From Toomers to Lake Martin – Episode 1

Hey guys, welcome to Episode 1 of From Toomers to Lake Martin with Amy B. Cotney.

What is this podcast all about? Well, it’s about my traveling every single day, because I do it almost every single day, sometimes twice a day, between Auburn, aka Toomers, Alabama, and Lake Martin, Alabama, where I split my time.

I have a house in Auburn, close to downtown, and I also have a house in StillWaters on Lake Martin. So I’m in the car all the time. Drive time is a big part of my life.

Usually I listen to podcasts, but I thought, you know what, let me start my own podcast. Let’s talk about everything Auburn and Lake Martin, and I’ll keep you updated in between my daily little events that I find entertaining.

So basically, you guys are here to keep me company during my drive time.

All right, I’m headed to Lake Martin from Auburn right now. I have a listing appointment. I’m going to look at a golf course condo located in StillWaters, and we’ll see where we price that out.

Let me talk to you really quick about StillWaters.

It’s one of the developments on the Dadeville side of the lake. There are a lot of full-time residents in StillWaters, and there are also a lot of condos.

Now listen carefully. If you’re thinking about buying a condo and putting it on Airbnb, you need to be very careful. There are only a few units that allow one-night rentals. Every association inside StillWaters has different rules about short-term rentals. Before you buy and think, “Oh, I’ll just rent this out,” you better make sure that specific unit allows it.

StillWaters is a gated community, and it has restaurants inside the gates.

First, there’s THE BLUFF CAFÉ. It’s seasonal. It’s not open year-round. Their jackfish are really good, and they usually run about $10 to $11. They’re not open right now, but during season it’s a fun casual spot.

Then we have THE LANDING AT HARBOR POINT, which is my favorite place on the lake. Actually, not probably. It is my favorite lake place.

Can you get good sushi on Lake Martin? Yes, you can. And it’s at THE LANDING AT HARBOR POINT.

I always get the poke bowl. It never misses. I get sushi. Kirk gets something totally different like quail sliders. The menu is really good. Their bar service is excellent. They have good wine. They make a great margarita.

During season, I like to go on Thursdays before the out-of-towners show up for the weekend, and I also like Sunday afternoons.

Right now, we’re not in season.

Another place that has really been popping lately is the old Coppers Grill location, now operating as PRIME STEAKHOUSE. And I’m telling you, they are nailing it. The steaks are very good.

Don’t laugh, but I ordered the kids meal steak tips one time. They were fantastic. Not a huge portion, but really good quality.

Kirk is like Mr. Steakhouse Critic, and we have not walked out disappointed. If I could change anything, I’d dim the lights a little and improve the wine selection. If you’re going to serve steak, you’ve got to have a solid red wine selection.

Right now I’m more into Old World reds, Malbecs, things like that.

Back to StillWaters.

There are a lot of full-timers there. So if you’re looking for a gated neighborhood at the lake that has a little bit of everything, StillWaters is it.

And yes, I do have a house in StillWaters. It has been grandfathered for short-term rental, but right now I’m not short-term renting it. It’s on the water, and it’s fantastic.

There’s also boat storage inside the gates. We’ve been storing our boat there for the last ten years. You show up, they put your boat in the water. When you leave, they take it out. It’s extremely convenient, and pricing varies.

So StillWaters really does have a little bit of everything.

All right, I’m about to pull up to the gate of StillWaters, so I’m going to leave you on that note.

And PLUG DAY is about 30 days away. If you don’t know what PLUG DAY is, we’ll talk about that in the next podcast.

Thanks for riding along from Toomers to Lake Martin with me.