Lake Martin Voice Realty
Fall Colors At Their Peak On Lake Martin
The leaves are changing and fall colors have absolutely reached their peak at Lake Martin. The next few weeks should be a great time to come and visit to see how Autumn paints itself on to our lake landscape.
I don’t really understand a whole lot about predicting the fall foliage colors. My friends in the southern Appalachian Mountains tell me that the leaves change at high elevations first, then work their way down. Lake Martin’s summer pool level is at about 490 feet above sea level, and there are not too many areas that vary from that level. By that I mean there are no mountains towering above the Lake Martin, so the leaves change at once, everywhere.
I could have this wrong, but to my eye we are at the peak right now. Some of the leaves are falling, but most are still on the trees. Furthermore, the various weeds and vines that normally just obscure your vision in the forest are also at their brightest.
If you promised yourself that you would come to Lake Martin and just ride around one day when it’s not so busy at home and work, this could be the perfect time.
My wife and I did some riding around today, taping a lot of video for my upcoming Neighborhood Tours. It was fantastic. It started to drizzle about 1:30, but before then, we were able to video The Ridge, Windermere, Windover, The Harbor (where I snapped these pictures), Marina Marin, and The Village.
I plan to take that “car footage” and edit it in with the boat footage I took when the water was still up.
Stay tuned, hopefully they will be helpful to you!
My Barber Gives Cuts And Google Earth Tips
As a Lake Martin realtor, I am often guilty of a one track mind. I constantly bend every experience, every encounter in my life back to Lake Martin real estate. I admit it. So forgive me if you think this is stretching, but..
The other day I was early for my haircut appointment. My barber had another gentleman in the chair, snipping away. It’s a one chair “salon,” so I couldn’t help but overhear their conversation.
It was about Google Earth.
What? Yes.
El barbero, or master hair cutter (I think of him as the guy who has the misfortune of dealing with my ‘fro once a month), was trading Google Earth tips with his patron.
He is in his mid 50s. The customer is 70.
They were going back and forth with nuggets of wisdom about the online mapping service. I was listening pretty hard as I am a Google Earth newbie. They were talking about how easy it is to create custom maps, spots, and the like.
If they wouldn’t have thought me creepy, I would have videoed it on my iPhone.
It just goes to show you that this whole “internet” thing isn’t just for young people, unless you define young as under 80. These results are typical.
A Thank You Note To YouTube
2011, in my mind, will be the year that I should write YouTube a thank you note. I do a lot of online marketing on Twitter, Facebook, Posterous, Flickr, and the like. But my videos on Youtube are a huge blessing and are, pound for pound, the best return on my efforts aside from this blog.
“That’s great, John,” you may say. “But the only people watching videos on YouTube are kids.”
Wrong.
We at Lake Martin Voice Realty have uploaded so many videos about Lake Martin real estate, area events, restaurants, marinas, etc., that we have had almost 86,000 views of them at this writing. Phenomenal, and we have you to thank. We have uploaded over 200 of them. My average video length is about 3 minutes so that is 258,000 minutes that people have spent watching. Amazing and humbling.
86,000 – that is more than a couple of national real estate brands have. Check me out and see if I am wrong. Go to the YouTube channels of any national brand and see how many views they have. Then compare it to ours, and keep in mind that we (currently) have two agents doing all of this.
When you get that many views, YouTube starts courting you and asking you to put ads on your videos. They also give you perks like being able to see your demographics.
Check out the age range of who is watching my videos:
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Observe that over 60% of my video views come from people that are 45 and older. Amazingly, more views come from people 55 and older than do those who are younger than 35.
And that’s a good thing. This is proof positive that I am hitting the sweet spot, demographically. Well, I take that back. The ultimate proof is when I hear from buyers that call me and say, “hey, I saw one of your videos on…” or a seller that says “I love your video home tours.”
Thank you, I still need your help
I thank the Lord, and also you, dear reader and viewer, for the eye popping numbers. But I still need some help from you.
What do you like to watch or read about?
I have noticed that my highest read blog posts and most highly watched videos are on subjects that were originally suggested by readers. So please, please, keep those suggestions coming. Please contact me through this form or directly at [email protected] or [email protected]
Also – how can I increase my female viewership on YouTube?
Thanks!
Alex City Farmer’s Market Flavors Lake Martin Meals
Lake Martin vacationers: MainStreet Alexander City hosts a farmer’s market every Saturday morning from 7-11am. This is a quintessential summer activity; if you’re into fresh produce, local honey, goat cheese, BBQ sauce, soap, herbs, and baked goods, head downtown.
On any given Saturday morning you’re sure to run into the Jones family, Lake Martin homeowners from Atlanta, who are hip to things culinary, and fans of local produce. Despite having a world of foodie options in the city, they frequent the Alex City farmer’s market (and then the Piggly Wiggly meat counter right up the street) and create fantastic dishes to serve lakeside. If you’re lucky enough to be invited to dine with them, leave your cooler of Natural Light and pimento cheese at home. Allow Mr. Jones to set the menu.
We took our own family trip to the farmer’s market, and filmed this quick video so you can check it out too:
The Lake Martin community extends well past the shoreline into the small towns and countryside around it. The more you know about the area, the more you will feel at home here. If you need help finding that perfect lake home, or just want some ideas of things to do while you’re here, give me a call at 334 221 5862.
Lake Martin Area is Hip to Local Honey
Part of my job as a Lake Martin Realtor is to sell not just waterfront lake homes, but to “sell” the small towns and communities around it, too. You know, the lifestyle. Lake Martin is a completely rural area, and most of it’s vacationers are city/suburbia dwellers. But that’s the beauty of it: it’s different, and the pace is slower.
That doesn’t mean the Lake Martin area isn’t hip.
If you’re into the farm-to-table movement, for example, you’re in the right place. I’ve been doing a series on local farms and farmer’s markets: once you start looking, they’re all over the lake area. If you’re worried about leaving behind your Whole Foods ,or Earthfare or your produce co-op to come to the lake, this is as organic as it gets.
Enter Tony Goss and his bees. Our family got into buying local honey this spring; there are some health benefits, but mainly I just think bees are cool. I learned about Tony on the LakeMartin.com Forum, and he agreed to meet me and show me his hives. He sells his honey, but that’s not really his main goal. He does it because he enjoys it and likes to educate other lake folk about benefits of bees.
For more sources of local honey, check out Oakview Farms in Wetumpka, MainStreet Farmer’s Market or Longleaf Antique Mall in Alexander City, or call Tony at 256 749 3355. I use Yelp to geolocate and review these spots, and you can use it to enter ones you’ve found, too!
If you don’t know, it’s my job to let you know how cool Lake Martin is. If you do know, chime in and share fun places you’ve discovered!
Lake Martin Dream Cabin Renovation In Parker Creek
For so many people, Lake Martin conjures up visions of rustic, quaint cabins on tree-filled lots. Many lake-lovers spent summers at a relative’s cabin. Maybe they never took part in the spring removing of the ladybugs, or cared that the window unit above their bed leaked a little. It was fun to bunk up with 4 other cousins in a room that wasn’t really a bedroom. 7 year olds don’t notice that the floor in the kitchen isn’t exactly level. But what they do remember is all they fun they had as a family . . .
So fast forward thirty years. Wanting to re-create those laid back, family friendly memories for their own kids, a search is begun for a rustic “cabin” to call their own. If you’ve been around the lake for any length of time, you know lots of these cabins require buyers to have a little vision.
You’ve also heard that around Lake Martin, the LOT is everything: you can change your house, but you can’t change your lot. Many times that old, rustic cabin on the awesome lot only has one bathroom. So you have a decision to make. And you need a little vision.
Colin and Julie are great examples of such a vision. A couple of years ago I had a home for sale in the Parker Creek area of Lake Martin. They loved the beautiful lot, loved the area and the cabin feel, but the house on that lot had only 2 bedrooms and one bath (and they have 4 kids).
Plus, one of those 2 bedrooms used to be a back stoop that was taken in and dubbed “The Honeymoon Suite” by the previous owners.
So they bought the location, and changed the house. And they didn’t add a lot of square footage: the only additional space comes from enlarging the existing screened porch. They shifted some things around, and ended up with a cozy cabin that completely suits their needs. See what you think in the above video. I made it by mixing together some of the pictures I took from when the home was for sale, and then some pics I took after their renovation.
And here they are talking about the process of buying their cabin:
If you dream of owning that nostalgic Lake Martin cabin, let me help you with your search. It costs a buyer nothing to have an real estate agent do the legwork. Give me a call and let’s see what we can find! 334 221 5862
Aquapalooza At Lake Martin 2011 – Setup Tips
Sea Ray and Russell Marine are once again bringing Aquapalooza to Lake Martin, Alabama, – on July 23, 2011.
Aquapalooza is a free, on the water concert that you can boat up, anchor, and go dance by the stage. It is tons of fun, and, in my opinion, becoming the 4th big lake holiday behind Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day.
Lake Martin has experienced two really big Aquapaloozas – the nationally promoted signature event in 2009 featuring Alan Jackson, and this pretty doggone big event in 2010 with John Anderson.
In 2011, the headliner is Sawyer Brown. Here’s the full lineup:
Lake Martin Aquapalooza 2011 Lineup
Sawyer Brown
Rhett Atkins
Chase Rice
Derek Welsh and the Cold Hard Truth
Lake Martin Aquapalooza 2011 Schedule
11 AM – 7 PM on July 23, 2011.
Memo to all you fast timers – we’re on Central Time.
Click here for the Official Aquapalooza Site
Lake Martin Aquapalooza 2011 Setup Tips
The prior years of fun have given us all some valuable experience. I shot a quick video below to go over some tips for Aquapalooza on Lake Martin.
Here are some more Lake Martin Aquapalooza 2011 tips:
- Have a sober driver and sober spotter – I say this in the video but it’s worth repeating. The driver will need someone at the front of the boat that is looking out for other boats, swimmers, kayakers, etc.
- Obey all Alabama laws – if you’re coming from out of state, study up.
- Idle speed only – west of Kowaliga Bridge is idle speed only until you get to Governor’s Island. The surest way to get pulled over by the AL Marine Police is to be above idle in this zone. Make even the smallest wake and they will hammer down on you. Quite frankly, you deserve it.
- If you anchor up, use an anchor line – so many times I see folks throwing out their brand new mushroom anchor that is tied to ski rope. Bad idea. It may be easy going down, but at the end of the day when you are hauling in 75 feet of it, and it’s slick, that thin ski rope will burn your hands.
- If you swim to the stage, use a PFD – it looks like a short swim, but trust me, you will get tired. Swim with a life vest on your person.
- Bring twice as many boat bumpers than you think you will need – even if you only use 2 to attach to your pier, you will need a bunch more when your friends (old and new) sidle up to you and anchor with you.
- Buy all your provisions locally – OK, so I’m a big believer in supporting the Lake Martin locals, yes. But on the practical side, I can tell you that the local C Stores will have plenty of ice, snacks, and beverages. It’s the same price as your hometown’s. Unless you just like to load a cooler 2 days in advance, the smart move is to get it in theater.
- Take plenty of pics and video – you won’t believe how much fun it is to look at them later. Local Lake Martin photographer Kenneth Boone usually has the best ones on his SmugMug account here.
- Tweet it out – if you’re on Lake Martin and hip to twitter, use hashtags of #lakemartin and #aquapalooza and @SeaRayBoat
- Check in on FourSquare – there’s a musical event set up on Foursquare – Aquapalooza on Lake Martin
Homes For Sale On Lake Martin Near Aquapalooza 2011
Do you have some time to kill, and maybe would like to cruise by some waterfront homes that are for sale near Lake Martin’s Aquapalooza site at Kowaliga Marina?
Click on the Request List link below:
CLICK HERE TO REQUEST HOMES FOR SALE
You will be asked for your name and email, and then you will be emailed two lists we have compiled of waterfront homes for sale on Lake Martin right now. One list is east of Kowaliga Bridge, the other is west of it. This list is from the Lake Martin Area Realtors’ MLS, so it’s any brokerage’s listings, not just mine. Also, don’t worry, we DO NOT SELL, GIVEAWAY, or otherwise distribute your info.
Have a fun and save Aquapalooza 2011 on Lake Martin!
Wakeboard & Wakesurf Demo at Blue Creek Marina
Singleton Marine on Lake Martin hosted the Slingshot Wakeboard, Victoria Wakesurf Demo and Rail Jam on Saturday, June 25th at their eastlake location - Blue Creek Marina. I am sorry to post this update so late, but I figure better late than never. It was a really great time.
I took my kids and nephews because I thought it would be fun to watch the pros show off their skilz. But they did much more than that . . .
They had 4 boats taking folks out for lessons, and we spent at least an hour on the water with these guys. They were great with the kids, generous with their time, and pretty good behind the boat, too. I caught it all on tape, so check in out:
My nephews are going back for lessons later this summer. They already knew how to get up on a wakeboard, and the pros helped them fine tune some tricks and tactics. One of my sons tried it also, he had never ridden a wakeboard before, and they got him up on his 3rd try. After he got up once, he went three or four more times and we all had a blast.
To top it all off, we came back and watched the pros go over a rail that they had floating in the water by the gas docks, and they gave us free pizza!
If you hear about one of these events going on at the lake, I encourage you to go. They happen all the time at the marinas – boat demos, wave runner demos, etc. The next event at Blue Creek Marina is on July 22, 2011.
Thanks to Singleton Marine Group & Blue Creek Marina for this one.
It was a class A event and really opened our eyes to a whole new realm of water sports.
Quick Links:
Singleton Marine – Blue Creek Marina
My Big Mistake, Caught On Video
I go on and on on this blog about the power of video to help with the Lake Martin real estate process. I know it must get tiresome to hear, but I truly believe it. These days it is so easy and cheap to produce your own video, I use it to document Lake Martin events, neighborhoods, home tours, and yes - happiness.
Ronnie and Sheri just closed on a waterfront Lake Martin home. I knew they were excited, and that made me happy. But it wasn’t until I sat down and edited the testimonial video they shot for me, that I really appreciated the joy that’s a part of this real estate gig. I also realized that I made a tremendous error when I shot this testimonial.
My Big Mistake, Caught On Video
95% of closings for buyers coming to Lake Martin are euphoric. They are fired up, many times their car is loaded up. They are ready to enjoy their new lake home. That’s why I like to be there with a video camera. They get to gush about their excitement about Lake Martin. That’s fun to see.
And, if they happen to throw a compliment or two my way, well….. I guess I can let that slide!
I will admit, when Ronnie launched into complimenting me, I was rather flattered. I was thinking, “whoa – this is great!!” As he neared the end of his gracious remarks, and I got ready to hit the stop recording button on my iPhone, I thought it was a good video. But I missed the truly great part of the video, and that was my big mistake.
Sheri is clapping at the end of the clip.
Check it out, right at the end when I am say, “welcome to Lake Martin” – she is clapping!! It’s that excited clap like when your parents tell you that you can open up one present on Christmas Eve, or when your team scores a touchdown. It’s pure joy.
Idiot!
AND I CUT IT OFF!
What an error. I’ll admit, my ego was so inflated from the compliments that I missed it when filming.
I blew it.
That’s what it is all about – joy about Lake Martin. That’s what this blog is supposed to be about. Not about realtors blathering about themselves. We are A Voice, not THE Voice, spreading the word about the lake. That’s what all my efforts should point towards.
I know it’s totally cliche, but you can “see it all over Ronnie’s face.” It’s hard to walk away unaffected. True, not all closing as are as easy as theirs. And not all clients are as animated. I know, in the big picture, I’m an insignificant part of their Lake Martin journey, but to be let in on that moment of excitement is a lot of fun!
If I had to do it over, I would bring the sound down on Ronnie, so that you can just see his excitement about Lake Martin. Never mind that he’s talking about me. That’s not the point.
Next, I would have taped about 45 seconds of Sheri just clapping and jumping up and down.
Show of hands – who thinks they are going to enjoy Lake Martin? If you run into them this summer, tell them congrats!
By the way, is it just me, or if you close your eyes, does Ronnie sound just like Jeff Foxworthy?
Wanting to load up YOUR trailer and claim your piece of Lake Martin? Give me a call or contact me and let me help you find YOUR lake home. 334 221 5862
The Lake Martin Day Trip: Have Boat, Will Play
You don’t have to own property on Lake Martin to have fun here. In fact, a day trip on your boat can be a super Lake Martin experience. I’m not saying you shouldn’t buy a home – I need to pay the power bill just like everyone else – but I am saying that you can get a lot of enjoyment out of just your boat and the people in it.
Pack a cooler. Find an island and anchor. Cruise the entire lake. Tie up at a restaurant for lunch. Visit friends. Ski and wake board in the calm waters of a slough. Enjoy drinks on the boat at sun set. Not a bad way to spend the day!
I recently sold a home to a couple who had been doing just this : day tripping from Georgia and putting their boat in at River North Marina. They love to wake board, so they liked the calm waters on the north side of Lake Martin. They had plenty of Lake Martin day trips and several rented lake houses before they finally decided to buy. These are great ways to get to know the lake.
If you’re interested in day trips to Lake Martin, there are plenty of places to launch your boat. Click on this link for a list of Lake Martin public boat launches. Click here for a list of Lake Martin marinas. If you don’t have a boat, and would like to rent one for the day, check with the marinas for prices and availability.
If you’re a pro at the Lake Martin day trip, comment below and let us know your tips. Thanks for the input!
Real Estate Tours: When Video is NOT a Video
I love to use full motion video tours to market Lake Martin homes. I think it’s a cool use of today’s technology, but mostly I love video because buyers and sellers love it.
I know buyers love it, because they constantly tell me. I have been blessed with many people calling me and choosing me to help them find a home around the lake.
Sellers like it, too. When I show them how much a full motion video tour helps spotlight selling points, give context (how do you get to the lake from the kitchen?), and keep buyers’ attention, it’s a no-brainer. They want a video.
When a video is not a video..
Again, I realize all of this is pretty obvious. People want video of homes on Lake Martin or any other real estate market for that matter. Realtors everywhere are interested in doing more video, hence the (very flattering) invitation that ReTechSouth gave me to teach this class on real estate video at their conference in Atlanta.
With so many agents now trying to provide video, sometimes you encounter a slide show that is put in the “Video Tours” link on the Lake Martin MLS. These photo slide shows are also known as “Virtual Tours.” Not the same thing.
Don’t get me wrong, Virtual Tours aren’t bad per se. They are better than nothing. But most of the time when you click on it and watch, you are seeing a photo slide show of the pictures you just viewed, only set to Yanni /John Teshian muzak.
Why would you want to watch a slide show of pictures that you just saw on the MLS, only set to muzak? I don’t know. Like I said, it’s better than nothing and I certainly don’t fault other agents for using them. Just don’t call it a video.
That’s why I take pains (often) to point out that I do FULL MOTION video tours. I shoot them, walking through and around the lake homes WITH A VIDEO CAMERA.
Can you tell the difference?
I have long desired take the same property and to put a full motion video against a cheesy virtual tour, just to show the difference. But the problem is, I don’t do virtual tours. I would have to use someone else’s Virtual Tour as a comparison to my video. I’ve never done it because I don’t want to appear to be negative about another agent. Nor would another agent allow me to post their virtual tour on my blog. So I’ve never had a side-by-side comparison. Again, my goal here is not to criticize but to explain why I go to so much trouble to (attempt to) do a nice video.
Now we can.
Unit 202C in Harbor Pointe is one of my current listings. Therefore I have a full motion tour of it. Coincidentally, I had the same unit listed back in 2006. So – for illustrative purposes only – I have gone back in time and grabbed my pics from the initial listing. Nobody should get their feelings hurt – these are my old pics taken with my old point and shoot. No wide angles, no nothing.
I have created a typical Virtual Tour, and will let you be the judge.
Which one do you like the best? If you were a buyer, which gives you more information? Context? Makes you want to take the next step?
If you were a seller on Lake Martin, which would you want to be used for your home, lot or condo?
Here’s the typical slide show. Now, PLEASE keep in mind – I DON’T DO THESE! It’s for illustrative purposes only! You may want to turn your speakers down a bit – Yanni doesn’t allow any voice overs to mar his sultry Virtual Tours’ insomnia fighting tunes.
What did you think?
Next, here’s the full motion video tour that I did for this condo, and also one I did a few years ago about Harbor Pointe in general. Turn your speakers back up - you can hear a narration description.
How about it? Can you please vote below?
You won’t have to give any personal info. It’s completely anonymous.
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