Before 9/11, you could just show up and get a tour, but these days you have to schedule it in advance.  We had no luck finding a direct Martin Dam phone number, so we contacted Alabama Power through the “Contact Us” tab at the top of their website and typed out our message in the email contact box.  Two or so days later we got a response, and the next week we were at the east gate, ready to get started.  Lesson – plan your tour about a week in advance.  If you want to schedule a dam tour, contact Alabama Power by CLICKING HERE.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The biggest surprise to me is that the dam is essentially run by operators in Birmingham.  Other than the security guard who keeps watch and gives tours, its a quiet place.  The guard who gave us our tour was patient with our crowd and answered all our questions.

Like I say in the video above, I’m just a Realtor, so I can’t help you book a tour.  I can help you BUY or SELL your Lake Martin home, though, so give me a call at (334) 221-5862 and let’s talk.

Share this:

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Lake Martin Area MLS is without a doubt the #1 source for the most accurate, up to date information on homes for sale on the lake.  It is a treasure trove of real estate data, and in my opinion, it’s one of only 2 online resources you need (the second being my website, for obvious reasons).  Big aggregator sites like Trulia, Zillow, and Realtor.com are notoriously inaccurate, out of date, and at times, plain wrong, especially in a rural area like Lake Martin.  (For more about the problems with 3rd party syndicator websites, CLICK HERE.)

Our local Realtors, on the other hand, feed our MLS, and unlike the syndicators, our local MLS allows unlimited pictures and video for every listing.

My goal is to give you as much information as possible.  The syndicators’ goal is to extract as much advertising dollars as possible.  That’s not evil, per se, but you just need to know that.

When you you need more information about a property, or want to talk about Lake Martin real estate, give me a call at (334) 221-5862.  My job is to help you.  I’m honored to do it.

Share this:

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.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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.

Share this:

I was showing a really cool home a few weeks ago in the Kowaliga Bay area, and the owners had covered their entire screened porch with an outdoor rug – it looked great.  The fact that I noticed speaks volumes.  They also had one with another pattern covering the staircase inside – I’m told that’s a runner??  Whatever.  It looked really nice.  And now I’m seeing these type of rugs everywhere.

My buddy, Craig Vinson of Granville Home Furnishings in Montgomery told me they sell a lot of these for Lake Martin customers.  He said they can be used almost anywhere – indoors, outdoors, on decks.  You can tack them down to your dock or stairs and clean them with a hose.  I’m sure Craig’s people would be more helpful with things like patterns and colors;  my wife has been carefully studying  his Dash & Albert catalog and assures me there are plenty to choose from.

 If you’re already using one at your lake house, send me a picture and I’ll post it.  If you get one from Craig and tack it to your pier – now that I want to see.  Call him at 334-279-3101 or drop by at 3490 Wetumpka Highway and ask for the Coley special.  For those of you west-side lake goers from Montgomery, it’s right on your way.

Share this:

Click here to view the embedded video.

If you’re an Auburn fan, then the Niffers in Auburn is a familiar, if not sentimental burger stop.

Niffers Place at the Lake is its Lake Martin counterpart – on the east side of the lake, just south of the Highway 49 bridge by Blue Creek Marina.  It’s not an on-the-water restaurant, so you need to come by car, but it’s what we in real estate call a “water-view” location. It is the definition of a family friendly restaurant.

The menu is American with burgers, wings, nachos, etc., but what sets Niffers apart, in my opinion, is their effort to make it fun.  Take the hula hoops that were quickly delivered to our table, and the incentives we were ALL offered to give them a try.  The kids were promised popsicles for cleaning their plates, and what could been just another lunch stop was turned into a very memorable event.  That simple meal ended up being a highlight of our week.

The food is good, too!

They had a new IPA that a few of us tried, and it was a lot of fun just to hang out, relax, and have a nice lunch. It was one of those moments where we all looked around at each other and asked, “why don’t we spend every spring break at the lake?”

I will admit, though, that the dads need to work on their hula hooping before our next trip. We barely passed the bar of our incentive plan.

Thanks to the staff at Niffer’s for making it a lot of fun, and thanks to the other outdoor diners for putting up with us!

Share this:

What should you do?

First, go over to Lake Magazine and read the article.  In short, I say you should be nice and check with Alabama Power.  Their Shoreline Management Office in Dadeville can be reached at 256-825-0053.

The article was inspired by Tom and Melissa, who provided one of my funnier testimonial videos, below.  They were great to work with, and served that cake that I almost dropped.

Click here to view the embedded video.

If you wonder what other people say about our services,  CLICK HERE for my video testimonial collection.

If you need the name of a good company for dock and boat lift construction, call Lake Martin Dock Company. They are friends of mine and do good work. Call 334-857-2443 and let Sharon know I sent you.

Share this:

Jessica Hargett called me to ask me how foreclosures are going around the lake.  When I started spitting out stats from 2011, she had to interject and let me know that she was curious about 2012.  OK, if 7% of sales last year were foreclosures, what about this year?, she asked.

Me:  “Uhhh.. hang on.  I don’t know.”

It turned out that when she called, I had not run any reports for 2012 sales yet. In fact, her questions were the impetus for the research that generated this blog post about 2012 waterfront sales on Lake Martin, so I thank her for that.

Much of what I talk about in the Alex City Outlook article I cover in my Market Report, while it does bear repeating that I was surprised that so many sales in the first quarter of 2012 were foreclosures, I just don’t think it will last. I will be the first to admit I am wrong, but I just don’t see enough supply to hold at such a high percentage. My wild guess is that foreclosures will once again ring in at 7% of the waterfront sales market on Lake Martin, just like 2009, 2010, and 2011.

If you would like to see the current list of foreclosed waterfront homes and lots for sale on Lake Martin, please CLICK HERE and fill out the form and I can email it to you.

If you have already received the link in the past, no need to request it again.  That list is auto-populated from the Lake Martin MLS, just save it in your web browser’s favorites and check it whenever. It’s always current.

I think the Alex City Outlook is a great resource for Lake Martin news, and encourage you to follow them on Twitter, Facebook, the web, or however you choose to absorb news.

Share this:

I can’t take all of the credit, FBS Data Systems runs our system, called FlexMLS. In my opinion there is no finer software solution or way to search for homes and lots. FlexMLS is an outstanding product that is very responsive, customizable, and relevant to the way that consumers would like to search.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Please take a minute to watch this video, where Kenneth explains how he started his Lake Martin home search with a couple of hundred potentially confusing possibilities, then whittled it to a managable twelve, then zeroed in on the five or six he wanted to see.

He searched on his desktop mostly, but then was able to save and transfer his favorites to his smart phone.  We even zoom in and Kenneth shows you how to do it on his phone. The great thing is that my website, Lake Martin Voice, and Lake Martin’s FlexMLS system automatically recognizes if you’re using a mobile phone and tailors the experience for you. Kenneth was able to find two more homes that he wanted to see while we were at the lake.

Would you like to start your own search for a waterfront home or lot at Lake Martin? Click here or above on the Property Search button and get started. Once there, click on a smiley face and it will allow you to save your favorites.  Don’t worry, the registration only comes to me, no spam.

Thanks again and way to go, Flex!!!!

Share this:

So please allow this exception to that rule. Last month I read an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal by Geoffrey Fowler and Angus Loten entitled “Old Watchdog Needs New Web Tricks.”  It’s about the Better Business Bureau’s shrinking membership and relatively ineffective feedback techniques (to wit, Yelp.com gets seven time their web traffic.) I separated the article from the normal recycling and vowed to write a blog post about it.  A month later, here we are.

While I was reading it, I couldn’t help but mentally substitute the NAR (National Association of Realtors) every time I read BBB.  From my perspective, the NAR is all but useless.  Their educational efforts are second rate, there are much better conferences and webinars out there for next to free.  Despite their feel good advertising, real estate agents continue to be perceived as less than hard working and trustworthy.  Lobbying lawmakers is their only success story, but I strongly disagreed with their nanny state lobbying efforts during the 2008 “bank collapse.”  I continue to respectfully disagree with their constant cries for government subsidies and tax incentives for home ownership.  How can we oppose subsidies to one industry and call for them in ours, and still take ourselves seriously? Alas.

I was reminded of this long overdue post when I was in Atlanta at a tech conference last week called RETSO.  RETSO is a great example of why NAR and the state associations need to be out of the professional education business.  Conferences like RETSO give me enough material and inspiration to last more than a year. They are cheaper, not subsidized by any dues, and way more relevant.  (Sidebar – I didn’t get Continuing Education credit because the Alabama Association of Realtors doesn’t recognize it.)

Anyway, at that conference, a fellow named Rob Hahn was speaking about the future of the NAR and state associations. He made the point that these days a significant portion of Realtors are dissatisfied with these associations and are only members because we have to be to get access to the MLS.  He called for the MLS and the Associations to be separated, to allow people a choice of being a member of one, another, or both.

I clapped loudly.  One or two other people in the crowd of 300 timidly joined my applause.

Mr. Hahn then went on to make the point that a smaller NAR would be better, because all the members would want to be there, instead of being forced to be there to have access to the MLS.  He made the example of the NRA, a passionate group that is all about lobbying.  Maybe he’s right. I do know that separating out the MLS is a great idea.  I say, so what if NAR loses members?  Should that be our goal, to have a large membership base?

Or is the goal to be great servants to people who need help with real estate?  That’s my goal.

Let’s say NAR has 2 million members, and then increases in one year to 4 million. How does that help me help a buyer more effectively? Am I automatically a 100% better listing agent because of it?  Please.

Here, here, Mr. Hahn.  Free the MLS, I say. Maybe I should make T shirts.  No offense to the NAR or its many members.  Who knows, if they shaped up, maybe I would join in on their new journey.  Until then, they would be welcome to continue going to conferences to hear Regis and Lou Holtz and Lionel Richie teach them about real estate.

Share this:

I studied the Lake Martin MLS* to see how the home sales have been in the first three months of the year. Personally, this is the best January, February, and March that I have ever had, praise the Lord. But I wondered if my experience was atypical. Generally, Lake Martin home sales are coolest in the cool months, so what was the rest of the market doing?

A quick look at the numbers in the Lake Martin MLS, which includes all agents, all Lake Martin real estate brokerages, shows that in January of 2012, 12 waterfront homes were sold, in February of 2012 it was 11, and 20 homes were sold in March of 2012 for a total of 43. This number was the best since 2007′s 43 and almost equaled 2006′s 46.

Lake Martin Real Estate Trends for 2012

What does this mean? Is this brisk pace a good omen for Lake Martin sales in 2012? It’s too early to tell, I think. If you look at 2007, which had an equally good start, the drought and the real estate bubble bursting combined to crash the market that year. However, in 2006, a great first quarter signaled a great, but declining, sales market. We just won’t know until we have more data.

But the good news is that one thing is sure – this strong quarter shows us that the sales momentum from 2011 has continued.

Lake Martin Waterfront Foreclosures Update For 2012

The other day Jessica from the Alex City Outlook called me to interview me about foreclosures in the Lake Martin area. She asked me if I felt that foreclosures were increasing, decreasing, or staying the same. My first instinct was to say that they have stayed steady, based on this post where I detailed foreclosure trends for the last three years.

However, I looked at the numbers just in case, and was surprised.

Of the 43 waterfront homes sold through the Lake Martin MLS in the first three months of this year, 13 were listed as foreclosures. That’s 30%! Way over the 7% in each of 2009, 2010, and 2011. What does this mean? Is this finally the “huge flood of foreclosures” that we have been hearing about?

I don’t think so. I think it is merely pent up supply and a coincidence that they all fell in the same quarter. I base that opinion on the fact that there are only 12 other waterfront homes listed as foreclosures that are for sale right now out of 379 total homes for sale. That’s only 3% of the supply.

Wait a minute, you might say. Maybe the foreclosures are selling at a higher proportionate rate. Maybe they are the better deals and will be sold first, thereby skewing the market down.

Perhaps, you might be right. But I think we still need more data to be sure. Remember, the first two months of the year historically are some of our lowest sales totals. It doesn’t pay to draw too many conclusions.

Let’s be happy for a strong three months of sales on Lake Martin, but let’s reserve prognostication until we have a few more months under our belts. And since we don’t wear belts much around here, I guess I should say the elastic band on our swim suits.

Related Posts:

Lake Martin Lot Sales 2011
Lake Martin Real Estate Sales 2011 – Year In Review
Lake Martin Real Estate Sales 2010 – Lot Sales
Lake Martin Real Estate Sales 2010
Lake Martin Real Estate Sales 2009 – Year In Review
Lake Martin Real Estate Sales 2008 – Year In Review
Lake Martin Real Estate Sales 2007 – Year In Review

All Lake Martin Market Reports

(*)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 waterfront sales on Lake Martin, Alabama.

Share this: