Dreaming of owning lakefront property? Do you love riding by boat and viewing all the waterfront homes at Smith Mountain Lake, VA? The gorgeous mountains and blue water here attract young families, second-homeowners, and retirees who are searching for their own little piece of southwest Virginia heaven..

As with many lake communities, there is a wide variety of real estate found here as well as a number of factors that can contribute to home values. Here are a few of the distinctive characteristics of Smith Mountain Lake real estate that you’ll want to consider when looking at waterfront properties here:

1) Three large counties make up the border of Smith Mountain Lake

There are three counties that make up the more than 500 miles of shoreline here. Franklin, Bedford and Pittsylvania counties are all largely rural areas, but each one will have a few different regulations you might want to find out about before deciding on a home here. For example, county regulations vary when it comes to renting your property. This could make purchasing waterfront homes at Smith Mountain Lake, VA for the purpose of making extra income difficult, so it pays to check out what each county does and does not allow.

2) There’s a huge amount of shoreline to consider

The Roanoke and Blackwater River channels in addition to multiple tributaries and creeks make up the vast shoreline – more than 500 miles of it. Spend just a short time cruising the water and you will uncover hundreds of coves, inlets, points of land and large sweeping curves that can all play a role in your lakehome views and amount of boat traffic in that area. The surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains will also be another important thing to consider. This kind of terrain will most definitely affect the slope of your lot or the depth of the water at your boat dock, which could also limit you in the future should you decide to make large home improvements or acquire a new watercraft.

3) Market values can vary widely, even on the same street or cove

There’s definitely one thing you’ll notice when beginning a search for waterfront property at Smith Mountain Lake — the wide-open range of home prices. It’s fairly common here to have large multi-million dollar homes sharing the same stretch of shoreline with a small cabin or a lot with a mobile home. As with many waterfront areas, there are a number of factors that can affect house values here. Things like lake views, length of shoreline, lot size and dock allowances can all establish the price a buyer is willing to pay or a seller wants to get. Other considerations might include your location in a cove or small creek rather than being on one of the main river channels or perhaps the time it takes to drive to shopping centers or nearby large cities.

Obviously, there’s many decisions that need to be made when it comes to choosing from all the property and homes at Smith Mountain Lake, VA. Taking the extra time to really think about the purpose for buying your SML home and carefully considering all these things will make a difference for you in whatever type of property you choose.

Opting to work with a trained real estate agent would be most beneficial during the process of buying a lakefront or water-access home, or even a townhome or condominium. You’ll want an agent with all the right credentials, but also be sure to look for an agent that works full-time in real estate and has a current working knowledge of the large amount of varied types of properties available here.

When it’s time for you to search for homes in this gorgeous area and you’re looking for a truly experienced real estate agent, one that exclusively works in the Smith Mountain Lake area, I urge you to check out our Waterfront Houses At Smith Mountain Lake Virginia website and let us help you avoid the pitfalls and complex issues that could come up in the home-buying process. We’ve helped hundreds of potential home buyers navigate the tricky waters of buying all kinds of real estate for sale at Smith Mountain Lake, VA and would love to assist you too.