Lake Martin Waterfront Sales - April 2007 vs April 2008 - A Photo Finish
Lake Martin real estate waterfront sales showed some signs of improvement in April 2008 as compared to April 2007.
In April 2008, there were 18 waterfront homes and condos and 1 lot sold through the Lake Martin MLS.* Compare that to 2007 when 17 homes and condos were sold and 2 lots. Combine them together, and you’re at a dead heat of 19 properties in each year.
For those keeping a running tally, and don’t feel like clicking back to the post where covered Lake Martin sales for the first quarter of 2008, that makes a total of 35 residences sold through the MLS the first four months of 2008 and 50 residences sold in the first four months of 2007.
While it might not represent the explosion of waterfront property sales that sellers were hoping for, it does show a potential for Lake Martin sales to be better in 2008 than they were in 2007.
First of all, in March 07 there were 25 sales, and then in April 07 it dropped to 17. In 2008, we had 11 in March and 18 in April. In fact, sales through the Lake Martin MLS in April 08 matched the sales in the previous 3 months combined. So at least we are on an upswing in 2008.
Interested in buying Lake Martin property? Email me or call me at the number at the top of this page. I’ll help you sort through all of the choices and help you get the best deal for the home or lot of your dreams. All realtor fluffery aside, this summer truly is a great time to buy. Don’t wait until next year.
Related Articles:
Lake Martin Is High, But So Is Real Estate Inventory
Lake Martin MLS Sales – 2007 Year In Review
(*)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 sales on Lake Martin.
Lake Martin Tour Of Fine Homes in Trillium
Saturday May 17 you will have another chance to tour some really nice homes in Trillium on Lake Martin while benefiting the Children’s Harbor.
This is not your average Lake Martin home tour, where they are all for sale and realtors are there breathing on you while you try and eat those weenies in BBQ sauce. These homes are not (to my knowledge) for sale, they are just opening them up to tour.
If you like seeing homes and getting design ideas, you may want to check it out. If you buy tickets ahead of time, you will save $5. If you wait until Saturday it will cost you $30, but the proceeds benefit the Children’s Harbor, so you can feel good about that. The Children’s Harbor is located just across highway 63 (or under Kowaliga Bridge by boat) from Trillium.
If you are interested call the Children’s Harbor at 334–857–2133.
For more details on the homes involved, see this article in the Birmingham News.
If you are interested in homes for sale in Trillium or anywhere else on Lake Martin, call me on my cell phone (number at the top of the page) or email me.
Related Articles:
Lake Martin Neighborhood Spotlight: Trillium
Tell Your Realtor To Shut Up And Listen To You
Lake Martin Is High, But So Is Real Estate Inventory
The Ridge Marine In Water Boat Show 2008
The Ridge Marina on Lake Martin hosted its In Water Boat Show for 2008 last weekend. I went down there on Thursday and filmed a little video footage of the Marina. It was a beautiful day, albeit windy. I was going to post this on Friday to give folks a chance to look around before they came. So by posting this today, I guess it becomes a “in case you missed it” vlog.
Russell Marine had a lot of boats out for show. There were also a lot of homes for sale in the Ridge that were open for touring, as well as some townhomes in The Ledges at The Ridge for sale.
Alex City Jazz Fest 2008 At The Lake Martin Amphitheater
The Alex City Jazz Fest, held in downtown Alexander City and at the Lake Martin Amphitheater, announces its dates and the performing acts for 2008. As usual, it is loaded with talent:
Friday, June 13, downtown Alex City:
6:00 PM – Coolbone Brass Band – they are a true marching New Orleans style “Brass Band.” Don’t confuse them with your Uncle Leo in his ban-lon playing a snappy ditty on the oboe. These guys march, play, dance, get among the crowd and entertain the whole time. Don’t be late, I hear they are going to do something different on their opening song.
7:30 PM – Amanda Shaw – she is a 17 year old fiddle phenom from Louisiana. This is a great example of how the Jazz Fest seeks to bring you a wide variety of different music. I think they tried to book her last year and are glad to snag her now.
9:30 PM – Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk – they are fresh off a date at the other Jazz Fest (New Orleans). If you have never heard of the Neville Brothers and therefore Ivan, then you deserve to miss this rare treat. Most people have to pay $50 a head to hear any Neville; you can hear them for free. If you don’t have the good sense to show up, nothing I say or link to here will change that.
Saturday, June 14, 2008 – Lake Martin Amphitheater
6:30 PM – Randall Bramblett – he has toured and played with folks like Greg Allman, Widespread Panic, Traffic, and a little band called the Grateful Dead. Bill Berry of R.E.M. says he’s “the most talented and prolific song writer I have the privilege of knowing.”
8:00 PM – Zac Brown Band – I don’t know much about him but he seems to be a fun “southern” style act that gets the crowd rolling. Check out his web site.
10:00 PM – Joe Bonamassa – I am really excited about this one. He opened for B.B. King 
when he was 12 years old. I hear him and his music played all the time on Sirius Satellite Radio’s Blues Channel 74. He is all over various magazine covers, and is a pretty big deal in blues & guitar circles. They have been trying to book this guy for a couple of years now. He is good. He is to 2008 as Derek Trucks was to 2006 – that is, the guy that your friend will see on the t-shirt a year from now and will say “Bonamassa played for free on Lake Martin? Please tell me you went.”
More About the Alex City Jazz Fest:
The Jazz Fest is a FREE BYOB event made possible by its sponsors. If you choose to drink, please drink responsibly. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets to each location and enjoy the atmosphere. This event is always a good time and one of the Lake Martin area’s biggest parties. In fact, it is one of the few remaining music festivals of its size in the southeast that is still FREE. Sure, you have to pay a parking fee Saturday at the LMAT, but it’s still pretty cheap at $10 a car. A lot of the money goes to the Kowaliga Area Volunteer Fire Department, so you can feel good about that.
The Alex City Jazz Fest always needs more sponsors, so please click here if you are interested in becoming a fan favorite. $300 is the minimum sponsorship level, but if you want to be a “Friend” you can contribute whatever you can.
Lunch At Willow Point, Lake Martin
A couple of Sundays ago found us at Willow Point eating lunch to celebrate my Mom’s birthday. We ate lunch in the Willow Point Clubhouse, which overlooks the golf course, and of course, Lake Martin. I had my camera with me, and it was such a beautiful day, I thought to take a few photos.
Why do most Lake Martin lovers wait until Memorial Day to come to the lake? Beats me. Springtime has great weather – plenty of sun and temps in the low 70s. What a beautiful day. Enjoy:
Willow Point’s 18th green:
Willow Point’s Driving Range:
The tee box on number 10, one of the holes that play along Lake Martin:
Willow Point Villas (available for rent by members):
The Pool & Cabana:
Tell Your Realtor To Shut Up And Listen To You
I grew up on Lake Martin, in the real estate business. I know what I like. I know which parts of Lake Martin I prefer. I have been all over this lake, and have friends in every corner. But guess what…
No one cares about that.
Especially my clients… nor should they.
One of the first things my dad taught me about Lake Martin real estate was “don’t show them what you like, show them what THEY like.” Simple but true.
The key to helping people be happy with their waterfront property is to focus on what they think, not you.
A realtor’s local knowledge and experience does matter, but only to the extent that they use that to help their clients get what they want. There are all kinds of buyers out there.
Some Lake Martin buyers prefer Kowaliga Creek to Blue Creek. Some prefer the Preserve at Stoney Ridge to the Ledges at The Ridge. It doesn’t matter what I prefer.
On the selling end, in order to be the best listing agent, I must look at a seller’s lake home with the eyes of an unbiased buyer, not filtered by my own preferences. I have to market each home based on its own unique properties. You don’t market a condo in Stillwaters the same way that you do a cabin in Little Kowaliga.
So how do you find out what people want? You shut up. You ask a good question, then you shut up and listen to their answer.
Not that I am perfect at this. I constantly have to remind myself to be quiet and listen. I make it a habit to ask specific, dialog inducing questions - not “did you like that waterfront lot?” - rather “what about that lot did you like?” The latter helps me understand their reasons instead of just logging a result.
The more I learn about the client, the better I can help, and the happier they will be.
I believe it was jazz great Dizzy Gillespie that said, “It’s taken me much of my life to learn what notes not to play.”
Amen, Dizzy.
