Jeff Lyon’s Blog

The levels at Lake Lanier held steady in December and towards the end of the month, they even rose slightly.   On December 26th the lake was at 1050.7 and by month’s end the lake was at 1051.3.  No, its not time to put the boats back in yet but it does show something important.  With just a few days of rain, the lake levels rise.  There are many homes on the lake that still have water and many more that need just a few feet of water for their docks to be afloat. 

Over the past several months many lake homes that did not sell were not re-listed.  Many that stayed on the market lowered their price because as the lake dried up- so did a large segment of the buying market.  But why?  The lake will come back.  Now is the time to buy.  prices have stabilized or in many cases prices have dropped.  Why wait until the lake comes back to buy?  prices will be on the rise again and the number of buyers will surely increase.

I was talking to some clients over the holidays.  Many of them bought lake property in the early part of the decade when the lake was very low.  Then, it was easy to see the depth of the cove and prices had dipped.  These are the lake property owners who have enjoyed substantial appreciation.  Buy now.

If you’d like to take a look at Lake Lanier properties contact Jeff at 770-846-8835 or jefflyon@kw.com.  Get a customized search at www.BuyLanier.com.

I told some clients that I was going to look at some lake properties the other day and asked them if they wanted to join me.  They laughed.  They thought I was kidding.  then they asked, “Why would we want to look at lake lanier properties now?”

This is a great time to look at properties on Lake Lanier!  One of the most important factors in determining the quality of a lake property is the water.  How much water is under the dock?  How much water is in the cove? 

Lake Lanier drops and rises annually.  looking at lake homes after the spring rains come can be misleading.  Many homes that have water in late May could run out by late August- before Labor Day!!  Even if the lake is at full pool, there may only be 5 feet of water under the dock.  The lake will almost always drop that much by summer’s end.  Then what?  No boating for you!

So, why look now?  Now is the best time to see how deep a cove actually is and just as important- how steep the drop is in the lake.  If the water goes down under the dock- can you push the dock out and find a deeper spot?  Sometimes but thats hard to figure out when the water is plentiful.  If the the bottom of the cove is level you can’t push the dock out because there aren’t any deep spots.  Thats invaluable information when deciding to buy on Lake Lanier.

Which houses are on the market right now?  For the most part- the ones that HAVE to sell.  That means lower prices for the buyer!

Want to look at some properties?  Contact TEAM LYON at 770-846-8835 or jefflyon@kw.com.   www.BuyLanier.com

No surprises there.  It’s been all over the news for months.  We don’t have any rain in the forecast  what’s the good news?  While most property owners on Lake Lanier who were considering selling have decided to hold out for a bit- many homeowners need to sell.  Prices have come down slightly and its a great time to buy lake property!  There are deals to be had.  When the lake levels rise- so do property values.

Even if you’re not sure about buying right now- it is a GREAT time to look.  What better way to see the true depth of a cove and what the drop-off looks like then when many docks are on dry ground.  Many docks still have water beneath them and if they do, you’ll know that, in most years, you’ll always have water under your dock…even when the neighbors don’t.  that’s value.

To view homes online go to www.BuyLanier.com.  If you’d like to see homes in person call Jeff at 770-846-8835 or email jefflyon@kw.com.

Absolutely!

With the help of some online marketing, weekend and weekly vacation rentals can help pay for some of your mortgage or all of it. 

Do people really ‘vacation’ on Lake Lanier?

Absolutely!  We have our lake home on 3 different vacation websites.  We’ve had people from around the country rent from us as well as people from metro Atlanta rent from us.  We even had some guests from Poland! 

Using vacation rental sites (http://vacationrentals.com/vacation-rentals/25747.html , http://www.vrbo.com/127993 , http://forgetaway.weather.com/vacationrentals/property/detail?locId=30503&propertyId=2099286&providerId=VR_WEB&from=featuredMod) we are able to rent our property AND enjoy the lake house ourselves.  Its easy and you don’t need a management company to help you.

Check with your lender…sometimes your lake home can qualify for a second home - which can get a better rate than a vacation home or investment property.

For more information go to www.BuyLanier.com or call TEAM LYON at 770-846-8835 or email jefflyon@kw.com.

No.

Well, I guess it it is possible but certainly not probable.  A client called yesterday after reading in USA TODAY that, “Lake Lanier, which supplies more than 70% of Atlanta’s water, could run dry by January without rainfall…”  That’s not entirely correct.  Two different issues are at play here.  Its been reported in the news, as well, that we have a 115 day supply of water in the lake.  This is when the water will fall below the pumps that send water through the dam.  This is NOT how long we have until the water is gone and we start driving our cars on the bottom of the lake.

Even for those buyers who aren’t sure if they want to buy a house right now, its a great time to look.  Want to know how much water is below a dock when its full or how steep the dropoff in the cove is?  Go and look right now and you won’t have any doubts. 

Call us! We can even go and look by boat because my cove still has water (smart buy).  www.BuyLanier.com  770-846-8835 or jefflyon@kw.com 

No.

Well, I guess it it is possible but certainly not probable.  A client called yesterday after reading in USA TODAY that, “Lake Lanier, which supplies more than 70% of Atlanta’s water, could run dry by January without rainfall…”  That’s not entirely correct.  Two different issues are at play here.  Its been reported in the news, as well, that we have a 115 day supply of water in the lake.  This is when the water will fall below the pumps that send water through the dam.  This is NOT how long we have until the water is gone and we start driving our cars on the bottom of the lake.

Even for those buyers who aren’t sure if they want to buy a house right now, its a great time to look.  Want to know how much water is below a dock when its full or how steep the dropoff in the cove is?  Go and look right now and you won’t have any doubts. 

Call us! We can even go and look by boat because my cove still has water (smart buy).  www.BuyLanier.com  770-846-8835 or jefflyon@kw.com 

I was with a client recently looking at properties on Lake Lanier.  He was enamored with a dock that had a beautiful path and stairway down to the dock.  He was ready to write the contract and put his boat in the slip.  I told him that we’d write a contingency allowing us to meet with the corps of engineers to check on the dock.

“They’ve got a permit, though.  The corps has allowed all the upgrades, right?” asked my client.

No.  There are many homeowners who have made improvements, not only to their dock, but also on their pathway to the dock who have not followed the corps’ guidelines.  Just because the sale of the property goes through in no way means that the corps of engineers will automatically issue a dock permit.  The dock permit will be transferred but if any changes were made to the path or the dock that were not approved- changes will need to be made before a new permit is issued.

These are all issues that make hiring a Realtor who works on the lake of the utmost importance.

 Want to take a look at some properties on Lake Lanier?  Call TEAM LYON  770-846-8835 or email jefflyon@kw.com

As a property owner on Lake Lanier and as a Realtor who works on Lanier, I’ve got a vested interest in the lake levels at Lanier.  Everyday, as part of my routine, I click on my ’favorites’ button labeled “Lake Levels”.   This year I’ve watched as those levels dropped day after day after day.

The lake levels affect my family’s leisure time on the lake.  Our dock still has plenty of water beneath it(good buy on our part) but we have to be careful swimming and boating in our cove and out on the lake.  Of course, the drought has created some nice islands for boating breaks- last week we played bocce ball on a beach that is usually 10 feet underwater.

The water levels haven’t put too much of a damper on the Lake Lanier Real Estate market.  The lake market has slowed with the rest of the market but it hasn’t slowed beyond the rest of the market.  Values have continued to appreciate and many experts believe that they will continue to do so.  Its a good time to buy or just look.  A buyer will get a good sense of how important the lake levels are and the importance of cove width and distance between docks.  All these factors affect the ability to use your dock year round, even in the worst of droughts.

Currently the lake level is at 1059.68ft.- more than a foot below last year’s  lowest level of 1060.89 in October.  This is the lowest water level since 2002 when the lake hit 1058. 

Be careful while boating- the low level has created some new challenges for boaters!

For Lake Lanier Real Estate assistance go to www.BuyLanier.com or call Jeff at 770-846-8835 or email jefflyon@kw.com

Welcome to Jeff Lyon’s Blog! This blog will provide you with valuable information, tips, and general insight into the real estate market on and around Lake Lanier.