Alabama is a hot market for lakefront homes

Alabama is home to a number of lakes, both large and small, with varying amounts of waterfront properties. From Smith Lake to Cyrus Lake, demand for real estate is increasing.

He discussed some data from the Lake Home real estate market and trends he’s noticed recently.

“Although the number of lake homes for sale changes daily, even over time, the majority of lake homes and lots for sale in Alabama are naturally located on the Great Lakes,” said Glenn Phillips, CEO and principal economic analyst for Lake Homes Realty. .

According to Phillips, the largest lakeshore real estate markets in Alabama are:

• Lake Lewis Smith: 223 homes
• Lake Martin: 192 homes
• Lake Logan Martin: 162 homes
• Lake Guntersville: 106 homes
• Weiss Lake: 72 homes
• Wedowee Lake: 48 homes

“There are still several hundred lake homes for sale throughout the state on a large number of small lakes,” Phillips said. “Hundreds of pieces for sale are also not at these numbers mentioned above. These numbers are considered ‘low inventory’ and are expected to rise slowly over the next two years.”

When asked whether some lakes are more popular than others, Phillips called it “an interesting question with many facets.”

“Larger lakes have the largest number of homes, and mathematically, that makes them more popular than small lakes,” he said. “However, the lake’s popularity is more complex, and can be attributed to what people are looking for in a lake experience. Larger lakes have more activities, more boat traffic, and more restaurants, shops, and entertainment nearby. So they are more popular with people who They are looking for activity.

“In Alabama, Lake Lewis Smith (more commonly called “Lake Smith”) and Lake Martin are the two largest and most active lakes, popular with the largest number of people. Lake Logan Martin and Guntersville can also be considered large and active.

Many lake homeowners prefer quieter retreats on smaller lakes, Phillips said.

“Small lakes are often calmer, but not always,” he said. “These are most popular for those looking for a getaway or home to ‘get away from the world.’ Some of these lakes may not even allow motorized boats or limit the size of these boats. They may even be private lakes that require membership.”

He also gave an example of some small lakes within the state.

“Within the smaller lakes there are a number of lakes within suburban communities, such as the lakes in the Highland Lakes community off Interstate 280 in Birmingham and Lake Cyrus and Trace Lake in Hoover (plus many others),” he said. “In these communities, the waterfront is highly valued, but lake activities will be limited to peaceful fishing, kayaking and boating. Metro Birmingham has 241 homes for sale in these types of communities right now.

According to Lake Homes Realty, Alabama ranked ninth among the top 10 states in the country for the number of lake homes and lot listings recently.

Austin Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.