Smith Mountain Lake certainly does have diversity! When you look around, you will see the sparkling lake surround by the gorgeous Blue Ridge Mountains. Looking at different real estate options in the area, you will find waterfront properties to golf communities!

Having diversity in the real estate market means that just about anyone can find their dream home here. Prices for real estate at Smith Mountain Lake are diverse as well. You may be surprised by what you can afford to buy. There is something for everyone’s budget, from older lakefront homes that offer great deals, to newly remodeled condos right on the water.

There are several things that can influence the value of lakefront property. Location is an important factor, and when talking about Smith Mountain Lake, the view can be just as important. You have to ask yourself what kind of view do you want to have right outside your door…mountains, water, wildlife, or all of the above. The norm is generally the better the view, the higher the price. And there are many who will gladly sacrifice a bit of privacy to wake up to a picturesque scene every day.

Another factor in the price of a waterfront home is the slope. Around SML, there are some lots that are nearly flat, with a very gentle slope that meets the water. These homes are only five to ten feet above the water level. And then there are some lots that are so steep, the owners put steps in to make it easier to reach the water’s edge. Another rule of thumb is the more gentle the slope, the higher the price. BUT, that also means that if you are willing to live on a steeper slope, you can get a nicer home for a great price!

Come for a visit…and stay for a lifetime! Contact Mary Lou McDonald for more information.

I sometimes think about what makes up a community. Better yet, what makes a great community? Is it the geographic location, common interests, or perhaps something more? I reflect on this as we can be a part of multiple communities. We can be part of the “parenting” community, part of the “sports-minded” community, part of the “outdoor” community, part of the “art” community, or  part of the “business” community. I am part of so many communities and in each one, there are folks that I share something with – be it beliefs, interests or experiences.

Community is quite a large concept that can include so much, but for me it ideally includes this notion of inclusivity or belonging. Sure, there are those who will argue that one can be geographically in a community and not “belong,” but that is not my definition of community.

Then I think about what are the key ingredients to a successful community? Economic developers strive to make their communities better, but what does better look like and how do we get there? One thing is clear to me – great communities don’t happen by accident. They are formed by strong leaders with vision and purpose.

One of the best communities I have belonged to is the community in Mariners Landing at Smith Mountain Lake. This community shares a vision of inclusiveness and teamwork. There is a sense of shared purpose and a sense of creating together. There are a number of community social events to bring everyone together like the monthly community dinners and bingo night as well as a karaoke night! There is warmth, compassion and friendship in this community. Come see if it is right for you!

​What a great time to get out and get your kinks out on the links at Mariners Landing Resort’s Golf & Country Club. Book a 1, 2 or 3-bedroom condo and play a round or two on Smith Mountain Lake’s 18-hole championship golf course with an original design by world-renowned architect, Robert Trent Jones, Sr. The golf facility offers a clubhouse with a grill and lounge area. The golf practice facility also offers a full driving range and a chipping and putting practice green.

This unique course is a par 72 and has six different sets of tee boxes, offering fun and challenging golf to all levels of golfers, from beginner to professional. The staff is led by the Club Manager, Doug Schmidt, and Golf Professional, Kyle Johnson. Together they bring a friendly and inviting atmosphere for all of the golfing guests. In addition, they are trained to help golfers through instruction and golf club fitting and repair.

Looking for some new apparel or equipment? Take a look at the Mariners Landing ProShop that offers PGA Tour played equipment like Bridgestone, and discounted balls like Wilson, and Precept. They also have golf apparel including shirts, shorts, golf gloves, golf shoes, and PGA belts and wallets.

After a fun day on the course, relax in the heated indoor pool or hot tub at the Cabana’s indoor aquatic center, and then go to Heath’s Waterfront Grill, that overlooks the water, for a delicious dinner.
Mariners Landing Resort has it all for your next golf getaway!

There is a buzz around Smith Mountain Lake over spring break. Friends and family come in from out of town to enjoy the beginning of spring and can choose from a variety of activities occurring around the lake. Whether it’s taking a hike at the Smith Mountain Lake State Park, enjoying an East egg hunt, going to a sunrise service, flying a kite, going to brunch or sitting on your balcony at Mariners Landing Resort enjoying the view, here are some great activities to check out.

Mariners Landing Resort – Indoor Aquatic Center, Hiking & Biking Trail, Golf
You can rent a beautiful condo that overlooks the tranquil Smith Mountain Lake and enjoy the indoor heated pool, the 24/7 fitness center, go for a hike or bike the trail within the resort, play a round of golf or dine at Heath’s Waterfront Grill. It’s a great place to spend spring break with your family and friends!

Barrels, Bottles & Casks Spring Tours – March 23-24 at Poplar Forest
You can toast the arrival of spring with friends and family and explore the beautiful Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest with a special tasting tour! This event focuses on the beverages and spirits consumed by Jefferson and the enslaved residents of Poplar Forest in springtime. The tour begins in Jefferson’s “modern” kitchen and progresses through the house, with stops along the way to sample beverage and learn about the culinary trends during that time. Tickets for the springtime Barrels, Bottles & Casks tasting tours are $25 per person and reservations are required.

Jimmy Fortune – March 23rd at the Harvester Music Center
Jimmy Fortune toured, sang and performed with the legendary Statler Brothers for 21 years. He joined them first as a temporary replacement for Lew DeWitt, after Dewitt heard him singing at a ski resort. He wrote the group’s second No. 1 hit “Elizabeth,” on their 1983 album Today, and followed that with two more No. 1 hits – “My Only Love” and “Too Much On My Heart.”

Spring Break – Spring into Nature Activities – March 23rd – April 8th at SML State Park
Looking for an economical way to spend your spring break? Smith Mountain Lake State Park has several opportunities for the whole family to connect with nature this spring. There are more than 12 miles of groomed trails for hiking. Trail guides can be picked up at the Visitor Center, Discovery Center or Turtle Island Trail Parking. You can also mountain bike along the trails or enjoy a leisure bike ride along of the scenic roadways. Bike rentals are also available from the Visitor Center on a first come, first serve basis. Grab your GPS (or rent one from the Visitor Center) and head into the park to discover the thrill of geocaching. You can see a list of park caches at the Visitor Center or go online to geocaching.com for more information
.
7th Annual Furball – March 24th at the WE Skelton 4H Educational Conference Center
This event will benefit the animals of Franklin County, VA. It is a dancing event with music provided by The Kings. The fundraising event significantly contributes to saving a lot of the local animals and the cost for medical care, shelter, food, and re-homing.

Back Door Sale – March 24th at the SML Discovery Shop
This is a bi-annual sale where you can get the best prices for the SML Discovery Shop’s merchandise. These are items that must go in order to make room for new items from the High Point market and local donations. The sale will be between 9 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

One of the entertainment hubs at Smith Mountain Lake is Bridgewater Plaza and very convenient from the Bedford or Franklin County side of the lake. And it’s only 15 minutes away from Mariners Landing! Whether it’s shopping, dining, playing games, listening to music or painting your own pottery, it’s all there at Bridgewater Plaza.

Bridgewater Sportswear – SML’s favorite resort wear and lifestyle clothing store. They carry items for the entire family and have custom SML t-shirts, sweatshirts and hats that are unmatched.

Gifts Ahoy – brings you a wonderful array of gifts ranging from Vera Bradley handbags and accessories, Spartina 449, sandals by Yellowbox, Bernie Mev and Turvis Tumblers. They also have gourmet foods like homemade fudge, truffles and chocolates by Sweet Shop and gift items such as Woodwick Candles, personal care items from Thymes, Crabtree & Evelyn, and Naked Bee. They are a Simply Noelle boutique and offer other apparel lines such as Simply Southern and LakeGirl.

The Little Gallery – features more than 200 internationally, nationally and locally know artists. In addition to fine art, the gallery sells handmade pottery, jewelry, fine art prints and blown glass in a wide range of sizes and prices. As a member of ASID, they offer art consultation for residential through experienced staff and commercial through the gallery’s corporate program.

Smith Mountain Wake Company – their mission is to promote safe and healthy family lifestyles through water sports recreation. Smith Mountain Wake Company was created to satisfy a craving for competitively priced water sporting equipment, apparel and accessories.

Glazed Bisque-It – offers over 300 different ceramic pieces to choose from to create your own ceramic masterpiece. Adults, teens and children of all ages are welcome and there’s no experience required! They provide everything: stamps, stencils, sponges, idea books, a little coaching and a lot of encouragement. You can drop in anytime or schedule a painting party.

Fun-N-Games Arcade – the arcade has been an entertainment destination since 1992. They have 60 games that range from nostalgic, classic video games to the newest and most exciting, high-tech redemption games.

Harbortown Miniature Golf – an 18-hole miniature golf course perched high above Bridgewater Plaza. It is actually built right on top of the boat docks, providing breathtaking view of picturesque Smith Mountain Lake.

Lucky Duck Entertainment Center – try your hand and win someone special a prize at one of the carnival style games, test yourself on the climbing wall, or flip your way to fun on the exciting bungee trampoline. The signature “Lucky Duck” game is a winner every time game that the little ones love.

Ice Cream Cottage – enjoy your favorite Hershey’s ice cream on a cone, as a sundae, or in a milkshake. They have hand-dipped ice cream as well as soft-serve ice cream that will hit the spot!

Mango’s Bar & Grill – it’s not just a place to eat or a local pub or even a night club with the best DJ’s and live music…it’s a state of mind! It’s the place to go for good food, good company and good entertainment. Inside and outside dining available.

Moosie’s – a family restaurant and bar with great sandwiches, burgers and salads that overlooks the lake. A great place to go after a day on the water!

Pizza Pub – prides itself on hand spun pizza, subs and classic sandwiches. It also has inside and outside dining that overlooks the lake.

Bridgewater Marina & Boat Rentals – is #1 for Smith Mountain Lake boat rentals! They rent out a new fleet every year where you can choose from a Tritoon, Deck Boat, Ski Boat, Surf Boat or Waverunner.

For those of you who may not know how St. Patrick’s Day evolved, here’s the quick “CliffsNotes.” St. Patrick’s Day is in observance of the death of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over 1000 years. On St. Patrick’s Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against consumption of meat were waived and people would dance, drink and feast on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage. What began as a religious feast day in the 17th century has evolved into a variety of festivals across the globe celebrating Irish culture with parades, special foods, music, dancing, and a whole…lot…of…green.

If you live at Smith Mountain Lake, or visiting the area, there are a number of ways to celebrate! You can start the day with the Shamrock Hill 5K and 1-mile race that begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Roanoke Catholic High School. And the highlight of the day is the annual Freedom First St. Patrick’s Day Parade at 11:00 a.m. on Jefferson Street and Elm Avenue. Be sure to keep an eye out for floats from various groups from Smith Mountain Lake…such as the Smith Mountain Lake Society often has a float that celebrates its patron, a sixth-century Irish saint named Brendan from Tralee.

The celebration continues at the Shamrock Festival that starts at noon at the Wells Fargo Plaza. The festival is free and you can enjoy delectable bites and live music! If you are traveling with children, don’t miss the Freedom First Kids Zones – one in front of the Taubman Museum of Art and the other in the Market Square. This is also free and kids can enjoy face painting, bounce houses and great games.

Stay at Mariners Landing Resort for St. Patrick’s Day!

Smith Mountain Lake is the perfect place to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. We have luxurious and cozy condos available for your stay. Browse our condos today http://www.smlvaca.com/accommodations.html

Even with the snow this week, spring is right around the corner! It looks like we are going to have a beautiful weekend giving you the  perfect opportunity to plan an impromptu getaway and enjoy the views of Smith Mountain Lake from your private glassed in balcony. If you can’t wait to swim, we have an indoor aquatic center with a heated pool, hot tub, kiddie pool and training pool.

There are so many things to do in our community this week as well!

Do you love drawing with pencils, coloring in coloring books or just doodling in general? Then go learn the Zentangle Method of drawing! It’s an easy to learn, fun (and relaxing) drawing method that uses structured patterns to draw an image…and the best thing is no drawing experience is necessary. The class will be held this Thursday, March 15th, at Southern Roots, 400 Scruggs Road Suite 1100 in Moneta, from 2-5 pm. The cost is $35 which includes all of your supplies. To reserve a spot, call 540-814-0604 or email southernrootssml@gmail.com.

You can beat the winter blues and warm up to the warm, Caribbean sound of Skiffle USA Steel Drum Orchestra from Trinidad. This group was founded in 2013 to foster ongoing cultural exchange and will be performing at the Bower Center for the Arts, 305 North Bridge Street, in Bedford on Friday, March 16th, from 7:30-9:30 pm. So put on your Bermuda shorts and flip flops and enjoy an evening of great music and a fun atmosphere.

If you don’t feel like beer on St. Patty’s day, and need a cure for spring fever, go for a St. Patty’s Day picnic at nearby Hickory Hills Vineyard, 1722 Hickory Cove Lane, Moneta from 12-5 pm. You can sip on their award winning wine in their scenic picnic area over-looking the vineyard. Bring your own picnic or create your own picnic in a bag from a selection of Boar’s head cheese and meat. Try your hand at corn hole or ladder golf while you’re there.

Are you in the mood to listen to some incredible music? Then consider visiting the Harvester Performance Center in Rocky Mount at 450 Franklin Street, a mid-size music venue with great live performances in all kinds of genres. On Friday, March 16th, The Embers, best beach music band in the land will be having you shaggin’ the night away starting at 7:30 pm. On Saturday, March 17th, world famous Southern Culture on the Skids will be spreading their rock and roll gospel performing a musical gumbo of rockabilly, and country-fried garage beginning at 7:00 pm. And then on Sunday, March 18th, the incredibly talented Anders Osborne with be playing a solo gig (along with Ryan Motbleau) will be bringing his fiery anthems and tumultuous confessional songs punctuated with raw, inspired guitar. He was hailed in USA Today as, “Rich and glorious…Osborne possesses a voice that rises out of the darkness to the light of a soulful, tremulous wail.”

And right around the corner from Mariners Landing Resort, you can learn how to make THE fluffiest biscuits ever at the Biscuit and Egg School, held at Bedford Landings, 1995 Buccaneer Road in Moneta from 2-5 pm. This wildly popular biscuit school returns and has room for 6 lucky attendees. Jack will lead you through the steps and then you can try your hand at a batch. Karen will teach you more about eggs and demonstrate how to make a simple, savory omelet. The cost to participate is $35 and you can reserve your space by contacting Karen at karen@bedfordlandings.com or call 540-488-4600 for this Sunday, March 18th class.

My job is to make the buying and selling process stress free for my client’s. I offer ways to simplify the process and get them into their dream house. This is a great checklist to refer to as you are going through the homebuying process.

1. First you have to know how much you can afford.

• Document your monthly income and debt.
• Check your FICO score and your credit score and make sure everything is as it should be.
• Use an online mortgage calculator to view what your monthly estimates would be.
• Then figure how much of a down payment you can make.

2. Before you start looking, get pre-approved for a mortgage.

• It’s best to speak to at least five lenders and mortgage brokers so you can obtain the best rate possible.
• Choose a type of mortgage.
• Research the best interest rates and programs yourself.
  

3. Determine your needs and wants in a home.

• Urban, suburban, downtown, rural?
• What type of home…condo, loft, single family, townhouse?
• What is your price range?
• What type of square footage do you need?
  

4. Research neighborhoods.

• View the school information, traffic, crime rate and zoning in different areas.
• If you need to commute, determine how long it would take from your desired location.
• Look at local amenities such as grocery stores, parks, shops and restaurants.
  

5. Work with a buyer’s agent who is familiar with the area.

• Don’t be afraid to ask for referrals.
• Look for someone with experience.
• See how many homes they have sold in the area in a 12-month period.
  

6. Search for homes that fit your criteria.

• Browse online listings on realtor.com, Zillow.com, For Sale By Owner, etc.
• Ask your agent to set-up tours for ones you are highly interested in.
• Pick-up flyers and attend open houses yourself.
• Check local newspapers as some owners list their home themselves.
  

7. Time to offer and negotiate.

• Determine the purchase price and be sure to include any contingencies.
• Spell out any special requests or repairs that you want included in the sale of the house.
• Know your desired move-in date.
  

8. Finalizing the deal.

• Get the home appraised and inspected by a professional.
• Consider more specialized inspections such as structural engineering, roof and termites.
• You can use the inspection and appraisal reports as a negotiation tool.
• Choose a company for home insurance.
• Complete the loan process and do a thorough walk-through inspection before your closing.
  

9. Close.

• Go through the settlement document at least 2 days before closing to see how the money will be collected and distributed.
• Go to your bank and get a cashier’s check for the amount you need for closing
  

10. Enjoy your new home!