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
Free Boats At The Ridge Boat Show & Spring Home Tour
Free boats Lake Martin!!
Russell Lands’ big event is the Russell Marine In-Water Boat Show and Spring Tour of Homes at The Ridge. It is scheduled for two weekends, April 28 & 29 and also May 5 & May 6.
For the past couple of years, Russell Lands has done a couple of the Tour of Homes deals per year at The Ridge. This year they are combining it with a Boat Show at the Ridge Marina, hence the lengthy title “Russell Marine In-Water Boat Show & Spring Tour of Homes.”
Basically you can go out to the Ridge Marina and test drive some boats. I understand they
will have ski boats, Hurricanes, pontoon boats, etc. Then, you hop in the car and go on the Spring Tour of Homes at the Ridge. Each of the featured homes will have a nice new boat parked out front.
Here it is - the payoff – the “free” boat – : “if you buy one of the nine feature(d) homes you will also receive a brand new boat from Russell Marine.”
Considering that the nine featured homes are all priced at over $1 million, the “free” boat is a nice gesture, but it’s not like it’s worth 10% of the home’s value or anything.
But, if you or any of your loved ones need a house and a boat, and would like to buy one (or all!) nine homes, and would like to receive one or nine “free” boats, just give me a call, I would be glad to arrange it!
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Lake Martin Real Estate Spotlight: The Ridge
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.
