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Articiles writtern by Lake Lanier Fine Homes Resort Specialist Arlene Ingram




	See also, Lake Value Facts articles

Q: How much are lots on Lake Lanier?

A: That's like asking how much is a car. Car prices are all valued by make and model. Simply said, it depends on the quality.

Waterfront lots at Lanier are valued by not only the quality, but the ageless real estate term location, location, location. (That is if you can find a lake lot at all.) The reason raw waterfront lots are hard to come by is that Lanier is over 50 years old and has been almost totally developed.

If you ride around on the vast 38,000 acres by boat you may see lots of prime uninhabited land but that almost always is US Corps of Engineers controlled property. You and I can't buy that. That's because at Lake Lanier, our property lines stop off at the topography elevation line 1,085 (commonly called the take line). This flood pool boundary was arrived at by aerial survey before the lake was filled. This means that only rarely do property lines extend to the waters edge. Therefore most property, unless it's grand fathered pasture, is partially or completely treed.

Certainly the size of lake lots vary but typically they are around a half acre. It's the quality and quantity of the waterfront footage that really counts so more land is not necessarily better.

Lake lot value is based on far too many factors to express here, however, view, topography, water depth and location are revenant, universal characteristics most people readily identify with.

However, the issue of dock permitability and all that it entails is the single most important value factor on this lake. And by the way, a boat dock is personal property. The lake resident pays a fee to the US Corps of Engineers for a permit to float it and any additional personal usage permits on government land.

Lot prices at Lake Lanier may vary from time to time depending on what becomes available to the market but this year the typical price range is up again from $300+/- to $1Mil+/-. Remember the value factors above, this is where they all come into play.

Yes, is seems that Lake Lanier waterfront lot values are something akin to the vast difference between a Hyundai and a Ferrari. But looks are sometimes deceiving, so don't forget to look under the hood. It would be wise to ask a Lake Lanier Real Estate Specialist.....

Q: Can I buy a fixer-upper at Lake Lanier?

A: Sure. How much fixin do you want to do?

Unless it's new or nearly new, most folks change things in any home they buy to fit their own lifestyle and taste.
Waterfront homes are no different. Except at Lanier, many properties are/were second homes and some even sparse cabins. (Almost like camping.) So conceivably when you ask for a fixer-upper there may be more work than you bargained for, if you want a full-time home on the water.
Ever increasingly there are more and more year-round residents. In recent years some have started from scratch but most have fixed-up or added-to. Some of the homes have been remodeled over and over, typically because they are sitting on a great lake lot, and it's now cost effective to simply tear down and start over.
As I have stated in past articles, Lanier is over 50 years old and has been almost totally developed. Therefore, waterfront lots of any kind, but especially those with good views and gentle slopes to the water, are scarce. That is why the teardown house, perched on a nice lake lot, is now in great demand.
Over the years I have found that people visualize various things that they believe lake living is all about and what they perceive they can buy their dream lake property for. Then they come looking at the lake and are, for the most part, quite disappointed and/or in sticker shock. They then return home, re-evaluate their wants and needs, and re-group.
For instance, privacy on the lake is one of the things people say they would like to have. You will generally find that down every little road or pig trail around the Lake Lanier there is human habitat. And you may find a property where you see nothing but woods and only a driveway. But, when you reach the house at the end of the drive, there are neighbors all around. Why...because waterfront footage is so valuable that, routinely, privacy is far too costly.

Optimistically, lake property on Lanier has historically been a great investment. Besides, lake living is awesome, the folks are friendly so come join the fun?


	arlene @lakelanier.net & www.lakelanier.net Associate Broker, Prudential Georgia Realty GA 400 Lake Lanier Office, Featured lake real estate columnist for the Lake Lanier Herald Home 770-844-5963

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