Amenities Of The Ridge, Lake Martin
I am working with a couple of buyers in The Ridge, a Russell Lands development in Lake Martin. I always get asked lots of questions about the amenities at the Ridge, so I thought I would shoot a video to show some of them.
Basically, if you own a home, a lot, or a town-home in the Ridge, you have the right to access all of the amenities, like the pool, the Ridge Club, the tennis courts, walking trails, boat launch, and Beach Club. The Ridge Marina is public, but of course easily accessed by Ridge owners.
Here is the video:
I should have shot more footage of all the walking trails and sidewalks of the Ridge, a lot of people like to use them. Maybe it’s material for a future video.
Properties for sale in The Ledges at The Ridge:
276 Ledges Trail (click here for property description)
here is a video tour of the townhome:
Related Posts:Lake Martin Real Estate Spotlight: The Ridge
Lake Martin Real Estate Spotlight: The Ridge Update
Lake Martin Real Estate Spotlight: Trillium
Trillium, one of Russell Lands’ more mature Lake Martin developments, is located just west of Kowaliga Marina. Along with Willow Point and The Ridge, Trillium has some of the more high end homes on Lake Martin.
Trillium was one of Russell Lands’ first neighborhoods that were completed in different phases. The first homes were built there around 1989. One element that was new to Lake Martin at the time was Russell Lands’ use of causeway construction.
Years of erosion on Lake Martin had made islands out of former peninsula. Russell Lands poured a lot of money in the construction of causeways to bring paved roads and utilities, thereby rescuing millions of dollars of real estate. I can remember one such “island” on the first phase. It was divided into four huge lots and priced at $250,000 each. It was laughingly dubbed “million dollar island” by hordes of us skeptical locals. We pondered “what fool would pay that much for one lot?” Eighteen years later, that amount will barely buy you any sort of waterfront lot, much less a showcase one like those on the points at Trillium. Turns out that we were the fools for not realizing the demand that would spur a long bull run for Lake Martin property. Lots like those would now cost you 10 times that amount if you could buy them at all.
By my unofficial count, there are 213 waterfront lots in all of Trillium. As of this writing, there are 8 homes and 4 lots for sale in Trillium in the Lake Martin MLS. If you would like any information on them, give me a call or email me.
Amenities:
Trillium does not have a clubhouse. It does have a guardhouse protecting the lone entry, but I have never seen a guard there. I suppose they could put someone there in the future if they wanted.
Because Trillium doesn’t have a clubhouse, it does not have any related things like a pool or workout center or anything. They do have some walking trails that are cut through the non-waterfront woods.
Lot types:
Waterfront lots in Trillium are flat. Just as many of the lots in The Ridge (link) are sloped, Trillium’s overall topography almost guarantees that each one of its lots are flat.
Generally, the lots are also big (for Lake Martin) and deep, sitting far back from the roadways. Trillium’s lots are also well covered with tall, mature pines.
There are no interior lots or homes. All homes in Trillium are waterfront. Who knows, maybe one day Russell Lands will sell off the interior land. Right now, they have retained fairly large sections of woods in between the phases to give Trillium a beautiful, woodsy, private feel.
Factoids:
Back in the heyday of “Russell cabins” Mrs. Edith Russell used to have a couple of cabins at the end of Pine Point. Apparently she was a fan of the trillium, a pretty, symbolic wildflower native to this part of Alabama. Hence the name of the subdivision and its types the names of many of its streets: Wake Robin, Nodding, Grandiflorium, Underwood, Catesby, and Narrowleaf.
Lake Martin Real Estate Spotlight: Eagle’s Point
One of Lake Martin’s newest developments – Eagle’s Point – has a model home that is ready to see plus several other spaces for lots.
Located at the easternmost end of Coosa County Road 20, Eagle’s Point has big water views looking southeast at the junction of Parker Creek and Kowaliga towards Willow Point and Sand Island.
Density: Phase I of Eagle’s Point has a total of 11 homes planned. Each home will have and its own pier. They have already cleared out the home sites, so if you drive by boat or car, you’ll see the phase I area. The planned Phase II extends east, across the causeway towards Veazy’s Marina. There are 20 planned homes in Phase II. A Phase III of interior lots is also planned.
House Plans: Eagle’s Point offers three different house plans. There are 2 plans with 3 
bedrooms and 2.5 baths. One plan has 4 beds and 4.5 baths. All are three stories and have at least 2,500 square feet.
Builder: All the homes will be built by Lake Martin builder Sammy Ransome. You cannot bring your own builder.
Pricing: The smallest home on lots 4 and 5 go for $980,000. The 2,762 square foot 4/4.5 is priced at $1,175,000. Right now there are 2 on the MLS – lot one (a 3/3.5 and 2,762 sf) priced at $1,115,000 and lot two (4/4 at 2,762) priced at $1,150,000. Prices like these put it in a similar to other Lake Martin developments like The Ridge and Willow Point.
Amenities: Eagle’s Point will have a gated entrance, private beach, common area fire pits, community dock for guests, golf cart parking by boat launch.
Directions: Eagle’s Point is in the Coosa County side of Lake Martin, at the end of Coosa County Road 20. Google Map to Eagle’s Point
2 or 3 Thousand Expected at The Ridge Showcase of Homes - Lake Martin
Russell Lands is hosting the “Annual Showcase of Homes” at its newest Lake Martin development – The Ridge.
The showcase is happening over two weekends – September 15 and 16 as well as September 22 and 23, 2007. Many of the builder spec homes that are for sale will be open to the public to tour. Russell Lands is also having the Grand Opening of The Ridge Club on September 15.
I am not sure which or how many of the The Ridge spec homes that are currently for sale will be in the Showcase. By my last count on the Lake Martin Area MLS, there are about 35 homes and 8 town homes (The Ledges at the Ridge) for sale right now in the Ridge. In the Spring Home and Boat Tour, (the last “parade” they did) I think they had like 14 or so homes available.
According to their press release by Schroder Public Relations, Russell Lands expects between 2,000 and 3,000 people to come through these two weekends.
Would you like a friendly, unbiased, neighborhood realtor to help guide you through the festivities? Drop me a line and I would be glad to help.
Lake Martin Real Estate Spotlight: The Ridge Update
The Ridge – Russell Lands’ newest Lake Martin development – is near to completing its Ridge Clubhouse and Pool Area, while Phase III construction is ramping up.
I popped by The Ridge last week to look at some lots in Phase III. Phase III – which stretches south towards the Dixie Sailing Club, which is Lake Martin’s largest sailing organization. Phase III already has a few spec homes on the MLS, and builders are already started a few custom builds.
Originally, Russell Lands had planned to move Dixie Sailing Club out of The Ridge to their new digs by Labor Day 2007. But this letter from Russell Lands General Counsel Steve Forehand has forestalled that trail of tears until Labor Day 2008. Maybe they made this decision because sales in 2007 have not been as brisk as 2006. Who knows. The fact is, the old salts at DSC have one more year.
While I was checking out the view of Lake Martin from some new lots at The Ridge, I stopped by the Ridge Club to see how construction was going. As I stated in this earlier post, I really must say that The Ridge Club will be very nice when they are done. The pool area is comparable to many area country clubs, with a resort style, multi leveled, no sharp angle feel.
Inside The Ridge Clubhouse will be nice, too. I am a sucker for big stone and big wood, and the architecture in here looks like something out of Rohan. I’m loving it.
Check the numbers here; now is a great time to be a buyer in The Ridge. Need help?
Related Posts:
Free Boats at The Ridge Boat Show & Spring Home Tour
Lake Martin Real Estate Spotlight: The Ridge
Lake Martin Real Estate Spotlight: Bolton Cove Update
Lake Martin has a lot of development and new construction going on right now. One of the newest neighborhoods is called Bolton Cove. Below are some pictures of the construction progress, and how it compares to their plans.
Will the above be the site of the Bolton Cove Clubhouse?
The above is a rendering of the planned Bolton Cove Clubhouse per the developer.
To the left is an example of the “Tuscan inspired” lake homes that will be the theme throughout Bolton Cove. I doubt you will be able to rent any of these.
Below is a pic, I assume of home sites, next to an existing Lake Martin home that is 
not part of the project.
The pic to the left was made standing on the south end of the cove, looking west to the back of that slough. I couldn’t easily tell by looking around how much waterfront the lots will have on Lake Martin. Maybe the next time I check I will be able to see some stakes or something.
Planned amenities of Bolton Cove:
The Bolton Cove Manor provides:
- A community meeting room
- Dressing areas
- Swimming pool
- Hot tub
- Covered pavilions
- Outdoor fireplace
- Lake side beach
Concierge services:
- Boat valet to the marina
- Private slips
- Lawn care
- Hosting for Manor events
To find Bolton Cove by land, from Birmingham you take 280 east, then take a right on highway 9 south at Kellyton, Alabama. Then take a left on Coosa County Road 20 east. Take Coosa 20 east until you take a right on the second Bywater Road, Bolton Cove is immediately on your left. You can take a left on Kowaliga Cove Road, it borders some of Bolton Cove, too.
From Montgomery, take Alabama highway 9 north, take a right on 259 north at Equality, then a right on Coosa 20 east, see above.
From Auburn take 280 west, then take a left on 22 west in Alex City, then a left on 259 south, then left on Coosa 20 east, see above.
By water, you need to be on the Kowaliga side of Lake Martin. Go north towards Willow Point. Pass by Sand Island. Head towards Veazy’s Marina and Scrushy’s house. When you see the point across the water from Veazy’s, hang a left and go west. Bolton Cove is almost directly west of Veazy’s.
Related post:
Have You Heard About These 4 New Projects On Lake Martin?
Lake Martin Real Estate Spotlight: The Ridge
Russell Lands has developed neighborhoods on Lake Martin for over thirty years, but its newest, The Ridge, is vastly different from any one it has done before.
Russell Lands has gated communities like Willow Point, and the Ridge is near to its other developments of Windermere, Windermere West, and Windover. But The Ridge is a totally new animal. Here are 5 Things That Make The Ridge Different:
1. Heavy emphasis on selling through approved builders - Russell Lands started this Lake Martin trend a few years ago with Phase I of The Ridge, and continues it with Phase III. They sell a certain number of lots to “approved” builders, who build spec houses and then turn around and sell them for the builders. In prior developments, they sold almost 100% to the end homeowner. The use of approved builders gives them much greater control over the quality of the homes. They also get a lot of design consistency on the look of the homes by also having “approved” architects. I think this also drives up the price so that their initial offering lot price to homeowners is pretty high. As far as I can figure there is no real “pre-construction” pricing.
2. The Ridge Marina - Russell Lands owns plenty of marinas around Lake Martin, but The Ridge Marina is the only one that is inside the gates of one of their developments. It is a safe bet to say that The Ridge Marina is one of the largest marinas 
on the lake. The marina is close to Chimney Rock by water. They sell gas, they have a huge line of boats that they sell, and also sell boating and skiing accessories. Another big part of their business is boat storage. You can rent a wet slip (a parking spot at a dock), but they are more expensive and rare than dry storage. Dry storage is where they stack your boat on a huge rack inside their warehouse. When you are ready to go, they come pick it off the rack with a forklift and put it in the water. No matter how many times I see that it still makes me nervous. They are adding on to the dry storage. A company official was quoted as saying the The Ridge Marina will have the “biggest dry storage east of the Mississippi.” That’s big, friends.
3. The Ridge Club - Russell Lands is currently building a 9,000 square foot clubhouse called The Ridge Club. While Willow Point has its Golf and Country Club, Willow Point residents are not necessarily members of the club, and vice versa. In the Ridge, however, part of the homeowner association dues pays for membership to The Ridge Club. Planned amenities include swimming pools, tennis courts, 
athletic fields, children’s play center, workout / cardio center, and a bar and grill. From what I hear they have commercial lots set aside for possible restaurants, etc. See the construction progress photos on the left. It looks like it will be as nice as promised.
4. Off water activities - Usually, in Lake Martin new construction developments, merely token emphasis is placed on off-water lots and properties. At The Ridge, Russell Lands attempts to offer something to do off of the water, and (I assume) by association, raise 
the value of off-water residential lots. They have designed sidewalks all through the Ridge, which is very different for the lake. They also have cut in extensive walking trails through the woods around The Ridge. I hear that the ultimate plan is to be able to walk, run, or bike on trails from The Ridge to Willow Point. Look at a Lake Martin map to appreciate how huge of an area that is. They also have plans for a town center located on highway 63, close to Windermere Road, that will have kitschy shops, a high end grocery store, and a gourmet restaurant. (I will post more news as they confirm the details.)
5. Marketing and Events - Russell Lands has promoted The Ridge like no other Lake Martin development. If you haven’t received at least 3 mailers on it, you should have your feelings hurt, because they sent them to everyone in the area that pays taxes and has a pulse. They also have been all over the home design type magazines. Their homes have had multiple spotlights in Southern Living Magazine, and had tons of other regional media attention and write ups. They also have really played up the Spring and Summer Tour of Homes. This spring they have even tied the events in with a boat show at The Ridge Marina. I have to hand it to them, it works. In the past ten years Lake Martin has gone from a regional treasure to getting attention on a national level. This was due in large part to Russell Lands’ tirele$$ promotions.
If you wonder how long this will last, check the map. They are selling Phase III now, with (I guess) a couple more phases left up the sleeve for The Ridge. Then it’s on to the next big thing. Does anyone have a guess on where the next one will be? Comment below!
Lake Martin Real Estate Spotlight: Willow Point
Willow Point was the first Lake Martin neighborhood by developer Russell Lands. After years of having only rental cabins, Russell Lands started a new era in Lake Martin real estate by developing and selling high end deeded lots in the early 1970s.
Willow Point is unique in that it is the only Russell Lands development that currently has a private golf and country club. The Willow Point Golf and Country Club was founded in 1964. It is truly a gated community, where you are stopped at the gate by a guard and you must show your ownership sticker or explain your business.
Willow Point has a Championship Grade 18 hole, par 72 golf course that twists and turns and follows Lake Martin’s shores. Eight holes are bordered by the Lake, and hole number 13 is a par three island green. As you can imagine, the rest of the holes have plenty of water, too. If your skill level is like mine, be prepared to lose some golf balls. They also have tennis courts, rental villas for members, a restaurant, bar and grill, fitness center, and pool. It is truly a beautiful club.
Real estate prices in Willow Point have historically been among the strongest on Lake 
Martin. Vacant lots are rare since the development is almost built out. Lots start in the 400s and go up from there. Residences range from town homes to the biggest home on the lake, the mammoth compound of infamous (former) HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy. If you have ever seen it by water, you know it. It is the top attraction on the “big house” boat tour.
Willow Point has the benefit of being inside the city limits of Alexander City, which means it has all of the utilities and conveniences thereof. This was once a huge benefit 30 years ago when almost no other area of Lake Martin had trash, phone, and cable services. Now this is not such an advantage, but Willow Point does boast another unmatched amenity: a paved, lighted airstrip. The Russell Airfield is 4,500 feet long, so you plane owners should know if you can land there or not.
With all of the benefits listed above, Willow Point will likely continue to have a strong position in the real estate market on Lake Martin.
Heard About These 4 New Projects On Lake Martin?
Psssst .. There are 4 new construction projects on Lake Martin that might be news to you. 
Everyone loves a juicy piece of gossip, and the only thing growing faster than the Lake Martin real estate market is the grapevine that spreads the news about it. Are any of the new construction projects below going to be near your lake place, or the one you plan to buy?
- 1. The Bluffs at Copper Creek
- Location – Off of Centerport Road and Highway 50
- Concept – Condominiums
- Density – 8 buildings – 3 stories each, 10 units per building or 80 total
- Price Range – looks like the first phase is $341,000 to $431,000
- Available – First buildings to be ready by “late Summer 07”
- Lowdown – This is on the Cooper Branch of Blue Creek. How they got from Cooper to Copper I do not know. Maybe there is a Copper Creek in Cooper Branch. They’re still working out details such as boat slips and amenities.
2. Waterstone
- Location – Near Nero’s Rock Road off of Elmore County Road 80 and Highway 63
- Concept – turn key homes, community waterfront
- Density – there are 93 lots for sale on the master plan
- Price Range – 4 different house plans from $289,900 – $319,900
- Available – taking reservations, no construction is apparent right now
- Lowdown – 93 homes on about 12 acres (per tax map). None of them will own waterfront. There will be a zone along the shoreline that apparently will be owned by the Homeowners’ Association. The 8 planned docks will be community property as well.
3. Crowne Pointe
- Location – Take Highway 50 to Centerport Road to Silverhill Road, all the way at the end of the peninsula
- Concept – Condominiums
- Density – 5 buildings, 3 stories each, 18 units per building or 90 total
- Price Range – resales are priced from $375,000 to $610,000
- Available – all 5 buildings still under construction, buildings 1 & 2 – Spring 2007, 17 for sale on MLS now (you can search it by clicking “MLS Listing Search” on the right margin, no strings attached)
- Lowdown – These units were the priciest until the Ledges at the Ridge and The Pointe in Stillwaters. They took a long time to get going, but they’re closing in on being ready. Big water views abound.
4. Bolton Cove
Location – Take Highway 9 to Highway 259 to Coosa County Road 20- Concept – 25 Tuscan villas based around and sharing a Manor, pool, beach, and various concierge services
- Density – 25 home sites
- Price Range – according to the website $700,000 to over $1 million
- Available – taking reservations, construction is not apparent right now
- Lowdown – I guess if the Maestro has Tuscany locked down, Jerry Seinfeld can get a villa here on Lake Martin
Click here for Bolton Cove Update
Do you see any corrections that I need to make? What about construction updates? Has anyone heard of any other new developments? Break the news here by writing a comment below.