Justin Dyar has a recognizable face, especially around Smith Lake. Dyar is in the midst of an astonishingly successful real estate career that keeps him busy, but even “Mr. Smith Lake” likes to take time to enjoy Thanksgiving with his family.
Dyar and his family are very close, and they make family time a priority.
“I have two nephews, 6 and 4, and my family is very close,” said Dyar. “My sister and her family live in Santa Rosa Beach. My parents live five minutes away from me at the lake. I am thankful I have my parents close to me. My Dad and I do some business together, real estate-wise, and it is good to be able to work alongside my Family. Also, we travel together. My family usually takes a couple trips a year. We just returned from the beach. We enjoyed the water and my nephews, my sister and her husband. What we will probably do for Thanksgiving is me, my mom and dad will go to Santa Rosa Beach, then my sister and her family will come up to the lake for Christmas. We will go there for Thanksgiving and they will come here to the lake for Christmas.”
Dyar said his family keeps Thanksgiving traditional.
“We like the traditional dressing, turkey. My grandmothers were both fabulous cooks. One was a home economics teacher and the other lived out in the country. They raised their food and vegetables. I was blessed to have grandmothers that were huge cooks. We were raised with good, true Southern food out of the garden. We like the traditional Thanksgiving meal with fresh vegetables. My parents were both very busy with work, and they did not have time to garden, but my grandparents did. My aunt still cooks like that. She still has that gift. I am thankful I was brought up like that and have those memories.
Dyar has lived on Smith Lake for more than 20 years, and he has been visiting with friends and family since the 1980s. A broker with Lake Homes Realty (He sold more than $250 million in real estate along the lake last year!), he’s pretty much an expert on the area.
So, what happens to the real estate market in the “off months”?
“It slows a bit after Labor Day, but we are very consistent,” he said. “I talk to a lot of customers this time of year who will be listing their properties in the spring. I close a lot of land transactions in the fall.”
As for what makes Smith Lake special, Dyar explained, “Most customers tell us the lake is affordable more than most lakes in the South. The water is crystal clear. You are between Birmingham, Huntsville. You are just over two hours from Nashville. Approximately 50% of my purchases and sales are from Brentwood, Franklin and Nashville. They love our lake and they love that it is like being in the country, but you are not far from I-65. They love Cullman.”
What does Dyar want people to know about his business?
“We are here for anything, not just real estate. I have people call every day for a contractor, electrician, plumber, landscaper, even if they run out of gas on the lake,” he said. “We are here to help and service the community. We want people to reach out and know we are available for anything they need. ‘What color shingles did you use?, where did you find that stone on that house or who built your fire pit?’ I am not just the guy on the billboard everyone sees. I want to be the source for not only real estate, but anything that our community needs.
Colder months on Smith Lake
It gets chilly in late fall/winter, but the lake is still enjoyable. Dyar said fire pits, heated pools, outdoor kitchens and TVs are popular for entertaining.
“Boating season is usually through November where it is not too cold, and then the reason gets rolling again in March.”
