you any home in the Lake Martin MLS, regardless of who has it listed.
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Windermere Neighborhood Tour on Lake Martin
Windermere is a waterfront neighborhood on Lake Martin that was developed by Russell Lands in 1973. On their website, Russell Lands says Windermere is “the standard by which all lakeside developments should be measured.” Agreed.
If you would like to see waterfront homes and lots for sale right now in the Windermere area, CLICK HERE to go to my Windermere Neighborhood page. I have a report that shows every waterfront home and lot for sale – by all agents, all brokerages, on Lake Martin. It pulls from the Lake Martin MLS so it will be current no matter when you visit the page.
Understated is a good description for Windermere. Winding roads lead you to big, heavily wooded, flat lots. There is a sense of both privacy and LOTS of space. Nothing new or glitzy, even though there are high end homes here. In April 2011, a tornado ripped right through a portion of Windermere, so the landscape in that part of the neighborhood has been temporarily altered.
Windermere, like Windover and Willow Point, has a mix of full and part time residents. The street address for Windermere is Alexander City, so you’ll find the usual city utilities. There is a Homeowners’ Association meeting house, but no other “amenities” other than the central lake location.
If you have questions about Windermere, or want to know about a specific home for sale in Windermere, please give me a call at 334 221 5862, or CLICK HERE to contact me via email. I can talk about and show you any home in the Lake Martin MLS, regardless of who has it listed.
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The Ridge Neighborhood Tour on Lake Martin
There’s been a lot of talk lately about the new “Russell Cabins at the Lake.” These are new cabins within the The Ridge development that are supposed to channel the simple feel and nostalgia of Russell rental cabins, but will be deeded homes that you’ll own and not rent. Basically, it is Russell Lands’ solution to people who have asked, “Can I buy my Russell Cabin?” They are in the $800-$1m price range. The homes will be on the Kowaliga Bay part of Lake Martin, and are only a small part of The Ridge’s total development.
If you would like to see waterfront homes and lots for sale right now in The Ridge, CLICK HERE to go to my Ridge Neighborhood page. I have a report that shows every waterfront home and lot for sale – by all agents, all brokerages, on Lake Martin. It pulls from the Lake Martin MLS so it will be current no matter when you visit the page.
The Ridge is a huge waterfront development in the middle of Lake Martin, AL. Like most newer developments, The Ridge has all kinds of neighborhood amenities like sidewalks, a clubhouse and pool, beach area, tennis courts, hiking trails, etc. It is home to The Ridge Marina, and was developed by Russell Lands, a company that builds high end neighborhoods on Lake Martin.
The Ridge has an Alexander City address, and has all the city utilities you would expect. By car it’s convenient to some of the more city-fied, hip shopping and eating spots like Catherine’s Market and SpringHouse, so if you forget your gluten-free brownie mix, you’re in luck. By water, The Ridge is in the center of Lake Martin – Chimney and Acapulco rocks are right around the corner.
Lots vary, of course, because this is Lake Martin. Some lots in The Ridge are steep and rocky with huge deep water views. Some are further back in a slough and are more quiet and gently sloping. Basically, you’re paying for the location on the lake, the strict architectural review of structures, the list of approved builders, the sense of exclusivity, and the neighborhood amenities. If this fits your style, The Ridge might be a good match.
There’s also a townhouse community called The Ledges at The Ridge within this neighborhood that offers waterfront town homes.
If you have questions about The Ridge, or want to know more about a specific home for sale in The Ridge, give me a call at (334) 221-5862, or click on this page for my live feed of homes for sale in the MLS in The Ridge . I can talk about and show any waterfront home in the Lake Martin MLS, regardless of who has it listed.
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Should My Second Grader Bid For This Lake Martin Neighborhood?
Aliant Bank is auctioning the Water’s Edge neighborhood on Lake Martin. It’s going off tomorrow at 1 PM at the end of Coosa 20. PLEASE NOTE IT IS A NON-ABSOLUTE AUCTION. This means they have a reserve price, if the winner is too low, THEY DON’T HAVE TO SELL.
Water’s Edge, formerly known as Eagle Point, was a proposed waterfront development on the Big Kowaliga section of Lake Martin. It was (by my unscientific estimation) one of the largest, if not the largest, waterfront loan in Aliant’s history. It is located at the end of Coosa County Road 20, directly across the water from the old Veazey’s Marina near Willow Point.
Aliant loaned the money to real estate developers that tried to market it as Eagle Point on Lake Martin, but the bank ended up taking that land back, and now has hired auctioneer JP King Auction Company to auction off the whole shebang.
Should My Second Grader Bid On It?
My second grade son has a little savings account with Aliant Bank. You know the type – you go in with them to open it up, it’s all cute, the ladies in the bank give him lollipops and what not. When he gets $10 for his birthday, I have tried to encourage savings by telling him I will match whatever he deposits. We call it my 401 “J.”
He’s not very old, so he hasn’t had many birthdays. No matter, because Aliant, or at least J.P. King, thinks he has enough bling to swing at the auction. Yes, they sent an auction flyer directly to him in the mail.
What??
Yes, they are marketing to my second grader. Do they really expect him to bid for lots that are worth, in total, at least a couple million dollars?
I am sure they don’t. Obviously, they sent it to all account holders if they are sending it to a minor with about $34 in his account.
But it does draw one into questioning the manner that Aliant thinks this property will sell, and the advertising used to get it done.
Will this auction be a success for Aliant? Will they sell all of the lots and homes in a non absolute auction, without neighborhood covenants and restrictions (maybe they will be present at auction, I don’t know), with minimal advertising strategy, virtually zero web presence, and minimal effort to garner referrals from Lake Martin realtors?
I have no clue. We will see, though.
JP King Auction Company Puts Broker Registered Buyers At A Disadvantage
Because I am a glutton for punishment, blissfully disregarding the “fool me twice shame on me” principle, I have been registering people for this auction. Don’t contact me now, it’s too late. JP King requires that broker registrations be turned in yesterday. If you are just now reading this and want to bid, you’d best contact JP King Auction Company directly here. Good luck.
So why do I think that JP King puts broker registered buyers at a disadvantage? Because they pressure buyers to declare an opening bid when they fill out the registration form.
That’s right. Any real estate broker that helps a buyer register has to fill out a blank that says “Opening Bid.” I think this is antithetical to the whole auction concept. The reason buyers like auctions is (they feel at least) they start low and go high. JP King wasn’t forcing the buyers they register to make an opening bid. So why require it of ones that us brokers register? And what buyer in their right mind would toss out an opening bid, a week before the auction, without any neighborhood covenants, deeds, and restrictions? And what real estate broker would encourage a high opening bid if they care one whit about their reputation or their buyer?
JP King’s answer to this was: this is how we calculate the Broker Referral Fee. For this auction, they offered to pay the broker (e.g., me) 2% of the opening bid and 1% of any amount above it. See —> trying to get brokers to pump up prices. Again, I feel this is antithetical and just downright dumb. My policy was to disclose all of this to the buyers. It didn’t matter to the buyers because in this auction they are paying no buyer’s premium (aka commission) like they do in most every other auction, and I do applaud JP King and Aliant for that aspect. When I registered my buyers, we defeated this by entering a nominal amount like $50 in the opening bid amount. I cleared this with JP King ahead of time, but when we turned the registrations in, I was told by a very nice JP King representative that “(the) VP (of JP King) just cannot go to the seller with such a low opening bid” even though they had already approved that.
I dug deeper into JP King’s registration packet and found a clause that said we could leave the Opening Bid amount blank. When I pressed this point, the very nice rep said “yes, that’s OK.” I countered with, “so you would rather us leave it blank, which is in effect an opening bid of zero, than to put in something like $10?” She: “yes.” Therefore we left it blank.
My point at telling this story is to illustrate my opinion of the extreme pain in the neck it is as a real estate broker to register someone to bid on this auction at Lake Martin. Maybe other JP King auctions are different. Maybe in other markets and other locations, their Broker Registration process is smooth, easy, nice, and encouraging to brokers. But I can say that in my experience with the auction by Aliant at Water’s Edge, it was a huge pain in the neck. Information flowed like molasses. I started quizzing JP King for auction information the second they made this public, and I found that quite often I was getting info later than people that called them directly. I also was discouraged by their flip flop on the Opening Bid concept. Principally, the fact that they make it so hard and pressure the broker to pressure the buyer for a high opening bid, I feel that, in this particular case and this particular auction, JP King Auction Company put broker registered buyers at a disadvantage.
Do you think they tell potential sellers this? Do you think, when the VPs of JP King are on the phone or in a meeting and trying to close a potential seller on hiring them, that they tell sellers what a great relationship they have with the local real estate brokers? And how everyone will flood in to register all their buyers? Hogwash, I say, if my experience was typical. Then again, maybe this was an anomaly. Maybe all of their other auctions are daisies and tulips.
Sour Grapes?
“This is all just sour grapes, John, because you had two of these homes listed before. You’re just an auction hater because you are a greedy, slimy, real estate broker,” you might say. Maybe you’re right on all cases of that statement. I am human, and therefore by definition a flawed, fallen sinner. When I think back a couple or three years ago and remember the dreams we all had to resurrect Eagle Point into Water’s Edge, and now to see it like it is, I can’t help but pine for how well it could have gone. I don’t hate auctions. I just don’t like any seller not getting the best service. I think this auction has a lot of hurdles to hop (no one knows the covenants and restrictions ahead of time, will these apply to off water lots, when will roads be done, limited inspections, limited information, it might rain) but I wish them the best.
I am not a Democrat, I am not a Republican. I am a capitalist in almost the purest sense of the word. I am for freedom and the American way. If this works for Aliant, more power to them, I say. The market has spoken.
More Information about Water’s Edge At Lake Martin
I have written extensively about Water’s Edge in the past and also taken tons of video. PLEASE KEEP IN MIND that these are old posts from when I had the homes listed, so the pricing etc. NO LONGER APPLIES:
Aliant Bank Auctioning Water’s Edge Development On Lake Martin
Does Ceiling Color Keep Away Bugs?
Water’s Edge Featured In Lake Magazine
Lake Martin Seawall Construction
