Gone Fishing...

The big fish broke the lure

Julie catching a double

It's Spring Time and the fishing is on at RC. Julie, our son Parker and I took off last Wednesday afternoon and went fishing.  We went out of Fisherman's Cove Lodge with Joe Moore about 2:00 that afternoon and had a blast.  Joe kept us on fish all day long.

Our catch for the day

We fished out on the main body of Richland Chambers in usually around 30 ft of water.  Joe was following the bottom structure of the lake and knew where the fish would be.  We took home 75 White Bass, 5 Hybrids and a 25 pound Yellow Cat.  It was a great afternoon.

25 lb Yellow Catfish

Julie's blister from reeling in fish

Joe kept us out for about 4 hours until we limited out on keeper White Bass, (25 each).  We probably caught twice as many fish as we kept, we threw back everything that was too small.  Joe used his Fish Finder/GPS  to keep us on top of the fish all afternoon. The catch of the day was the big Yellow Cat. This is some of the best catfish you will ever eat!

Any day fishing is a good day!

Fisherman's Cove Lodge is located off of State Highway 309 off of 287 on the north shore of the main body of the lake.  They offer guided fishing and hunting trips.  Check them out and even book online at www.Fishermanscovelodge.com
Check out Joe Moore at www.HookedupGuide Services.net.
All you have to do is just show up.  They provide everything for the trip and then clean and bag your fish for you when you're done.

Happy Fishing!

Cooler full of fish!

Joe Moore cleaning our catch

Parker in Action

Joe with a Hybryd

Landing the big Yellow Cat

Richland Chambers Lake Waterfront Homes, By the Numbers

   Julie and I have been focused on The Richland Chambers Lake area now for a little over 9 years. We bought the franchise and started building the office in 2008.  Since then we have endeavored to know as much about this area and the Richland Chambers Real Estate market as possible.  We've studied historical data, documented trends and lived the market daily since.  This market has grown significantly these last few years and there have been a lot of changes.               Here's a few snippets about our Lake market to share some insight. Looking at numbers a person must take into account that the Richland Chambers real estate market is relatively small and the number of houses around the lake has grown and grows every year. So while I've done my best to present accurate research, real estate markets are dynamic and some factors are difficult to measure.

Waterfront is a great example. Some homes are on canals or coves and some are on open water.  Open water homes typically sell for more per foot than an average canal home, however even this is not cut and dried.  A house on a canal could have absolutely great amenities and finish out which will bring a higher per square foot price than some open water homes. So, saying all that to say, the numbers are what they are and perhaps best used to understand the trends of the market.

   If you have lived on a Texas lake for any length of time you have experienced water fluctuations. Pretty much all Texas lakes are dependent on rainfall and conditions can vary over the years. There have been a lot of full years and some drought years.  Richland Chambers has fared pretty well in it's life.

315' is Pool Level

We are one of the youngest lakes in Texas.  RC officially impounded in July of 1987 and filled by May of 1989. Julie and I are from here and we have loved and enjoyed the lake since it filled.  Over the years we have compiled a lot of RC Lake data. Since January 1st of 1990 through March 31 of last year the average daily water level was 312.46' MSL. The full level of the lake is 315' MSL so that means approximately a  +/- 2.54 ft fluctuation over the life of the lake.  We have had some low water levels in the last few years, however in the life of the lake it has been within a 3 feet of full way more than it has been low.
Click here for my detailed Lake Level Chart.

'All Categories' includes RV properties

How does Water Fluctuation affect lake front home sales? The two charts help to spot a trend. While is is not statistically set in stone a brief comparison shows that the lake level does have an effect the number of waterfront homes sold in a given year.
What about waterfront home values during fluctuations?
  Again, with a small market sample such as RC Lake Market the statistics have to be interpreted in the light of all the 'unaccounted for' variables.  The chart below shows Richland Chambers Waterfront Home prices in dollars per sqft. for the last 12 years. Take into consideration that this includes all categories from cheap "fishing cabins" to  magnificent waterfront beauties.  Also in any given year it stands to reason that more less expensive homes may have sold or vice versa. This will also affect the average.   The average is a totally un-adjusted number.  Any home's value depends on it's individual location and amenities.  The point for sharing this next chart is  to demonstrate a trend. Through the overall market ups and downs and water level ups and downs our waterfront home values have remained relatively stable.  The top (white line) is the high $ per sqft sales, the blue line is the average $ per sqft sales and the orange (bottom) line is the low $per sqft sales.

Many homes will sell above the average $ per sqft and are well worth it. Others will sell for less based on their location and amenities plus one one other factor that is perhaps more important than all, the seller's motivation.  The seller's motivation drives the whole pricing process and can determine whether a house sells quickly or sits on the market a long time.
The best thing to do if you are thinking about selling is to contact a real estate professional in the area your house is located.  They most often have direct knowledge of the sold comparable properties around you and understand why a certain property sold  for it's price.  A good real estate agent can assist in getting you the most value for your home in a reasonable amount of time.   The same is true if you are looking to buy.  A good local real estate professional can keep you from the pitfalls of overpaying.  They have seen what has sold and understand why.

Julie's Market Thoughts

Spring is in the air and with it, sales are ramping up at Richland Chambers Lake.  We're heading into the third year of a full Richland Chambers Lake and this market is finally catching up to other markets around the state. Inventories are down and prices are inching up for the lake area home market.
The lot market is changing as well. It has been a tough 6 to 7 years for the lake lot market challenged by previous droughts and the struggling real estate market in general prior to the drought years. Inventories for waterfront lots were as high as 330 lots in 2015, with only a few a month selling.
2016 brought us a reduction in inventories down to 270.  With a full lake, the market was churning double what it had done in the previous year.
With Spring of 2017 upon us, inventories are down further, with 238 currently for sale.  Some of the screaming deals churned out and sold in 2016, as a result, the lake lot market is destined to eventually make it's way back.
But the good news is, there are still some great waterfront lot deals to be found.  Call us for a complete list of fabulous lot opportunities and make your dreams of living on a lake a reality!
Come join us lake rats and have some fun!!

The Shores on Richland Chambers Lake, what's going on in there?

New house on Deepwater Cove

The Shores on Richland Chambers Lake is the biggest subdivision on RC Lake. It is over 600 acres with about 620 lots.  The Shores was developed later in the life of Richland Chambers (from the best I can remember 2004-5 or so). The developer, Texas Land and Lakes, finished up and pulled out late in the spring of 2009.
The subdivision has maintained it's amenities, common areas, and roads very well and the place looks great to this day.  It is conveniently located right off of US 287 on the Corsicana side of the bridge and is gated 24 hours a day to provide security for residents and minimize drive through traffic.
So after 8 years of autonomy over 12 years or so of existence, 3 drought years and a housing market crash, how is the neighborhood doing?

New construction on Sailboat Drive

I had the pleasure a week or so ago of interviewing Gary Sharon who is a resident of The Shores and the head of the Architectural Control Committee (ACC).  Gary gave me the latest on The Shores and is a wealth of information about the growth of the community. The Shores currently has 83 completed homes with 8 currently under construction.  The pace has varied over the years, 9 were approved in 2014, 2 in 2015 and 2016 saw 13 sets of plans approved. This makes The Shores on pace to be at 100 homes before we know it, making it the largest community on Richland Chambers Lake with plenty of room to spare.


The function of the ACC is to ensure that all improvements in the neighborhood align with and meet the guidelines in the community's Deed Restrictions. The process is actually pretty simple.  When a lot owner wants to do an improvement on their property they must submit the plans to the ACC for approval. The ACC  tends to move quickly so you are not out a bunch of time waiting for an answer. Gary also said he "encourages anyone with questions or concerns to call and talk about it". This can save you time and money and keep you from paying an Architect to plan something that does not meet the Improvement Guidelines.  Not to mention paying the Architect to amend the plans after the fact.

Just completed on Clubhouse Drive

Under construction on Waters Edge

Just starting on Deepwater Cove

The ACC not only reviews plans for homes but also sidewalks, sheds, retaining walls, boathouses and really any improvements made above ground. Gary also wanted to point out that any improvements made below the 320' line must also be approved by Tarrant Regional Water District. This would include boathouses, retainer walls, sidewalks, etc.
The Shores property owners can check out more information and download forms from the community's website www.POAofTheShores.com.

Finishing touches going on at the end of Canal Street

Looking good on Hatteras Drive

Side by Side on The Shores Drive

Side by Side on The Shores Drive

So to answer the question, The Shores on Richland Chambers Lake is alive and well and growing!!
#richlandchambers #theshoresonrichlandchambers #richlandchamberslake

The Power of a Local Agent

I usually write our blogs and I hope you've found them useful and somewhat entertaining. But this time Julie has something to say and has taken over the keyboard... enjoy! 

Market knowledge is very important when choosing an agent to represent you in a real estate transaction.  It is considerably more important in a resort market such as ours, Richland Chambers Lake, where there is so much data to be gathered before making a decision to purchase a waterfront property. When we opened our office on the Lake in 2008, we had no idea of how much information gathering that would be required to properly serve our clients.  We quickly realized this fact and began to drive all the neighborhoods, pull all the plats, copy all the restrictions for the more than 60 subdivisions and  began our schooling of all things Richland Chambers Lake! We worked tirelessly 7 days a week those first few years to inculcate ourselves to be equipped to serve and become the RC Lake experts!

Questions that often arise on a daily basis are those related to HOA's, building requirements, subdivision amenities, lake fluctuations, lake depths, marina locations, boathouse building information, and whether or not RV's or Vacation Rentals are allowed in each of the subdivisions. These answers vary depending on the subdivision on the lake.  There are no two that are the same.

With the booming of real estate markets in metropolitan areas around us and the lack of inventory in those markets, we are seeing more and more agents getting out of their comfort zones and attempting to represent their clients in markets not within their scope of expertise.
Part of a Realtor's fiduciary duties to their client's as lined out in the Texas Real Estate Commission's
Canon of Ethics is competency, to be knowledgeable and informed on market conditions that affect
real estate and exercise judgment and skill in performing these duties.

If you are considering a move to a lake area or resort market in the state of Texas, and feel loyalty to an agent where you currently live or in another market, and are unsure of the unknown, ask them to research agents and refer you to an expert agent in that market.  This enables your local agent to make some money while insuring that you are getting all the benefits of working with an agent that is equipped to handle your real estate investment and guide you through the lake buying process.

Real Estate is a part of your portfolio that requires extra special care and expertise. Like the rest of your investment portfolio, you must take extra care to avoid the pitfalls that could occur without a well equipped professional on your side.

Whether you are buying or selling, the local agent is always the best choice to protect your investment.  If you are selling a property, the benefits of hiring a local agent are numerous as well.
For example, market knowledge and pricing are key in getting your property sold.  Local area agents
in markets like ours, have been inside almost every home that has sold and everyone that is currently on the market for sale.  They can help you make specific comparisons to each of these competing properties that will help you to establish the best listing price that will achieve your goals of both time and money depending on your own motivations. They are also available to check on the property if you are an absentee seller.  They also have the benefits of knowing which marketing works and can implement the right tools.  But most importantly, and often overlooked, the agent you hire must be fully equipped with all the data and information needed to sell the lake area first.  Most lake area and resort buyers are shopping lakes and this is vitally important to the sell.  Out of town Agents are not equipped to sell in markets they do not know.

To sum it up, real estate is one of the most valuable and important investments you will make in your lifetime.  Protect that investment by careful selection of a real estate professional that is an expert in that market.              

Catching up on a few things...

Here's one of my neighbors night fishing on my dock

Catching up on a few things... 
The lake is about 6" below full today at 315.45', a very nice number for this time of year especially considering rain is coming back into the forecast starting this weekend.  It is always good to be full before summer. The market has been very busy for January on Richland Chambers.  Several properties have gone under contract and sold.  Any waterfront homes that come up priced with the market tend to go under contract very quickly.  
(We have a couple of waterfront homes that are coming on the market this week that are great, so keep your eyes open)

The cheap dockable waterfront in The Shores, Lots 415 and 415, went under contract and have sold Several of the great deals on waterfront lots from last year have sold. However there still are some great opportunities and good deals to be had, so here we go:

Lot 38 El Barco in Vista Ridge -Very nice waterfront, 3/4 acre+, 100ft of shoreline  $79,900

902 Donzi Court - Beautiful, private treed lot with Double decker Boathouse -$99,000

Lot 563 The Shores - Beautiful treed lot down on the peninsula in The Shores - $99,000

Lot 45 El Sueno in Arrowhead - Open water lot in very nice gated community $99,000 

Lot 25 Susan Grove in Cape Estes - Rare find on the South Side, big boathouse, septic...

Lot 500 The Shores - Down on the peninsula with incredible, open water sunset views

Lot 242 The Shores - On the peninsula, some of the deepest, dockable water on RC Lake

Lot 243 The Shores - Right next door, same thing, deep dockable water, great lot



The busy season will soon be upon us, especially when Old Man Winter starts heading back North...
#richlandchambers  #greatdealonRC

Places Around Richland Chambers

Wow 2017 is upon us so here we go... Places around Richland Chambers Lake...
There are lots of good things about Richland Chambers Lake, fishing, wildlife, scenery...but maybe the best thing about our lake is the peace and quiet.  Before the lake was filled in 1989 there was not much at all out here.  Just woods, pasture land, ranch land and bottom land.  My family and I used to travel down US Hwy 287 to Palestine to visit my grandparents when I was a kid.  In those days on 287 between Corsicana and Palestine there were a lot of woods, a small store at Eureka, another at Cayuga and a couple of memorable bridges across Chambers Creek and the Trinity river and that was it. Now when you come down 287 you'll find Richland Chambers Lake the 3rd largest body of water in the State of Texas and lot of nice houses and neighborhoods.  So what else is out here?

Les and Bev York

From most parts of the lake it is about 20-30 minutes to the closest town.  But when you get out here to enjoy the lake there are some places around you need to know about that can save you time and money.   Richland Chambers Hardware and Lumber is one of those places.  The "Hardware Store on the south side"  is a great place.  Les and Bev York do a fantastic job providing a huge inventory of items (more than 15,000!) at competitive prices. 
Yes, speaking from experience, competitive prices. 
They carry pretty much everything you would expect from a hardware store (no skimping here) along with fishing supplies, landscaping supplies, and lots more. (They live here, know the area and can tell you just what you need and when you need it for your yard.)  They are also a "Boat Hoist" dealer.  They carry all manner of boat dock supplies and parts and can quickly get their hands on anything you may need to keep your dock up and running in tip top shape.  Most of us have  lake-fed irrigation systems.  Les and Bev have all the parts to repair it and keep it running including pumps, relays, fittings, pipe, etc...
Their lumber rack is kept full and they have lots of varieties of dimensional lumber at prices that you will find very competitive with the big orange store.  So no need to haul a bunch of stuff from the big city for your weekend project at the lake.  Shop locally right here on the south side and you will be surprised at the prices and level of friendly service you can find. They also deliver!!
They are "Large enough to serve you and small enough to know you!!"
Check them out at www.rclakeinfo.com  or call 903.389.4411
#richlandchambers #richlandchambershardware  #lakehousestuff