Spring Time on the Lake

I do enjoy the warm weather and love seeing everyone out on the lake. I have noticed in the last couple of weeks people are getting their boats in the water and having fun. There are still a few of us who won't let high gas prices get us down! If you are interested in owning property and joining us here on the lake please take a look at my website: http://www.andersonsonthelake.com or you can email me at: Jonathan@buylake.com.

Jonathan Anderson
1-800-618-4642

Lake Hartwell Real Estate and the Stock Market

I hear people in the media talking about the Stock Market like it is the only way to gain wealth in this country. They constantly try to time the market to buy in the lows and sell in the highs. The same could be true for Real Estate on Lake Hartwell. Buy low sell high. When is the last time you actually enjoyed an investment? Not only can you make money when you sell, have a great tax deduction, but you also have a great place to vacation whenever you want. When is the best time to buy? Now.


Jonathan Anderson
www.andersonsonthelake.com

Only 10 Feet Down and More Rain on the Way

Lake Hartwell has gone from 14 feet down in January to 10 feet down as of March 9, 2008. It is amazing what having some rain will do. More rain is expected in this area and the long term drought outlook is improving. If you would like more information on Lake Hartwell, visit my website at: www.andersonsonthelake.com.

Thanks,
Jonathan Anderson

What is the "Big Water"

I thought I would take some time and explain what the term "Big Water" or "Sailboat Water" is on Lake Hartwell. I get calls occasionally by people who are not sure what this means, but they know they should be asking.

The "Big Water" or "Sailboat Water" refers to the area of the lake from the Twin Bridges (Hwy 24) all the way to the dam. This area of the lake has no bridges, so this is where you will find all of the big House Boats and Sailboats. While being on Sailboat water is great, it is not necessary for everyone.

It is very important to work with a Realtor who is familiar with the bridges in the area and the clearance on each one. If you would like more information on this subject, feel free to email me at: jonathan@buylake.com

Thanks,
Jonathan Anderson
www.AndersonsOnTheLake.com

Bassmaster Classic

I have had several clients asking about the Bassmaster Classic on Lake Hartwell this weekend, so I thought I would post some information about it. This is great for Lake Hartwell to have the spotlight on it for a weekend. With spring around the corner, the activity here on the lake has picked up and having ESPN here for the tournament will attract lots of attention as well.

http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/tournaments/classic/news/story?page=b_Attend_2008_Classic


Thanks,
Jonathan Anderson
www.andersonsonthelake.com

Here comes the Lake!

This is a follow up to my last entry regarding the lake levels. Lake Hartwell is just under 12 feet down today. We were around 14 feet down or so a couple of weeks ago, so good things are happening. I noticed on the COE website that we have had 1.51 inches of rain so far in February. I think that is great considering today is the 10th!

Even though I have seen the lake full several times, it still amazes me how good the lake looks at full pool. I am looking forward to the lake coming back, as many of you are, so we can all find something new to worry about because I am tired of talking about the lake levels :)

This is still a great buyers market and the people that are buying today are getting in at the exact right time. Don't miss out on this unbelievable opportunity to buy property on Lake Hartwell.

Jonathan Anderson
www.andersonsonthelake.com

When is the lake going to be full again?

I wish I knew the answer to this question because I get asked this almost daily by different people. For the lake to come back to full pool several things have to happen. The most important is rain. We have had lots of rain lately and I hope and pray that it continues. I think the long range drought outlook for the Lake Hartwell area has improved and hopefully soon we'll be out of the drought altogether. If you are interested in tracking the lake levels, rainfall, outflows, and more on Lake Hartwell I would encourage you to take a look at the website for the COE. They have lots of statistical data that is very interesting.

You can find their site by going to my website at www.andersonsonthelake.com or click directly on their link http://water.sas.usace.army.mil/home/indexDU.htm.

Jonathan Anderson
Hartwell Lake Properties

Buying in the Upstate

I found an interesting website that I thought I would pass along to everyone. There is a lot of good information about today's housing market specifically the Upstate of South Carolina. Real Estate is cyclical and historically this time of year for us on Lake Hartwell is slow. Usually it’s in the spring when people are coming back to the lake to play, that we get an increase in activity. Lately our volume of customers (calls, website, etc) has been through the roof. Everyone I have talked to that is looking for property has realized that now is the best buyers market Lake Hartwell has ever seen. The water is down (not for long!) and so are interest rates. This makes it a great time to buy.

http://www.buynowupstate.com

Thanks,
Jonathan Anderson
www.andersonsonthelake.com

What are the different zones on Lake Hartwell and what do they mean?

This is a question that I have been asked recently and I thought I would update my Blog with my response. Lake Hartwell has three different color codes it assigns different areas around the lake. The most desirable is Green. Green zone sections of the lake can have a dock (if they meet the qualifications the COE has), you can underbrush the corps property, and you can put in a cart path. The second is Yellow Zone. Yellow is not dockable, but you are allowed to do some minor underbrushing. The third is Red Zone. Red is not dockable and you are not allowed to do any improvements to the corps property at all. I have attached a link to the Corps of Engineers Home page that provides lots of good information this and other things on Lake Hartwell.

http://www.sas.usace.army.mil/lakes/hartwell/

Jonathan Anderson
www.andersonsonthelake.com

When is a good time to buy?

This seems to be oldest, and probably the most important question people ask themselves about Real Estate in general. It is no different here on Lake Hartwell. This question seems simple, but the answer can get very complex depending on who you ask. Let me start by pointing out a fact about the Lake Hartwell Real Estate Market as we know it today. The most obvious, is the water level. The lake is down almost 13 feet today which means that it is not as ascetically pleasing as it was at full pool. This also means that property that sold when the lake was full that had about 10 feet of water at the end of the dock, now has no water. What is amazing to me, is that today you can see exactly what the water situation is and will be in the future.
By looking at property when the lake is down, you can see several things. The first being the water that is there now. Is there any? If there is then how deep is it? If you have water now, imagine how much you will have when the lake is back up again. Something else to look for would be obstructions (stumps, trees, old bridges). When the lake is full if you are not working with an experienced Realtor, or if you are buying a "FSBO", these things have a tendency to get overlooked or not mentioned. Today, you can see for yourself exactly what the area where your children will be swimming and boating looks like.
My answer to the question "When is a good time to buy?" is very simple. Now. When will you have the opportunity to take such a close look at the property you are interested in again (we have a drought every 10 years or so, so I guess you could wait)? Couple that with interest rates being historically low and you have the perfect time to buy.

If you have any questions, comments, or would like more information on the Lake Hartwell Real Estate Market please visit my website at http://www.andersonsonthelake.com/.

Jonathan Anderson