This is the story of Bryan and Allison Jones, who defied the odds of a slow real estate market and sold their Lake Martin waterfront home in 34 days in 2008.

Plus – it was a flip. We have so many spec homes on the Lake Martin market right now and back then.  We also have some foreclosures and bank REO as fallout  – they had to compete against them all.  They excelled.

But how??

1. Great design – their home escaped the noise of a crowded market in Lake Martin because of great design.  Call it unfair, but they had two advantages.  Bryan is an architect at JonesPierce Architects in Atlanta.  Allison is an interior designer with Insight Design Interiors Inc.  They improved on the home structurally by keeping the lake the focus, and topped it off with interior colors and features that Lake Martin buyers want like a claw foot tub in the master bath (not usually seen at that price level).

2. They didn’t overbuild – even though they have the chops to build anything they want, Bryan and Allison wisely realized that in order to sell, they shouldn’t create a seven bedroom home when most in their neighborhood had three.  Their restraint also kept the home in the meat of the bell curve of the Lake Martin market.

3. They focused on the selling points – get ready for a brilliant observation: people buy homes at Lake Martin for the lake.  The Jones opened up the home with big windows and doors in the great room, and bay windows there and in the master bedroom.  They also added a huge screened in porch that takes in the breeze on three sides while overlooking the water through the cool forest of some Alabama Power timber land.

Bryan and Allison’s methods can and should be duplicated by any waterfront sellers on Lake Martin.  If you have been trying to sell your home for a while, ask yourself:

1.  Do I have a good design for my lake home?
2. Am I overbuilt for my area?
3.  Do I highlight the selling points of my home?

If you need help answering these questions, call me at the number at the top of the page, or contact me here.