Selling homes, condos and property surrounding Lewis Smith Lake in Alabama is a personally satisfying endeavor for full-time broker and Realtor Justin Dyar. Afterall, he's lived on Smith Lake for more than 20 years and has been visiting Smith Lake since 1986, which he admits provided him some of his fondest childhood memories.
"During an average year, I manage 300 to 400 Smith Lake properties, so I definitely have something in my inventory for everyone," he suggests.
Smith Lake is a huge reservoir located on the Sipsey Fork of the Black Warrior River, about 20 miles north-west of Birmingham. Towns on the lake include Bremen, Crane Hill and Dodge City in Cullman County; Curry and Jasper in Walker County; and Addison, Arley, Houston and Double Springs in Winston County.
With 500-plus miles of shoreline and 22,000 acres covering three counties, potential property buyers can find the process daunting. Through Justin's affiliation with Lake Homes Realty, he says he's thrilled to apply his intricate knowledge of the entire lake, coves and channels by road or by water. He's been presented from the local Board of Realtors the Top Producer award since 2006. For 2021, he says his sales exceeded $250 million in homes and property on Smith Lake.
Some people began to call him 'Mr. Smith Lake' years ago. He liked that association so much, he trademarked the term.
Part of Justin's claim to fame was that he closed both one of the largest land sales in the history of Smith Lake for $16.1 million and one of the smallest sales of waterfront property there. He says he handles vacant lots and weekend getaways, as well as year-round homes. For 2021, Justin had a record-setting year with more than $253 million in real estate sales along the lake.
"The waters are crystal clear and some depths reach over 300 feet. The lake is great for swimming and fishing," asserts Justin.
Why Smith Lake Is Rated As Third Cleanest U.S. Lake
- It isn't located near any industrial/manufacturing plants.
- It's not used for navigation to larger bodies of water, so no large barges or ships pollute the water.
- The Smith Lake shoreline is composed mainly of rock – meaning less erosion of the shoreline, which contributes to muddy water.
- The water remains extremely deep.
- Alabama Power Shoreline Management regulators are very strict on dock permitting, marinas, boats w/bathrooms and gas stations to keep the water clean and pure.
Justin says 40-50% of his buying clients hail from the Brentwood/Nashville region, many seeking a perfect vacation destination. "Although inventory is a bit low this year, due to the changing market from the past couple of years, I see the market as still strong."
His team of buyer agents, an assistant and a professional photographer take a hands-on approach, and band together to keep assisting clients find the right property matches, he says.
A current trend, he reveals, is a significant number of prospective homebuyers desiring to purchase a house from which they also can conduct short-term rentals, if they decide to in the future. "Rental policies around the lake are neighborhood-specific. We know them all, and can cut to the chase for our clients," assures Justin.
One of Justin's clients, Erika Amstadt Hirschfield, shared the following review: "Our experience finding the perfect place to call home on Smith Lake was wonderful, thanks to Justin Dyar. His expertise and intuition was integral to the process. There are many components to finding the right property, especially if you are not local to the state, and he and his team made the experience very pleasant from start to finish. I would recommend highly to anyone looking to purchase a home on Smith Lake."
Regarding Justin's thorough dedication and attention to details regarding the Smith Lake area, one only has to ponder the fact that Justin recently joyfully returned a wedding band to a couple after 30 years when it was found in their lake home after they sold it in December of 2021.
Justin says Mr. and Mrs. Green, both in their early 90s, asked him to sell their lake house in 2019 and it went on the market in late 2021. When the house was being renovated, the new owners found a diamond ring under the basement carpet. The carpet was installed in the 1990s when the house was built. It turns out the ring was Mr. Green’s wedding band. The ring was lost when the house was built.
"My life revolves around Smith Lake, and it's my passion to share with others what I experienced at an early age more than 30 years ago," he adds.
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