Melody Anderson

Google maps help realtors showcase their seller's listings, as well as facilitate the house-hunting process for buyers.

With more than 1150 miles of shoreline, the Lake of the Ozarks extends thru 3 counties and several small communities. Understandably then for those new or unfamiliar with the Lake area, a home search thru such an extensive area can feel daunting. And for even the most experienced realtors, physically showing all the available lake front properties around the Lake of the Ozarks could conceivably take weeks.

While most homebuyers I've worked with DO want to see a fair sampling of lakefront properties for comparisons, there is a limit as to how many 8 hour days they will tolerate driving to remote locations.

It's always been a smart practice to take the time to get acquainted with potential homebuyers upfront - understanding their interests and their needs, prequalifying them to determine their target price range - as well as developing a rather extensive ‘wish list'. Undoubtably lots of time and gas can be saved by this process.

What has changed these past years is this: once I have a strong sense of what my clients are looking for, I don't hop into my car. Not yet. First I turn on the computer.

Whether my clients are sitting across my desk, or sitting at their own computers thousands of miles away we prescreen properties by searching the MLS, watching virtual tours, and scrolling thru extensive photo galleries. What a time saver this alone can be!

This year, however, I've discovered another great timesaver which has become indispensible for me in showing lakefront property: Google maps. Gone are the days where I drive miles down a steep gravel road to discover that the home is tucked back at the end of a cove even though the listing description advertises a panoramic view! And gone are the days when I take a client who wants a quiet cove location to a property sitting on the main channel.

Using the example of the image to the left, it's easy to see how a home just four houses apart will have substantially different views, water depths and access. Now it would be great if the clarity and resolution of these images were sharper, but I'm not complaining. These views give us the information we need to eliminate property that definitely would not work, so we can make best use of our time together in the car viewing properties that have the best chances of being ‘the one'.

Not only is this resource good for buyers, but my sellers appreciate my using this tool in a more indirect way: it can be very discouraging for sellers who have turned off the oven and vacated their home on short notice for a viewing to receive feedback that the prospective buyer wanted a home further back in a cove.

So, to borrow a favorite saying from Martha - for me, Google maps is a "very good thing".

(This article was originally posted at Buying a lake home at Lake of the Ozarks made easier with online technology.)

Saturday morning fixture at Camdenton Square in Central Missouri closes for the season.

Part of a favorite Saturday morning ritual of mine (from April - October) is to stop by the Farmer's Market at the Square in Camdenton to look for in-season fruits, vegetables, herbs and plants. And even though we do have other good options at the Lake of the Ozarks, nothing in the area can compare to the quality of fruits and vegetables I find there.

Oh, sure. There's more to be found there other than food and plants: craftsmen bring chairs and other wood crafts, and there's lots of Ozark-inspired art and crafts and linens.

But you know, it's more than just a place to buy stuff. It's a gathering type of place where each week I'm sure to see someone I know who I hadn't seen in months. I guess it's a bit like an outdoor coffee shop - without the coffee!

For me, seeing an empty parking lot at the courthouse on Saturday mornings is as sure a sign of the change of seasons as are cooler days and falling leaves.

(This article originally appeared on my community and real estate blog. Read more at: Farmers Market in Camdenton. )

Realtors, builders, tradesmen and general public from Lake of the Ozarks to gather at Captain Ron's Bar & Grill to raise funds.

The inagural "Builders Bash" - a community effort to raise enough money, building material and in-kind services to build the ninth Habitat for Humanity home - will be held Saturday, Nov. 15 at Captain Ron's Bar & Grill in Sunrise Beach.

Not only is this event for a great cause, but it promises to be a really fun evening. The restaurant will be decorated to resemble a construction site, music will be provided by Johnny G and the AllStars, area disc jockey Mike Clayton will emcee, and lots of great good can be expected. Tickets for the event are $25 in advance, and $30 at the door. For more information call Mike Shepherd at 374-5852.

Once the goal of raising $75,000 in cash and materials is met, the family who is to be the beneficiary will be announced.

( This article originally appeared at my PostcardsFromTheLake community and real estate blog: Habitat for Humanity to build ninth house. )

Thru October of 2008, the median sales price of a single family residence at the Lake of the Ozarks has declined, while the median price of a condo unit at the Lake increased.

Looking closely at the sales numbers, however, the apparent median price increase is easily explained: a substantially less number of 2 bedroom units have been sold in 2008. In 2008, buyers were more apt to choose a pricier 3 bedroom condo unit. For anyone undecided as to whether to purchase a 2 or 3 bedroom unit, this may be an interesting trend to monitor - if you're considering resale values and ease of sale.

(This article originally published at my Lake of the Ozarks blog and real estate site : October Real Estate Report: Lake of the Ozarks.)

Lake of the Ozarks to be free of white foam

Dec. 3 marks the deadline for dock owners to have replaced all non-encapsulated foam flotation with encapsulated floats approved by AmerenUE. The problem with the non-encapsulated foam was that it would tend to break away from docks, creating a real eyesore along the shoreline; not to mention the hazard it posed to boaters.

AmerenUE currently estimates about 90% compliance, and has begun taking aerial photos of the shoreline - documenting structures that have not yet replaced their old foam.

With efforts this fall by AmerenUE to begin contacting owners not yet in compliance, along with the volunteer efforts of many groups and individuals participating in the Fall shoreline cleanup; the days of seeing and dodging unsightly foam blocks are coming to an end.