For generations, the rhythm of Lake Martin followed a cherished, timeless beat. There was a soulful consistency to the seasons: Memorial Day sparked the first engines of summer, Fourth of July served as the lake’s roaring crescendo and by Labor Day, the hum of pontoon boats settled into a quiet, familiar slumber. For many, the lake wasn’t just a destination; it was a private sanctuary defined by knowing your neighbor and the slow, steady pace of tradition.
But walk into any local real estate office today, and you’ll find that the “Secret of the South” is officially out. The rise of short-term-rentals – fueled by the global reach of platforms like Airbnb and VRBO – has added a new, high-energy layer to the local culture.
×
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
kA 4=2DDlQA`QmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm(92E H2D @?46 2 4@==64E:@? @7 AC:>2CJ C6D:56?46D 2?5 AC:G2E6 H66<6?5 6D42A6D 92D >2EFC65 :?E@ 2 D@A9:DE:42E65 9@DA:E2=:EJ >2C<6E] uC@> E96 C:D6 @7 AC@76DD:@?2= >2?286>6?E 7:C>D E@ E96 565:42E65 C6?E\3J\@H?6C A:@?66CD[ E96 =2?5D42A6 @7 =2<6 =:G:?8 :D D9:7E:?8 E@ H6=4@>6 2 ?6H 86?6C2E:@? @7 G:D:E@CD]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`QmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmp44@C5:?8 E@ |:?5J |4(9:CE6C 2?5 {662EC2 '2F89? @7 E96 ?6H=J 7@C>65 {2<6 |2CE:? ':36 #62=EJ[ E96 EFC?:?8 A@:?E H2D F?>:DE2<23=6]kDA2? 4=2DDlQpAA=6\4@?G6CE65\DA246Qm k^DA2?mk^DA2?mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`QmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“p7E6C a_a_[ 5FC:?8 E96 A2?56>:4[ E96C6 H6C6?’E 2 H9@=6 =@E @7 C6?E2=D @? {2<6 |2CE:?[” |4(9:CE6C D2:5] “!6@A=6 DE6AA65 2H2J 7C@> 4@?5@D 2?5 9@E6=D] %96J H2?E65 DA246]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`QmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm%92E 56D:C6 7@C :D@=2E:@? DA2C<65 2 7C6?KJ] qJ a_ab[ E96 =2<6 D2H 2 DE2886C:?8 b_ A6C46?E :?4C62D6 :? D9@CE\E6C> C6?E2= AC@A6CE:6D] %@52J[ E92E ?F>36C 92D ?62C=J 5@F3=65 7C@> AC6\A2?56>:4 =6G6=D E@ >@C6 E92? d__ 24E:G6 C6?E2=D]kDA2? 4=2DDlQpAA=6\4@?G6CE65\DA246Qm k^DA2?mk^DA2?mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`QmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`QmqFE 2D E96 >2C<6E >2EFC6D[ '2F89? D2JD E96 “62DJ >@?6J” 6C2 :D 4@@=:?8]kDA2? 4=2DDlQpAA=6\4@?G6CE65\DA246Qm k^DA2?mk^DA2?mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`QmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“xE’D H2J >@C6 4@>A6E:E:G6 ?@H[” D96 D2:5] “%96 D64C6E :D @FE]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`QmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmu@C 9@>6@H?6CD =@@<:?8 E@ ;@:? E96 C6?E2= C2?<D[ E96 7:CDE 4C@DDC@25D :D >2?286>6?E] s@6D @?6 92?5=6 E96 >:5?:89E “E96 E@:=6E :Dk^DA2?m =62<:?8” 42==D E96>D6=7[ @C 5@ E96J 92?5 @G6C E96 <6JD E@ 2 AC@nk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`QmpE {2<6 |2CE:? ':36 #62=EJ[ |4(9:CE6C 2?5 '2F89? C6AC6D6?E E96 7F==\D6CG:46 >@56=] %96J 92?5=6 6G6CJE9:?8 7C@> AC@76DD:@?2= A9@E@8C2A9J 2?5 >2C<6E:?8 E@ 5:DA2E49:?8 92?5J>6? 2?5 7:=:?8 =@58:?8 E2I6D]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qm“%@ >2?286 AC@A6CEJ :? E96 DE2E6 @7 p=232>2 @E96C E92? J@FC A6CD@?2= 9@>6[ J@F 2C6 C6BF:C65 E@ 92G6 2 C62= 6DE2E6 =:46?D6[” '2F89? D2:5[ A@:?E:?8 @FE 2 4@\9@DE:?8 =@@A9@=6 @7E6? FD65 3J F?=:46?D65 >2?286CD]kDA2? 4=2DDlQpAA=6\4@?G6CE65\DA246Qm k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qmu@C E96:C 4=:6?ED – >2?J @7 H9@> =:G6 2D 72C 2H2J 2D !6??DJ=G2?:2 @C r2=:7@C?:2 – E96 A6246 @7 >:?5 :D H@CE9 E96 4@>>:DD:@?]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qm~? E96 @E96C D:56 @7 E96 4@:? :D $E6G6? !246[ @H?6C @7 %96 !246 !=246 2E {2<6 |2CE:?] !246[ H9@ 3@F89E 9:D AC@A6CEJ :? a_`g[ 49@D6 E96 A2E9 @7 E96 D6=7\>2?2865 “$FA6C9@DE]”k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qm“x C62==J 7@4FD65 @? ECJ:?8 E@ :?E6C24E H:E9 A6@A=6 2?5 5@ 5:C64E 3@@<:?8D[” !246 D2:5] “|@DE @7 >J C6?E6CD E@52J 2C6 C6A62E C6?E6CD]”k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`QmqJ 3F:=5:?8 2 =2C86 7@==@H:?8 @? D@4:2= >65:2[ !246 92D 3JA2DD65 E96 962GJ 766D @7 E9:C5\A2CEJ 2AAD]kDA2? 4=2DDlQpAA=6\4@?G6CE65\DA246Qm k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qm“p3@FE h_ A6C46?E @7 >J 3@@<:?8D 2C6 5:C64E ?@H[” 96 D2:5] “xE D2G6D E96 72>:=J >@?6J[ H9:49 >:89E >62? E96J 42? DE2J 2?@E96C ?:89E]”k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qmp 4@>>@? >:D4@?46AE:@? 2>@?8 ?6H 3FJ6CD :D E92E 2?J C@@7 ?62C E96 H2E6C :D 2 8F2C2?E665 p%|] %96 C62=:EJ :D >@C6 ?F2?465]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qm“yFDE 3642FD6 J@F @H? 2 {2<6 |2CE:? AC@A6CEJ 5@6D?’E >62? :E’D C6?E23=6[” '2F89? D2:5] “%@52J’D EC2G6=6CD 56>2?5 C6D@CE\DEJ=6 2>6?:E:6D] %96J H2?E E96 E@JD 2E E96 =2<6] %96J H2?E FA52E65 E9:?8D] *@F 92G6 E@ 8@ 23@G6 2?5 36J@?5 E@ D6E J@FC AC@A6CEJ 2A2CE]”k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qm{@42E:@? :D 2=D@ <6J] %96 “pF3FC? D:56” @7 E96 =2<6 E9C:G6D 5FC:?8 7@@E32== D62D@? – 5C2H:?8 72?D H9@ H2?E 2 =2<6 G242E:@? E6E96C65 E@ 2 9@>6 82>6 – 2?5 E96 DF>>6C 9@EDA@ED C6>2:? s256G:==6 2?5 z@H2=:82 q2J] %96D6 2C62D @776C H92E C6?E6CD 4C2G6 >@DEi AC@I:>:EJ E@ C6DE2FC2?ED 3J 3@E9 =2?5 2?5 H2E6C]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qmq6J@?5 E96 26DE96E:4D[ E96 CF=6D @7 E96 =2<6 2C6 @7E6? 5:4E2E65 3J :?7C2DECF4EFC6 – :?4=F5:?8 D6AE:4 DJDE6>D] w@>6@H?6CD 2C6 6?4@FC2865 E@ 4@?D:56C 42A24:EJ 2?5 FD286[ 6DA64:2==J H96? 9@DE:?8 =2C86C 8C@FAD @G6C 2? 6IE6?565 A6C:@5 @7 E:>6]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qm%96? E96C6 :D E96 >2EE6C @7 :?DFC2?46 2?5 =:46?D:?8] !246 6>A92D:K65 E92E 2 DE2?52C5 9@>6@H?6C’D A@=:4J H@?’E 4FE :E]kDA2? 4=2DDlQpAA=6\4@?G6CE65\DA246Qm k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qm“xE’D >@C6 E92? ;FDE 92G:?8 C68F=2C :?DFC2?46[” 96 D2:5] “*@F 92G6 E@ AC@E64E E96 A6@A=6 DE2J:?8 E96C6 2?5 E96 =:23:=:EJ @7 E96 @H?6C] q@2ED 2C6 2=D@ 2 3:8 =:23:=:EJ] (6 2C6?’E 2 3@2E C6?E2= 4@>A2?J] %96C6 2C6 2 =@E @7 AC@E@4@=D E9C@F89 E96 DE2E6 7@C E92E]”k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qms6DA:E6 E96 DAC625D966ED 2?5 E2I 7:=:?8D[ E96 962CE @7 E96 {2<6 |2CE:? C6?E2= >2C<6E C6>2:?D E96 6IA6C:6?46] u@C !246[ E96 AC@D @7 C6?E:?8 2C6 7@F?5 :? E96 8F6DE 3@@<]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qm“x’G6 C62==J 6?;@J65 A6@A=6 A@FC:?8 D@>6 D@F= :?E@ E96 AC@A6CEJ[” 96 D2:5] “%96C6 92G6 366? 3:CE952JD 46=63C2E65 E96C6[ 8C2?5A2C6?ED 7:?5:?8 @FE E96J’C6 8@:?8 E@ 36 8C62E\8C2?5A2C6?ED] xE 766=D =:<6 9@>6]”k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qm!246 6G6? FD6D E649?@=@8J E@ 6?DFC6 E96 92C>@?J @7 E96 ?6:893@C9@@5[ FE:=:K:?8 ?@:D6 >@?:E@CD E92E 2=6CE 9:> :7 564:36= =6G6=D 86E E@@ 9:89 H:E9@FE :?7C:?8:?8 @? 8F6DE AC:G24J] xE’D 2 56=:42E6 32=2?46i <66A:?8 E96 8F6DED 92AAJ H9:=6 C6DA64E:?8 E96 7F==\E:>6 C6D:56?ED H9@ 42== E96 =2<6 9@>6 J62C\C@F?5]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`QmpD {2<6 |2CE:? 6?E6CD :ED D64@?5 46?EFCJ[ E96 D9@CE\E6C> C6?E2= >2C<6E H:== F?5@F3E65=J 4@?E:?F6 E@ 6G@=G6] (96E96C E9C@F89 AC@76DD:@?2= 7:C>D =:<6 {2<6 |2CE:? ':36 #62=EJ @C 565:42E65 :?5:G:5F2=D =:<6 $E6G6? !246[ E96 8@2= C6>2:?D E96 D2>6 – D92C:?8 E96 >28:4 @7 E96 H2E6C[ @?6 C6?E2= 2E 2 E:>6]kDA2? 4=2DDlQpAA=6\4@?G6CE65\DA246Qm k^DA2?mk^Am