Houses on Smith Lake are increasing in value.

What a difference a year makes.

It’s no secret that the economy has been sluggish the past few years. As the recession has battered home prices across the country, the Smith Lake market has felt the effects of the housing downturn.

But the picture in 2012 looks brighter. Compared to the 1st quarter last year, lake home sales are up 113% by dollar volume. The number of homes sold over $400,000 is up 167%. And the number of days a home stays on the market is down 26%.

This is great news for home buyers on Smith Lake–as home values rise buyers feel more secure in their investment. Homes at Silverock are unique, as each unit has built in amenities that make the properties attractive and add value to the real estate.

If you are considering a lake home, now is a great time to buy with home values on the upswing. And Smith Lake is a great place to start looking. If you’d like to schedule a tour of the homes at Silverock Cove, please contact one of our agents at 205-994-6504.

Smith Lake is the perfect place to take great Instagram shots

This past week, Instagram announced they are releasing their smartphone-camera app for Android phones.

If you haven’t downloaded Instagram from the App Store, now’s the time! Instagram lets you share photos in a stream with your friends. While you’re at the lake, you can snap great pics by the pool, on the dock, on the water, or by the grill. And Instagram lets you add a number of filters so that you can express yourself creatively and make your photos look great.

When you download the app, you can find your friends through your email, facebook and twitter contacts. Once you’ve added them, you can follow your friends and “like” photos as you look through them. You can leave comments, and you can tag your friends and leave messages on your own photos.

You can take photos with the Instagram app or with your phone’s built-in camera. Once you have them uploaded on Instagram, you can edit them with filters and the “teardrop” to blur the edges of the shot.

Take a look at some of the photos we took on a recent trip to Silverock. And don’t forget to “tag” your shots with a #silverock to share your great pics with everyone!