Safety guide

A GUIDE TO BOATING AND SWIMMING SAFETY RESOURCES PRESENTED BY LAKESIDE ON LANIER

Boater Education Courses with Certification Exam

Basics of Boating - America's Boating Course • Course: Meets Georgia DNR and NASBLA requirements for boater and PWC certification; covers boat handling, safety equipment/procedures, rules of the road, boat types/terminology. • Instructors: America’s Boating Club – Atlanta (formerly Atlanta Sail and Power Squadron) • When/Where: April Zoom class - Session 1 – Wed, March 31, 7-9 pm; Session 2 – Wed, Apr 7, 7-9 pm; Session 3 – Sat, Apr 10, 8:30 am – 12:30 pm • Cost: $25 per student; optional reference text - additional $28 • Information/registration: americasboatingclubatlanta.org/ or Email - ABC@usps-atlanta.org

Boating Safely & Personal Watercraft Certification - USCGA

• Course: NASBLA certified entry level classroom-only course with test for boater education and PWC certification. Covers basic boating terminology, “rules of the road,” navigation, operation, legal requirements, emergencies, water etiquette and more. • Instructors: U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary volunteers • Minimum age: 12, students 12-15 receive PWC certification. • When: 2021 Schedule TBD; 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (Bring sack lunch) • Where: U.S. Coast Guard Flotilla 29, 6595 Lights Ferry Rd., Flowery Branch • Cost: Individuals $30. • Private lessons also available for groups or organizations outside normal schedule by calling Flotilla Commander Chuck Kelemen, 770-714-0888. • Information/registration: http://a0700209.uscgaux.info/public_education.php. Pre-registration required. Contact Jorge Bartra Sr., jbart007@fiu.edu or 470-350-7592.

On-Line Courses • www.boat-ed.com and http://www.boaterexam.com/usa/georgia include study guide and Georgia Certification Exam with unlimited exam attempts; cost is $29.50 payable upon exam passage. Temporary certificate printed upon passage; permanent card mailed. • http://www.boatus.org/onlinecourse/Georgia.asp offers free course, exam and print your own certificate; mailed certificate $5. • Other certification courses offered at www.boatcourse.com, www.boatingbasicsonline.com, and www.pwcsafetyschool.com.

Other Boater Education Opportunities (Certification exam not included)

• Professional Tutoring: Captain’s Training, on-line or in person tutoring designed to prepare individuals for exams required for certification and licensure for maritime jobs by instructor Steve Johnson, retired US Coast Guard, experienced ship navigator, deck officer, and USCG license instructor for Sea School. www.navteach.com, stevejohnson@navteach.com, 770-3120989.

• Advanced Boating Classes in piloting, marine communications, and other boating skills offered periodically by the Atlanta Sail and Power Squadron. www.atlantasboatingclub.com.

NOTE: Please contact Lakeside on Lanier News to list additionalboating and water safety classes. lakesidenews@mindspring.com. Vessel Safety Checks • Atlanta Sail and Power Squadron offers vessel safety check-ups by appointment. http://atlantasboatingclub.com/vessel-safety-check/vessel-safety-check-signup. • Vessel Safety Checks by appointment: Both U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and United States Power Squadrons offer vessel safety check-ups at your boat by appointment. www.safetyseal.net.

Sailing Classes • Windsong Sailing Academy: Basic and advanced sailing training and certifications including engine maintenance, marine electrical systems, coastal and celestial navigation as well as marine meteorology offered by Windsong Sailing Academy through the DeKalb County Parks and Recreation Service. Public and private week evening and weekend classes available. Fees vary. www.WindsongSail.com. (770) 967-1515.

Frances Meadows Aquatics and Community Center

• Location: 1545 Community Way, Gainesville. • Information/registration: (770) 533-5850, www.gainesville.org/swim-lessons • Lessons: Swimming and water safety program for all ages and levels, age 6 months to masters, basic aquatics safety to skill proficiency for competitive swimmers, lifeguard training. • Splash Aquatic Club: Competitive swimming groups for Rookie (age 4) through Masters (age 18 and older to improve fitness, develop better technique, or train for competition. Cumming Aquatic Center

• Location: 201 Aquatic Circle, Cumming • Information/registration: (770) 781-1781 www.cummingaquaticcenter.com (register online) • Lessons: Swimming and water safety program ranges from toddler-age in Parent Child Aquatics Program to teens and adults in Learn to Swim and Adult Aquatics Program. Private or semiprivate lessons available. Fees and schedules vary. Competitive swimming and diving programs, Masters Swim Team also available. Lifeguard certification offered. Brenau University

• Location: Brenau Fitness Center, 500 Washington St., SE, Gainesville • Information/registration: www.brenautigers.com, Blaire Bachman, (770) 534-6279, bbachman@brenau.edu. • Lessons: Custom private swim lessons for all ages and abilities. Brenau Masters Swim Team offers practice and competitive program for swimmers of all levels, high school age and older.

University of North Georgia Gainesville Campus

• Location: 3820 Mundy Mill Rd., Oakwood • Information/registration: https://ce.ung.edu/wconnect/ace/, (678) 717-2377 • Swim lessons: For ages 3 (must be potty trained) and older range from introduction to water skills to swimming and skill proficiency. Check website for dates.

Georgia Mountain YMCA

• Location: 2455 Howard Rd., Gainesville • Information/registration: http://www.hallcountyymca.org/jawalters/programs/youth-swimming-lessons/, 770-297-9622 • Swim lessons: For all ages and levels, parent-child swim, Masters Swim Program, water fitness, water safety, life guard certification. Fees and times vary.

By Bev Knight

When it comes to residential real estate, 2020 was unlike any other time in history. With the global pandemic, civil unrest and contentious election, one might expect real estate to suffer as it has in previous hard times. However, it was a banner year and 2021 has also started out with a bang. In year-over-year statistics, residential prices are increasing at almost 15 percent nationally, the highest rate of increase in a generation. For Lake Lanier residents, the news is the same.

There are several indicators that show the health of a real estate market. Those include the trend in average home prices, number of days on the market and the percentage of sales price as compared to the original list price. For Lanier sales, all of those indicators are absolutely golden. In the first few weeks of 2021, The average home price has risen from $644,000 in the same period of 2020 to $818,000. That growth is unprecedented. The number of days on the market dropped from 90 last year to 44. That is an incredible drop, but check out this stat. For homes listed in 2021 (excluding listings held over from 2020), the average days on market is six. SIX! Again, unprecedented. Lastly, the percentage of sales price to list price reflects the incredible competition for correctly-priced properties. In the first months of 2020, it was a healthy 95 percent. This year, it has jumped to 98 percent. This is a result of many homes getting multiple bids and selling above list price. This is a nightmare for appraisers trying to justify sales prices in a rising market, but it’s bliss for homeowners. This is especially true for those who have had past obstacles in selling their homes such as shallow water or limited lake view. Once they’ve lost out on previous bids, buyers are more likely to accept small “issues” with a home.

In a normal economy, this would mean that buyers tend to put on the brakes. However, the historically low interest rates are allowing them to buy more expensive homes with affordable monthly payments. Why are buyers so motivated right now? The pandemic has necessitated a large percentage of the work force to work from home. While some believe that will end when the virus is under control, most experts think that working from home is a trend that will remain. And let’s be honest, if you’re working from home, would you rather look out the window at I-285 traffic or enjoy the serenity of a blue heron as it lifts off beautiful Lake Lanier? Before the pandemic, the split between vacation homes and residence sales on Lanier was about 50/50. It is much more weighted toward residences now. City dwellers who used to own two houses are selling their other home to buy a more expensive lake home, and that is reflected in the uptick in luxury sales. Million-dollar-plus homes are flying off the shelf. Multi-million dollar homes are getting attention like never before. Who wouldn’t want to live on our beautiful lake?

So what can you do with this information?

If you have a hard-to-sell lake home, this might be the best market in your lifetime to sell your property. Issues like shallow water, no view, not updated since the ’80s, steep hill to the lake … those issues are being overlooked in this buying frenzy. The low rates that have allowed the seller’s market to flourish will not stay this low. For those of us who remember the late ’70s, inflation was rampant and interest rates were in the high teens. Real estate came to a screeching halt which affected everything else in that already-ailing economy. History teaches us that as home values rise, it is almost impossible for rates to stay this low. There will likely be a check on the growth implemented through higher interest rates. It’s impossible to predict how high, but certainly above the 2 percent range.

Buyers are lined up and motivated to buy on Lanier. If you’ve been on the fence, this is the best time in your lifetime to sell a lake home. Don’t wait.

Bev Knight is lead agent for The Good Life Group, Keller Williams Lanier Partners. The team specializes in Lake Lanier and other north Georgia lake Knight homes. Email her at bev@housesonlanier.net for more information or ideas for other articles.