Tag: lake homes

5 Steps to Take When You’re Ready to Sell Your House

Posted on Nerdwallet (LHR Content Provider)

key in door lock with house key chain

Your home is likely your largest investment.

When it’s time to sell, you’ll want your investment to impress buyers and earn top dollar.

A real estate agent can suggest ways to make the process go smoothly, but all homeowners can take some basic steps even without professional help.

Here are five important steps to take when you’re ready to sell your house.

1. Declutter

Remove knickknacks, toys and other belongings that clutter the rooms in your house to make the spaces seem larger and more open.

Buyers will also have fewer distractions as they walk through the home.

Don’t plan on shoving your clutter into closets, though, because potential buyers will open closet doors as they tour your house. If you have a lot of clutter and find it hard to get organized, consider temporarily renting storage space for some of your belongings.

2. Repair damaged items

If you have small issues, such as holes in walls or lights that don’t work, now’s the time to fix them.

To get an idea of what you need to repair, walk through your home and imagine yourself as a buyer, or walk through with a friend you can trust.

Are there defects that you’ve learned to overlook but that would catch your attention when seeing them for the first time?

You’ll also want to make sure you correct major issues that a buyer may not see immediately, such as problems with the heating and cooling system, before you put your home on the market.

A potential buyer will probably hire a home inspector before closing. If the inspector finds problems, the sale could be put on hold until they’re resolved.

3. Deep clean

Go beyond your weekly cleaning routine.

Every surface a potential buyer sees is a surface that needs to be clean. Messy spaces could send the message that you don’t take care of your home, and it could make potential buyers wonder what else is wrong with the property.

A deep cleaning means shampooing carpets, washing windows and cleaning tile grout throughout the house.

Pay special attention to bathrooms; make sure fixtures are sparkling and wipe out any dirt rings or mold patches.

Keep up the cleaning routine while your home is on the market. If you’re pressed for time, consider hiring a weekly cleaning service.

4. Plan pleasing scents

You probably don’t want buyers who enter your home to catch lingering odors from last night’s dinner.

For a nicer aroma, add fragrances around the kitchen and throughout your home.

The smell of freshly baked cookies is pleasant for many buyers. If you prepare a batch just before a showing — and offer them to the buyer and real estate agent — you could make your home stand out.

There’s no need to worry if you’re not much of a baker.

A few well-placed sticks of cinnamon or citrus fruit, such as oranges, can also produce a refreshing scent.

In fact, a 2013 study published in the Journal of Retailing and reported by the Wall Street Journal determined that a simple orange aroma encouraged buyers to spend more money at a home decor store, compared with other scents.

5. Stage your home

Your decor expresses your personality, but home shoppers may have different tastes.

Consider changing the decor to appeal to a large number of buyers. This practice is known as “staging,” and it could mean you rearrange furniture, tone down dramatic wall paint with more neutral colors or even rent new pieces of furniture until the home is sold.

In a 2015 National Association of Realtors report on home staging, 52 percent of buyers agents reported that their buyers were willing to increase the amount of money offered for a staged home compared with a similar property.

You could ask your real estate agent for design suggestions and stage your home on your own. Or if you’d prefer a professional home stager, your agent may be able to suggest someone.

You can also contact the Real Estate Staging Association for names. The survey showed the median amount homeowners paid for staging services was $675.

Take note of these five steps to get your home ready to sell before you put it on the market. The effort you make repairing, cleaning and staging can pay off big when a buyer makes an attractive offer on your house.

Margarette Burnette is a staff writer at NerdWallet, a personal finance website. Email: mburnette@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @margarette.

NerdWallet is a Lake Homes Realty / LakeHomes.com content partner providing real estate news and commentary. Its content is produced independently of Lake Homes Realty and LakeHomes.com.

Outdoor Renovations? Think Budget and Scope

Posted on Nerdwallet (LHR Content Provider)
wooden trellis-like stairs
Stairs are a common renovation project.

Many homeowners view their outdoor spaces as their own personal oases, places where they can relax, dine and spend time with their friends and loved ones.

In light of this, it makes sense that homeowners consider investing in major features that will transform their outdoor areas into additional living spaces.

Like any home-renovation project, however, outdoor renovations can easily get out of control if you don’t have a good handle on how much things will cost, what your goals are and whether you’re doing the work yourself or need professional help.

Before you dive into an outdoor improvement, take these key considerations into account to help you stay on budget and ensure that your project is successful.

Match plan to budget

One of the key factors in the success of any outdoor project is determining a realistic budget long before you put shovel to topsoil.

Only once you’ve decided what you’re comfortable spending can you define the scope of your project.

The 2016 Houzz Landscaping & Garden Trends Study, conducted among registered users of the residential remodeling website, found that 88 percent of respondents had done or planned to do substantial renovations or complete overhauls, while only 12 percent had done or planned to do minor updates.

Knowing the scope of your plans in the beginning will help you get a basic sense of what the project will cost you.

In the Houzz study, nine out of 10 homeowners working on minor updates spent or planned to spend less than $5,000, but substantial updates called for bigger budgets — more than two in five homeowners working on a complete overhaul spent or planned to spend $20,000 or more.

Having a general understanding of the projects that are most popular among outdoor renovators can also be helpful as you develop your budget and scope.

Across all outdoor projects reported in the study, many homeowners were updating outdoor systems such as irrigation and lighting (82 percent), beds and borders (80 percent) and structural elements such as patios, terraces and gazebos (72 percent).

The costs of these projects vary significantly based on a number of factors, such as project nature, scope and professional involvement.

For example, while most standard outdoor systems such as irrigation or lighting in medium to small yards can be upgraded for less than $2,000, updates to beds and borders can range from a few hundred to thousands of dollars.

Renovation of outdoor structures is typically quite expensive and can easily start at a few thousand dollars and go up based on the type of structure and the extent of upgrades.

Pick your priorities

The next key factor to consider: What are you trying to accomplish with your renovation?

If outdoor living is top of your mind, you might concentrate on adding outdoor furniture, a fire pit or cooking features to enhance comfort.

If a low-maintenance space is a top priority, you might focus on adding plants that require little care and are resistant to cold, drought and wildlife.

When it comes to design, outdoor renovators most valued one that complements the style of their home (46 percent), promotes outdoor living (45 percent) and is stylish and beautiful (43 percent).

In terms of function, a space that’s easy to maintain ranked highest for homeowners (80 percent), followed by an area suitable for group gatherings and entertainment (49 percent).

Beyond creating an outdoor space that is aesthetically pleasing and easy to spend time in, many homeowners tackled specific challenges during their projects. Top issues included drainage troubles, lack of privacy and drought or water shortages.

Identifying your outdoor pet peeves or pressing concerns should make it easier to set project scope and budget. This will help you avoid project-scope creep.

Hiring a professional

More than half of outdoor upgraders in the Houzz study hired a landscape contractor or landscape architect/designer (52 percent) to help them bring their vision to life — and for good reason.

Landscaping professionals can open your eyes to a wide variety of options for your space that you might not be aware of, provide guidance for staying on schedule and budget, and tackle projects for which specialized skills are particularly beneficial.

Certain projects also require the hiring of licensed professionals to comply with local regulations.

Once you determine your budget, scope and top priorities, consider meeting with a professional for an initial consultation to discuss what you have in mind for your project.

Finding the right landscape contractor or landscape architect can make an entire project come alive. You may be surprised at how reasonable the professionals’ fees are compared with their contributions to the project and the quality of the final outcome.

An outdoor makeover can make an enormous difference in how you and your family enjoy your time at home.

In fact, after the completion of their outdoor project, 75 percent of homeowners reported resting and relaxing more often in their yards, 64 percent did more gardening and 55 percent entertained more frequently in their outdoor areas.

Keeping these tips in mind will help ensure that you not only complete your project without damaging your finances but also achieve an ideal outdoor space that you and your family will enjoy for years to come.

Nino Sitchinava is principal economist at Houzz, a residential remodeling and design platform and community.

This article originally appeared on NerdWallet. 

NerdWallet is a Lake Homes Realty / LakeHomes.com content partner providing real estate news and commentary. Its content is produced independently of Lake Homes Realty and LakeHomes.com.

Lake Homes Realty Crosses Mason-Dixon Line, Expands to Pennsylvania and Maryland

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Lake Homes Realty is now licensed as a real estate brokerage in Maryland and Pennsylvania. This expands the company’s brokerage operations to 11 states.

map depicting the mason-dixon and Pennsylvania and Maryland
Mason-Dixon Line

The expansion into Pennsylvania marks the first company operations north of the Mason-Dixon Line.

The firm’s prior state brokerage operations have been located in the southeast and southwest regions of the U.S.

Preparation is also underway for company brokerage operations in other states across the northern regions of the U.S.

“Here we come!” said Lake Homes Realty CEO Glenn S. Phillips.

Growing for Service

“With each state we add to our service area, the better we serve our real estate buyers, sellers and our own agents,” added Phillips. “I’m very proud of the effort our team has made to continue our company growth. We are hard at work to add brokerage operations in even more states in 2017, so this will be a very exciting year for us.”

Jason Hightower is the Lake Homes Realty broker for Maryland and Rachelle McClard for Pennsylvania.

Philips said the company was already visiting with top real estate agents in both states.

“We are looking for agents who will understand the power of the LakeHomes.com platform and are focused on concierge levels of personal customer service. The power of the web plus the power of people is critical in this business.”

The company also shared that growth in existing markets is continuing across the southeast and southwest U.S.

Who is Lake Homes Realty?

Lake Homes Realty is one of the nation’s fastest growing real estate companies and is a full-service, lake-focused real estate brokerage.

The company’s unique operations model is built around the concept of a one-stop website for lake homes and land, while coupling this with the brokerage’s own licensed local market expert real estate agents.

The company has foregone a focus on brick-and-mortar locations. Instead the company invests in a select group of top producing local agents and in providing consolidated lake real estate listings for consumers via the company website, www.LakeHomes.com.

How Energy Efficient Upgrades can Increase Your Home’s Value

Posted on Nerdwallet (LHR Content Provider)

brightly light home exterior

Energy efficiency upgrades can not only shrink your utility bill; they can also increase the value of your home.

Homebuyers are becoming increasingly aware of the benefits of energy-efficient homes.

In fact, they’re often willing to pay more for homes with “green” upgrades, says Sandra Adomatis, a specialist in green valuation with Adomatis Appraisal Service in Punta Gorda, Florida.

Just how much your home will increase in value depends on a number of factors, Adomatis says, like where you live, which upgrades you’ve made and how your home is marketed at sale time.

The length of time to recoup the costs of green upgrades also depends on the energy costs in your area.

In 2014, upgraded homes in Los Angeles County saw a six percent increase in value, according to a study from Build It Green, a nonprofit based in Oakland, California, that works with home professionals.

Upgraded homes in Washington, D.C., saw a two to five percent increase in 2015, according to a study Adomatis authored.

While upgrades like a gleaming new kitchen or a finished basement may give you more bang for your buck than energy-saving features, going green has its benefits. Here’s where you can begin.

Compare Current Mortgage Rates

Find out how much energy your home uses

Getting a quick energy assessment or a more thorough energy audit can determine how much energy your home uses, as well as which upgrades would make the most sense for your home and your finances.

An audit may include an energy rating, a number that indicates how energy efficient your home is and how much it will increase if you make recommended upgrades.

The Department of Energy website lists ways to find assessors in your area. The Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program offers assessor and advisory services to help you determine what to upgrade.

Your utility provider may also offer energy audits.

The cost varies depending on location and who’s providing the service. Your utility company may offer an assessment for free or at a discount.

A full audit may run $300 to $500 depending on the complexity, according to Don Knapp, senior marketing manager with Build It Green. You may not want to pay for a full audit unless you’re planning to take advantage of it with major upgrades.

Once you know where you can improve your energy use, begin by making the changes that are most affordable and have a quicker payoff, Adomatis advises. Then consider whether the costlier ones are worth the investment.

Keep in mind that tax credits and financing options are available for energy efficiency improvements.

Here are some common energy upgrades, from least expensive to most.

  1. Insulation. A 2016 Cost vs. Value report from Remodeling magazine found that the average attic air-seal and fiberglass insulation job costs $1,268, with an added value to the home at resale within a year of completion of $1,482. That amounts to a 116 percent return on investment. And according to Energy Star, homeowners can save $200 a year in heating and cooling costs by making air sealing and insulation improvements
  2. Appliances. Your appliances account for about 15 percent of your home’s energy consumption, the DOE says. Certified clothes dryers can save you $245 over the life of the machine, according to Energy Star. A certified dryer from General Electric can run from $649 to $1,399.

When upgrading, look at the kilowatt-hour usage of a new appliance and compare it to your current one — a good Energy Star rating doesn’t necessarily mean it will use less energy than your existing appliance, Adomatis says.

  1. Heating and cooling systems. These systems account for about 43 percent of your energy bill, according to the DOE. Replacement costs for an entire HVAC system — heating, ventilation and air conditioning — vary widely depending on equipment brands and sizing but may run several thousand dollars. Energy Star estimates you can save 30 percent on cooling costs by replacing your central air conditioning unit if it’s more than 12 years old.

While addressing your home’s heating and cooling systems, bear in the mind that leaky duct systems can be the biggest wasters of energy in your home, according to Charley Cormany, executive director of Efficiency First California, a nonprofit trade organization that represents energy efficiency contractors. The cost of a professional duct test typically runs $325 to $350 in California, he says.

  1. Windows. Replacing the windows in your home may cost $8,000 to $24,000, and could take decades to pay off, according to Consumer Reports. You can recoup some of that in resale value and energy savings. Remodeling’s Cost vs. Value report found that installing 10 vinyl replacement windows, at a cost of $14,725, can add $10,794 in resale value. Energy Star estimates that certified windows, doors and skylights can reduce your energy bill by up to 15 percent. If you’ve already tightened the shell of your home, installing a set of new windows may not be worth the cost. But the upgrade may be worth considering if you live in a colder climate.
  2. Solar panels. EnergySage, a company offering an online marketplace for purchasing and installing solar panels, says the average cost of a solar panel system is $12,500. The payoff time and the amount you’ll save will vary depending on where you live. Estimated savings over a 20-year period in Philadelphia, for example, amount to $17,985, while it’s more than twice that amount in Seattle: $39,452, according to EnergySage.

Last: Let Buyers Know

When it comes time to sell, your real estate agent can help you market your home as energy efficient.

Provide your agent with utility bills or your energy rating, if you received one with your audit, to include when describing the house on a multiple listing service, or MLS.

There’s a growing trend in the real estate industry to make energy upgrades visible, Knapp says; energy disclosures are now a common practice in cities like Berkeley, California, and Chicago. “If it’s reflected on the MLS,” Knapp says, “it’s more likely to be reflected in the resale value.”

Bottom line: If you weigh the costs and savings carefully, going green can be worth the investment.

Michael Burge is a staff writer at NerdWallet, a personal finance website. Email: mburge@nerdwallet.com. 

This article was written by NerdWallet and was originally published by The Associated Press.

NerdWallet is a Lake Homes Realty / LakeHomes.com content partner providing real estate news and commentary. Its content is produced independently of Lake Homes Realty and LakeHomes.com.

Lake Homes Realty now licensed in Maryland for Real Estate Brokerage Services

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Lake Homes Realty is excited to announce the company is now licensed by the State of Maryland as a full-service real estate brokerage.

Maryland is the company’s tenth state for brokerage operations and the third new state to open operations this year.

Lake Homes Realty’s primary focus will be area lake real estate. This includes property and homes with lake front, lake view, lake access and lake oriented communities.

“We are excited that our rapid company growth has brought us to Maryland. This is a great market and one that we know we can help grow even more,” said Lake Homes Realty’s CEO Glenn S. Phillips.

Maryland Lake Real Estate

aerial view of Deep Creek Lake in Maryland
Deep Creek Lake in Maryland

In addition to tens of thousands of lake homes for sale across the country, the company’s website LakeHomes.com provides online property listings on several Maryland lakes.

These include Deep Creek Lake, Lake Lariat, Lake Linganore, Lake Ogleton, and Little Seneca Lake.

The properties listed for sale on these Maryland lakes are automatically updated each day to ensure the most accurate information.

Additionally, this up-to-date information can be accessed by potential buyers across the country.

Since lake home buyers are rarely local, this national exposure to buyers provides an advantage to lake home owners who are selling their property.

Likewise, lake home buyers appreciate a website dedicated to lake real estate that provides comprehensive and accurate lake-focused property data.

Unlike many web-based portals, Lake Homes Realty is not an advertising company. It is a full-service real estate brokerage with its own licensed expert lake real estate agents.

Growth Plans for Maryland

Phillips shared the brokerage operations team is already in discussion with experienced real estate agents in Maryland about joining Lake Homes Realty.

However, unlike brokerages that seek as many agents as possible, Lake Homes Realty intentionally limits the number of agents per brokerage.

“We believe that a small number of service-focused, lake expert agents can serve our clients better than an army of agents,” Phillips explained. “Furthermore, we continue to make significant investments to help our agents succeed in this unique market segment. Together we can provide the most convenient expert service and marketing for lake home buyers and sellers.”

About Lake Homes Realty

Lake Homes Realty is a full-service, multi-state real estate company focusing on lake homes and land.

Headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, the firm is one of the fastest growing real estate companies in the country.

Currently, Lake Homes Realty is a licensed real estate brokerage in ten states, including its home state of Alabama. The business is growing rapidly, with additional state brokerages coming soon.

The company was recently recognized by the Birmingham Business Journal as the 8th fastest growing company in Birmingham. This is the second year in a row to achieve this ranking. For more information, visit http://www.lakehomes.com/

Lakefront Property: What Are Your Options When Buying at the Lake?

Posted on Staff

When considering purchasing a lake property, many potential buyers assume the lakefront is their best option. But for many buyers, there are other options to consider, specifically lake-view and lake-access properties.

Lakefront property includes shoreline as part of the property, while lake view property is within sight of the water but doesn’t include shoreline.

Lake-access properties may not have a clear view of the lake but do have guaranteed access to it through either a dock or path.

Factors to Consider

How do you know what kind of lake property is best for you?

Most buyers gravitate first toward the lakefront because of the convenience and excitement of living right on the water. However, after you factor in location and price, the lakefront may not be the best option for you.

First, you need to figure out which is most important to you. Is it living on the waterfront, sticking to your budget or finding the perfect neighborhood?

As you consider these options, you will want to think about how often you will be visiting your lake property and how you envision the time you’ll spend there.

Cost

Lake-view/Lake-access

Photo courtesy of Flickr

If you have your heart set on a particular lake and have a tight budget, lake-view properties could be your best option.

Prices will vary greatly from lake to lake, and each lake will have lakefront properties at a wide range of prices.

Generally, lake-view properties will be considerably less expensive than lakefront lots nearby.

If you are open to considering several different lakes, you can often find a lake-view property within your budget.

An advantage to buying lake-view or lake-access property is that most can offer buyers the majority of the conveniences enjoyed by lakefront properties, but often at a fraction of the cost.

Lakefront

lakefront house with family

When looking at lakefront property, the biggest advantage is that they are an increasingly scarce resource. After all,  there is only a limited amount of shoreline on each lake.

A lakefront property will appreciate most quickly, especially if the lake in question has a historically low inventory of similar properties.

Upkeep is a potential con when considering a lakefront property for purchase. The cost of maintenance from erosion, dock repairs, and other weatherproofing expenses can certainly add up to a great deal.

You will incur these costs the entire time you own the property. Most of them can be avoided with a lake-view or lake-access home.

Activities on the Lake

You should also seriously consider how you plan to use the property and the activities you see yourself spending the majority of your time engaged in.

If you love boating, you will want a house with easy access to a dock, whether your own on your property or a community dock nearby.

If swimming is one of your favorite activities, a waterfront property may be best for you.

You will need to consider the depth of the water surrounding your property, and if the lake is not at full pool year-round, what the variance has been historically.

three boys sitting on raft at lake

Swimming fans should also consider how rocky the bottom is near their shoreline, the amount of boat traffic, and the safety record for the area you plan to use.

It is important to be mindful of the location you are considering. Some houses sit on main channels, which often have high levels of boat traffic. Others are tucked into quiet coves, more secluded and with less traffic.

If you love a busy lake and enjoy having people around, then a main-channel lakefront property could be ideal for you. But if you prefer a secluded spot, you may be interested in a property seated in a cove that could be either lakefront or lake-view.

All in All

Whether your best choice is a lakefront, lake-view, or lake-access property depends on your unique needs and circumstance.

Considering all of your options and knowing which property types are available in your area are important parts of the buying process. Are you ready to start enjoying lake life? Begin your search here!

Deciding Whether Home Repair Warranties Are Worth the Cost

Posted on Nerdwallet (LHR Content Provider)

Say it’s the fifth day of temperatures over 98 degrees in South Carolina during a summer of record heat.

Your air conditioning system has kept you cool through it all — until now. The unit is still spinning, but the air coming out isn’t cool. The temperature in your house starts to climb.

hands over tiny house, protecting it

What do you do?

If you are like most people, you Google “AC repair” and start making calls. But you don’t want to pay service fees to three different companies just to come see what the problem is, so getting comparative estimates won’t work.

Besides, the whole family insists they are “dying” from the heat. You quickly pick a company to fix the AC and that’s that.

Once you get through the AC crisis, you start to wonder if maybe you should get home repair warranty insurance. But is it a good deal?

My family has had a home repair warranty on our 28-year-old home for about 10 years. Initially it ran us about $300 a year with a $35 fee per repair visit.

The premium and the visit fee increased every year until recently, when I took the time to shop around and find a better deal. However, even with lower rates, looking at the math over the last 10 years, the numbers alone don’t support the wisdom of that purchase.

So why do I buy a home warranty?

Peace of mind

What the numbers don’t show is the peace of mind the warranty gives me.

When something breaks, the home repair warranty company (let’s call it “Fictional Warranty Co.”) sends a repair company to my house to fix it. I pay $45 each time I schedule a visit, but there is no cost for the rest of the repair.

I don’t think this saves us money on repairs overall, but I like the fact that Fictional Warranty Co. calls a repair firm (“The Repair Shop”) and then monitors how much is charged.

So if my refrigerator breaks, for instance, I am protected from Bob of The Repair Shop trying to inflate the price. Instead of telling me it will be $400, when it’s really only $200, Bob has to report the price to Fictional Warranty.

Fictional Warranty also helps me resolve a situation in which The Repair Shop doesn’t do the work correctly, handling the additional cost and repairs on my behalf.

Appliance and system repairs are rarely necessary at my house, so I don’t have a network of contractors I know and trust. But Fictional Warranty vets the companies for me, manages what is charged, and resolves any problems.

That’s worth the yearly warranty cost to me.

Warranties get mixed reviews

But when I did some research, I found no consensus on whether home warranties are a good idea for older homes (all the sources I read said to avoid them for new homes).

Consumer Reports recommends avoiding warranties because of the hundreds of dollars these contracts can cost.

“It makes much more sense to buy reliable products and maintain them as the manufacturer recommends,” it says. Instead, Consumer Reports suggests placing the money you would have spent on a service contract into a savings account or repair fund.

However, other personal finance experts also point to the added benefit of peace of mind, which can make a home warranty worth the cost for some people. And your personality and risk tolerance will, of course, factor into your decision-making, as will your existing network of repair companies.

From a risk standpoint, if you typically avoid risk, you’ll probably feel more comfortable knowing your maximum out-of-pocket yearly repair costs.

Also, if you don’t know much about appliance repair and don’t know whether to trust the repair companies in your area, you may like having a home warranty.

On the other hand, if you are kind of handy and can do some work on the house yourself, or you are confident you can find service providers you like and trust, you may want to forgo the warranty.

Shop around

If you decide you want a home warranty, shop around and compare options.

Consumer Affairs provides a useful comparison of features, costs and companies that offer home warranties. Call the companies you like and ask for the price of each home visit and the yearly cost.

Then you can buy the warranty of your choice online or over the phone. Revisit your choice each year to make sure you keep getting the best deal.

  *    *    *

Kathryn Hauer is a certified financial planner and fee-only investment advisor with Wilson David Investment Advisors in Aiken, South Carolina. Learn more about Kathryn on NerdWallet’s Ask an Advisor.

This article originally appeared on NerdWallet.

NerdWallet is a Lake Homes Realty / LakeHomes.com content partner providing real estate news and commentary. Its content is produced independently of Lake Homes Realty and LakeHomes.com.

Lake Homes Realty Named One of the Fastest Growing Companies

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Birmingham Business Journal Fast Track 30 sign

For the second year in a row, The Birmingham Business Journal named Lake Homes Realty as one of the fastest growing companies in Birmingham, Alabama.

Lake Homes Realty is a licensed real estate brokerage in multiple states. Current operations are in states across the Southeastern and Southwestern United States. Work is underway for new brokerage operations in other regions of the country.

The company’s popular website www.LakeHomes.com helps lake real estate buyers from all over the country locate lake homes and land to purchase. The website is also popular with sellers, as it helps their property for sale to be found more easily.

Currently LakeHomes.com has real estate listings for more than 44,000 lake homes, lake lots and land.

lake homes realty's Fast Track 30 plaque

The 2016 rankings for fastest growing companies are based on company revenue growth from 2014 to 2015.

Lake Homes Realty was recognized as the eight fastest growing company in Birmingham, matching it’s number eight ranking in the 2015 rankings.

Glenn S. Phillips, Lake Homes Realty’s CEO, shared, “Our team of agents and staff work very hard to create the best possible customer experience. To see our business grow rapidly is a compliment to their hard work and service mentality. And we believe the biggest growth is still ahead of us.”

All of the companies in the rankings were honored at an awards breakfast on Thursday August 25, 2016 at the Harbert Center in downtown Birmingham.

You can read more about this recognition at http://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/news/2016/08/25/fast-track-30-lake-homes-realty.html  (Note: To see the full article may require a Birmingham Business Journal subscription login.)

Lake Home Parties – Tips for Creating an Unforgettable Experience

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A fun lake home party is not stressful when you organize, plan and prepare properly. Parties at the lake can create unforgettable memories for family and friend when you plan appropriately.

Prior to Party Prep

group of men and women in bathing suits dancing

Pick a party theme that correlates with the special occasion or time of year. Set a date and time for your guests.

To ensure optimal attendance send out a ‘Save the Date’ message via text, Facebook, and/or email as soon as the date is set.

If you are having a birthday party pick an age appropriate theme that the guests of honor chooses.

If you are having a party for another occasion, do your best to pick a fun, colorful theme that correlates well with the dreamy lifestyle of lake home living.

Lake Home Party

three kids catching air on a tube being pulled behind a boatSome parties require games and expensive rental equipment for guests entertainment.

A great lake home party will allow guests to enjoy swimming, boating, skiing, floating, paddling, sunning and any other sports the hosts already own equipment for.

Decoration Preparation

At lake home parties the main goals are spending time together and making memories while soaking in the sun and enjoying aquatic sports.

Keep decorations simple ~ the lake is picturesque enough. Take advantage of the view and let your lake home create the dream party.

Allow the scenery to naturally relax your guests and promote lake life conversations on the wonders of the lake.

Food Preparation

Unless you plan to spend your time maintaining food and refreshment areas be sure to prepare foods that take little to no attention after preparation.

toddler drinking from a water bottle One easy idea is a crock pot full of hot dogs. Simply add water, heat the dogs then turn the slow cooker to the keep warm setting when they are hot. Keep a cooler nearby with condiments for the dogs.

Single serving bags of chips and other easy single serving snacks will not consume your time during the party.

Have a few coolers with a variety of can drinks and make sure there is plenty of bottled water.

Be sure to have paper plates, napkins, plastic utensils and trash cans in a few places to decrease clean up time later.

On the Eve of the Party

Make sure to have everything you need so that you can start preparing for your guest arrival. If you have decorations, start hanging them the night before.

If you are making specialty drinks or foods make them the night before the party so you do not feel rushed the day of.

Do everything you can the night before so that you can spend time being a host to your guests rather than their cook or waitress.

Lake Home Parties Safety

To be sure everyone stays safe while having fun always have enough life vest and other required safety equipment. Lake Homes Realty has numerous safety articles you can read for more information on keeping your guests safe.

And if there’s a chance the party might last through the night, check out our “Lake Home Guests – Invite the Family for Extended Stays and Be Prepared” story for more advice!

Relax, have fun and take a lot of pictures to remember your lake home party fun!