WHAT'S NEW IN LAKE LIVING

From new neighborhoods to home design, the pandemic is changing how we live at Lake Martin

STORY BY BETSY ILER

LWhile COVID-19 continues to have adverse impacts on world health, travel and economies, it’s had some positive effects at Lake Martin, and many of them – from new neighborhoods to floor plan and lifestyle changes – are probably here to stay.

Vice-president of real estate sales at Russell Lands, Steve Arnberg said the biggest change he’s seen in one in attitude. “More people are looking at the lake as a primary residence,” Arnberg said. “And also, the people in

Montgomery have discovered that Lake Martin is not very far from Montgomery, and it’s easier to live here fulltime.

It’s prettier, safer and they can go for a boat ride after school or take a walk, and the neighborhood is safe.” The new assisted living center at Russell Medical could be a boon to fulltime lake living as retired residents could stay in the area longer. They no longer need to move back to city centers for quality medical care, Arnberg said. “As people have spent more time here staying away from COVID-19, they have more clarity about what they want to buy. I don’t think this is a short run thing. It looks like this market will be stable for a while,” he said. Birmingham architect Taylor Dawson agreed that the coronavirus pandemic brought on some changes to lake home preferences and said those changes are common in town homes, as well. “People want some kind of office space now, usually a bedroom that can be converted,” Dawson said. Lake houses have been versions of homes in town for a long time now, Dawson said, with each house being designed so someone could live there permanently. “But at the same time, it needs to be a lake house and have qualities that lake houses have and the functionality of lake houses. The value of the land is so much different than it used to be. What’s on there has to work in a different way than strictly a vacation home,” he said. “The paradigm is that every single house on Lake Martin should be a Russell cabin, and that’s the starting point when planning a house at the lake.” Home designer Chuck Frusterio said the coronavirus pointed out that it’s important for lake homes to allow versatility on multiple levels.

“People are spending more time at their lake houses – staying eight months instead of six. Now, they might be there weeks at a time because they are working remotely and homeschooling their children. Any house should be versatile enough to absorb changes in lifestyle,” he said.

The best square footage for the money is to build a one-level home with a lake-access basement, he said.

“The lake house is downstairs, and if it is a fulltime home, the more formal or traditional house is upstairs.”

The price of building materials greatly affects the size and finishes, especially in a second home or vacation home, Frusterio said. With lumber costs on the rise, the square footage of a lake home has decreased by some 25 percent. That means smaller bedrooms and closets without sacrificing space in the common living areas.

“What you need in a lake house is space for people to sleep and storage for the linens,” Frusterio said. “Not many people literally hang up clothes on hangers in a lake house. They take T-shirts, bathing suits and sweat pants to the lake; they don’t need a walk-in closet. In the space of a walk-in closet in town, they can put bunks that will sleep four at the lake. What they need is drawer space.”

And as COVID-19 moved more entertaining outside, the outdoor kitchen has grown in scope, as well as importance, Frusterio said.

“Even suburban houses now have larger outdoor living

The Sanctuary will offer 15 waterfront lots on 200 acres

spaces. Outdoor kitchens are more popular, but there is at least a place for the grill or the egg cooker where guests can be more a part of it. An outdoor covered area that is screened is a must now,” he said.

As lifestyles continue to adapt to flexible parameters in the wake of COVID-19, low inventory has pushed the real estate industry to make more home sites available to enthusiastic buyers at Lake Martin.

Existing lake homes often sell before they officially go on the market, so many buyers have turned to building. Even then, lot sales are at record highs, and premier locations go for premier prices. Many homeowners now request dedicated office space in the floorplan

To fill the inventory void, several new neighborhoods are launching lot sales now or later this summer, with more announcements to come.

Phase 6 at South Ridge Harbor will open 15 lots this summer, and Ridge Run will open another 11, said Russell Lands Vice President of Real Estate Sales Steve Arnberg.

“In 2020, 60 properties were sold in The Ridge. In South Ridge Harbor, there are only three unsold lots in the three phases that have been released so far,” Arnberg said.

The Ridge phases are not being released in chronological sequence. Phase 6 is the fourth release.

Road building is in process in the new phase area, and lots are expected to release in May or June.

“We want the road in before people go in to look,” Arnberg explained.

Of the 64 waterfront lots released in the first phase of The Willows in 2016, only eight remain unsold. The last of the waterfront homes at The Willows, Phase 5, released 11 lots.

“We feel like we have a good supply for this year,” Arnberg said. “White Oak Landing is in Phase 2 and is in the final design for the third and final phase, which will add another 18 lots there. Those lots come with a house package.”

Arnberg said he also expects Russell Lands will make an announcement about a major new project very soon. Look for an update at lakemagazine.life.

On the east side of the lake and inside the city limits Closets are smaller of Alexander City, Miner’s Cove includes cottage home at the lake and include packages through Toland Construction. Situated on land more drawer space with mature trees and just minutes from U.S. Route 280, Phase 1 at Miner’s Cove includes 17 waterfront lots. Boat houses, piers and seawalls are permissible with developer approval. Contact Virginia Pettus about Miner’s Cove at 334-549-3933. The Point at Lake Martin also will be offered by Pettus. Nine waterfront cottages built by Holland Homes will be available, and the development is convenient to golfing, restaurants and marinas, as well as Auburn. The Sanctuary on Lake Martin, encompassing nearly 200 acres, will add some 15 waterfront homes to the eastern shore. Homes here will be built by TMP Construction and are offered by Pettus, as well. At Kennebec, a LakeTown developed on Alabama Power property, five lots remain unsold. Buyers may choose their own plans and builders. Kennebec is on the east side of Lake Martin, but another LakeTown development, Talisi Cove, is located on the southwest shoreline. A gated community, Talisi Cove offers a variety of neighborhood amenities, including a swimming pool. With these adaptable options and more flexibility in jobs and school, fulltime living at the lake has never been easier or more accommodating.