lake wylie

1st Quarter 2022 Real Estate Recap

Jan Todd

Happy Spring, everyone! It has been fun to see folks getting out on the lake, the flowers and trees blooming everywhere, and warm-weather events cranking up.

Real-estate sales in our area (York County, Southern Mecklenburg County, Belmont) have come out of the gate strong, with total first-quarter home sales about the same as last year, and up 20% in comparison to 2019 (pre-pandemic.) Average prices are up a whopping 45%-50% in comparison to B.C. (Before Covid.)

On Lake Wylie, first-quarter sales for waterfront homes and dockable lots fell significantly below the same period in 2021:

In the chart above, the blue bars represents the number of waterfront homes sold January-March of each year, and the red bars represent the number of dockable lot sold.

Thus far in 2022, 19 waterfront homes and 11 dockable waterfront lot have closed, well below 2021 numbers. First-quarter sales are notoriously volatile, however, and are not usually a reliable prediction of the year’s performance. Wintery weather tends to affect early year closings. The past couple of years, a shortage of listings — particularly in more moderately priced homes — has impacted sales trends as well.

The number of “pending sales” on Lake Wylie is down about 25% in comparison to last year, an indication that the slowdown in first quarter may extend through mid-year.

Prices have continued to increase for both homes and lot on the lake:

In the chart above, the red line represents the average price for Lake Wylie waterfront homes, and the blue line represents lot prices. For the first year ever, the average price of waterfront homes sold on Lake Wylie exceeded $1 million. Almost 60% of home sales to date this year on the lake carried price tag of over $1 million.

Supply (listings) has played a role, with a pronounced shortage in the lower-mid-priced properties. All homes — on and off the lake — have risen significantly in price, with increases of 20-25% in comparison to a year ago. Many homes sell at or above asking price, with bidding wars beginning within hours of listing.

The average price for waterfront lots sold in first quarter rose sharply in the past couple of years. However — 8 of the 11 dockable lots sold thus far in 2022 have been in premium-priced McLean developments, with sales prices ranging from $435,000 – $800,000. More of the same are on the horizon.

While demand is still high, the real estate market may begin to lose its frenzy in coming months. Some potential buyers have been priced out, and will stay where they are until conditions are more favorable. Rising mortgage rates are giving some buyers considerable pause — unless they have cash in hand from their own real estate sales.

We are entering the spring/summer bump in the market, the season when most buyers make moves. This year, we may see fewer “optional” moves taking place while folks wait for the market to settle.

We are still in a “seller’s market,” however. The number of listings on the lake are at record lows, and people are still watching and waiting for new properties on the market.

To check out recent sales on Lake Wylie, please visit my webpages: Recent Waterfront Home Sales and Recent Waterfront Lot Sales.

If you are interested in selling or want to talk more about your property, please give me a call. With hundreds of successful waterfront transactions completed, The Lake Wylie Man team has unparalleled lake property experience. We can advise you through each step of a sale or purchase.

 

Spring is in the air, and sales are blooming!

Jan Todd

We’ve had a taste of spring in the past week or so, and I’ve seen lots of folks getting outside in their yards and out on their boats. This is the time of year Lake Wylie real estate starts amping up!

 

January/February activity was what I’d consider “normal,” with about a dozen waterfront homes closed to date, and 26 under contract. What isn’t “normal” are the high prices, short periods of time on market, and lack of inventory — though that might be our new “normal” for awhile.

 

In the greater Charlotte market, existing home sales in 2021 reached their highest level since 2006, according to the Canopy Realtor® Association. Buyers rushed to take advantage of historically low mortgage rates, and the pandemic altered buyer behavior — shifting people to move away from urban centers and into homes offering space for home offices and outdoor recreation.

 

Now, even though mortgage rates are creeping up (averaging about 4.1% for a 30-year fixed), buyer demand still exceeds supply. New listings are being snatched up quickly, if they are priced appropriately. Move-in-ready homes fetch a premium, but even fixer-uppers have high appeal for investment buyers with cash in hand.

 

On Lake Wylie, over half of the waterfront homes closed to date in 2022 were priced over $1 million. The average price of the 26 homes under contract is $1.2 million. Demand is just as strong for luxury priced homes as it is for moderately priced homes on the water. Check my webpages Recent Waterfront Home Sales for details on closings in recent months.

Waterfront home sales by month

In the chart above, the blue line represents a 4-year average of the number of waterfront home sales by month. The green line represents 2022 sales.

Typically, Jan/Feb are the lowest sales months of the year. Most of the closings in the early part of the year are for homes that went under contract in mid-November through the end of December, winter holiday months when buyer activity is curtailed.

Closings typically pick up in March, and then peak in summer months.

Thus far, 2022 sales are on par with the average number of waterfront home sales on Lake Wylie.

 

Waterfront land sales

Waterfront lot sales are off to a good start in 2022, with three closings through the end of February, plus five closings in the new McLean’s Hunts Point development during the first week of March. Hunts Point, located in Belmont off of South New Hope Road near Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, features 22 homesites. Most of the waterfront lots are priced in the $400’s and $500’s.

There are only 37 dockable waterfront lots currently listed on Lake Wylie, less than half the number listed pre-pandemic.

Check my webpages Recent Waterfront Land Sales for details on lot closings in recent months.

 

Questions? Need info?

If you’d like to discuss your property, please shoot me an email or call. In today’s fast-paced market, lake expertise is more important than ever, and The Lake Wylie Man team has successfully closed more waterfront properties than any other Realtor® in the area. I look forward to hearing from you!

 

Lake Wylie real estate update – Nov. 2021

Jan Todd
The listing inventory shortage has caught up with us. All year, it has been a wonder that waterfront sales on Lake Wylie have been so strong, while the number of listings has been at record lows. As new properties were introduced to the market, many of them sold within a few days after being listed.
Now, the number of new listings — particularly those priced under $1 million — are so few that sales have slowed significantly. In October, only eight waterfront homes closed — half of the typical number of closings this time of year.
Listings for both waterfront lots and homes are at record lows at the first of November:
In the graph above, the blue line represents the number of waterfront homes listed on Lake Wylie at the beginning of November each year since 2016, and the red line represents the number of lots listed.
Listings began their steep decline during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic when many new buyers were attracted to Lake Wylie and the supply of properties could not keep up with the demand. The trend continued into 2021.
Now, of the 47 active waterfront home listings, over half are under contract. There are only 21 fully available, and just 3 of those are priced under a million, with the lowest priced available home at $899,000. Buyers for homes at all price points are waiting in the wings — but particularly for homes priced under $900,000.
Because of the strain on listing inventory, we expect waterfront home sales to fall 5-10% behind last year’s numbers.
Waterfront lot availability is also at its lowest level, with only 26 on the market. The high demand for homes, without sufficient inventory to feed the hungry buyers, led many waterfront buyers to choose to build new homes on the water. Sales in 2021 for waterfront lots are at one of the highest levels ever.
Waterfront prices
Driven by high demand and low supply, waterfront home prices are now averaging just over $930,000, and waterfront lots are averaging in the mid $300’s. The price per square foot for waterfront homes is up 23% over last year and 35% over the year before. Price increases on a few homes that sold in the past three years —then resold in 2021 —confirm that homes in “move-in-ready” condition can fetch significantly higher prices in the current market.
Undeveloped lot prices are varied. There are buyers willing to pay top dollar for premium lots — those in higher end neighborhoods or lots with excellent location and views. Cove lots and those in more remote locations are still selling in the $200’s.
Mortgage rates
Mortgage rates are beginning to inch up again:
In the graph above, shared by Freddie Mac, the blue line represents 30-year rates, the orange line 5/ ARM rates, and the green line 15 year rates. In the past 12 months, 15Y and 30Y peaked in March, and are now approaching those rates again in early November.
Building material shortages, which became an issue early in the pandemic, are still in play.
We remain very optimistic about the health of the real estate market on Lake Wylie, considering the purchase demand that is still very strong. The short time on the market for new listings, even with higher prices on homes, indicates we are still in a “seller’s market.”
Be sure to check out recent sales on our website: Recent Waterfront Home Sales and Recent Waterfront Lot Sales.
Both buyers and sellers can benefit from the advice of seasoned real estate professionals such as The Lake Wylie Man team. Our knowledge of the market and success in closing hundreds of properties on Lake Wylie are invaluable in this bullish market, and we look forward to serving you throughout the process.

History of Lake Wylie

Jan Todd

History of Lake Wylie

Until the early 1900’s, the area now known as Lake Wylie was part of the 224 mile Catawba River. The river was an important resource — once the lifeblood of the Catawba (“river-people”) and other Sioux tribes. Later the river sustained the Europeans who settled and planted near its banks.

However, the river was flood-prone, shoal-filled, and dotted with waterfalls — too turbulent to permit the kind of water traffic that could have truly made it a formidable industrial presence.

                             

 

Dr. Gil Wylie

In the early 1900’s, Dr. Walker Gil Wylie — a well-respected New York physician and former resident of Chester, S.C. — recognized the potential of the river. In addition to his extensive medical experience, Dr. Wylie had an engineering background — which spurred his interest in doing something about the stagnant industrial situation of the area around his hometown.

A graduate engineer from the University of South Carolina, William C. Whitneer, joined with Dr. Wylie and others to build a dam and an experimental hydroelectric plant in Anderson, S.C. Following the success of this venture, Dr. Wylie and his brother created the Catawba Power Company in 1900, and began work on a dam near Fort Mill, SC.

The dam was completed in 1904 and the lake that resulted was christened “Catawba Lake.” In 1924, the dam was rebuilt, bringing the lake’s surface to over 13 thousand acres and 325 miles of shoreline. In 1960, the lake was renamed to honor the Dr. Wylie.

Lake Wylie became one of eleven lakes in the Catawba River chain. Electric power — supplied by what now is Duke Energy — completely transformed the area, carrying the local textile mills into their golden age, bringing people, roads, and prosperity.

Today, Lake Wylie continues to be a major energy center supporting the Wylie Hydroelectric Station, Allen Steam Station and the Catawba Nuclear Station (pictured above). The lake also serves as a water supply for Rock Hill, S.C. and Belmont, NC.

While the Lake Wylie area is no longer the untamed, natural wilderness of the days of the Catawba tribe, it remains a place of beauty and growth. Beautiful homes grace the waterfront. Duke Power provides six public boat access areas. Residents enjoy the fishing, camping, and restaurants around the lake.

A roller-coaster ride in real estate – November 2020

Jan Todd

October numbers are in for Lake Wylie real estate activity, and It has certainly been a roller coaster ride!

TWENTY-SIX waterfront homes closed in October — a month that usually averages 8-10 closings. Last year the market had a record-breaking October, with 16 closings. Check out this year’s performance in comparison to the past 3-year average:

In the chart above, the dark blue line represents the last 3-year average number of closings per month for dockable waterfront homes on Lake Wylie. The light blue line represents 2020 performance. It has been an unusual year indeed, with closings falling far below normal during the first couple months of the pandemic, then higher than normal thereafter.
About a third of the homes closed in October were on the market for less than a week, and many sold at or above full asking price. Eight of the closings were in the luxury price category (over $1 million).
Low mortgage rates and changes in lifestyle have contributed to the uptick in lake property, as well as pent-up demand from the past couple of years as we have seen inventory decline. Offerings at different price points have not been able to keep up with demand.
Here at the beginning of November, the number of listings has reached another low point. Only 49 dockable waterfront homes are currently listed, with 22 of those under contract!
Looking at listings the past few months, the decline is pronounced:
In the chart above, the blue portion represents the number of waterfront homes under contract at the first of each month since June, and the red represents the number of available waterfront homes.  In the MLS, the number of listings reported includes “Active” plus “Under Contract,” because sometimes properties under contract can continue to be shown for back-up offers, and occasionally offers do fall through.
In June and July, the total number of listings hovered around 90 waterfront homes. Typically, the number of lakefront listings peak in the summer, and this year was no exception. However, in comparison to the summer months of 2019, total listings were down 30%! Combine that statistic with record sales, and it is a classic low supply/high demand situation.
The small number of homes available becomes even more dire when we break the listings into price points or areas on the lake. There are zero – – yes, zero – – listings under $500,000. Almost half of the available homes are priced over $1 million. Looking for something in the $700,000 range in the Clover School District? There is one house.
Waterfront lots are also in demand. While year-to-date sales are about level with the past two years, inventory is very tight. Currently, there are 74 dockable lots listed, and 14 of those are under contract. The number of listings is down over 20% in comparison to the past couple of years. With waterfront home inventory so tight, buyers will consider building and need land for their lake homes. Many will consider purchasing a cabin or lower-priced older home to remove and use as their building site.
To see details on recent sales activity all over Lake Wylie, please visit my web pages Recent Waterfront Home Sales and Recent Waterfront Lot Sales.
Now is a great time to sell Lake Wylie waterfront property, even though (in a typical year) we’d be entering the slower season of selling. But this is no typical year. Now more than ever it is important to use a Lake Wylie waterfront expert to help you price, market and sell your property.  The Lake Wylie Man has led the market in waterfront sales each year for over a decade, and can offer unparalleled insight and service. Give us a call!

Is your boat ready for spring weather?

Jan Todd

The warm weekend has kicked spring fever into high gear. A few early birds were out on the lake this past weekend, and the deck at TBones on the Lake was hopping with activity as folks got out to enjoy the sunshine.

I remember all too well the summer that my boat was at the mechanic’s from Memorial Day until a few days before Labor Day. It wasn’t pretty. The mechanics get awfully busy during the warm months, and that particular year, they were overwhelmed. So, before you find yourself landlocked, make sure your craft is ready to launch!

Do it yourself, or take ‘er in for a good cleaning and annual maintenance.

Spring Cleaning
– Clean the exterior and put on a good coat of wax.
– Clean the upholstery, polish the metal.
– Make sure all of the compartments are tidy and free of debris.

Engine & Battery
– Check the battery for corrosion, make sure it is fully charged
– For inboard motors, change oil and filters.
– Check transmission fluid & bilge blower.
– For outboards, check & replace spark plugs if needed.

Check lights on boat and trailer. Make sure your boat is fully stocked with anchor, ropes, life jackets, bumpers.

boating lake wylie
Boating on Lake Wylie

For more tips and resources for enjoying Lake Wylie, visit the best site for Lake Wylie real estate.  The Lake Wylie Man is consistently the top selling waterfront realtor in the area, and is your source for all Lake Wylie waterfront homes for sale and events on Lake Wylie.

 

 

Waterfront Sales Update – Fall 2017

Jan Todd

It has been nice to have a little chill in the air this week, a sure sign that fall is on its way.  There were a dozen waterfront home closings in September, down from last year’s record setting level of 18.  We’re now lagging in closings by 7 homes vs last year, but still posting some very positive market trends.  In addition, waterfront LOT sales are at an all time high, with 56 closings to date.  That is more than the year end number for any year in the past decade!

Here are some highlights for this year’s waterfront market:
• Average waterfront home sales price is $712,000 – highest since 2008!
• Average time on market for waterfront homes is just 144 days, fastest since 2007
• Average WF home sales price is 93% of the original price, best performance in over a decade
• Waterfront lot sales prices average $254k, highest since 2010.
• Number of waterfront lot sales is the highest in over a decade
• Twenty percent of waterfront lots sold so far this year had time on market in excess of 1,000 days.  Some “old” inventory is beginning to clear out.
• Listings are at a low point, both for waterfront lots and waterfront homes.  Lack of inventory is affecting market dynamics significantly.

Waterfront Sales trend over time:

The solid blue bar represents number of waterfront home sales through 3rd quarter of each year.  The red striped bar represents waterfront lot sales.  While 2016 hit record levels for home sales, 2017 performance follows closely behind.  If it weren’t for the shortages in inventory (number of listings available), I feel sure that this year’s performance would surpass last year’s.  In DOLLAR sales, however, 2017 is ahead of last year and is at record levels, with $76.5 million in total waterfront home market sales.  That’s about 8% above last year.

Waterfront LOT sales are at record numbers, with 60 lots closed to date, and 11 currently under contract.  Average price of waterfront lot sold on Lake Wylie this year is $254k, the highest since 2010 and a 12% improvement over last year.  Lot sales by area:

•21 lots in Belmont, averaging $186k.  Highest priced lot in Belmont was $500k, in McLean.  Lot sales in Reflection Pointe brought the average price down, with 13 lots sold at an average of $154k.

•18 lots in the Clover School District, averaging $290k.

•134 lots sold in Charlotte, average price $308k.  Three sales in The Sanctuary (or adjacent), plus a couple of premium priced lots in The Palisades area brought the average sales price up.

•2 lots in Rock Hill (average price $285k), and 2 lots in Tega Cay ($337 average price.)

Sales price trend is as follows:

The blue bar (on top) represents sales price for waterfront homes, through 3rd quarter of each year.  The red (bottom) line is average sales price for lots.  After several years of “flat” performance, the average prices are ticking upward.  This doesn’t necessarily translate to price increases on individual properties, however.  Rather, the average price is driven more by the mix of properties purchased.  This year, we’ve seen RECORD LEVEL sales of $1 million plus homes, and have seen an increase in PREMIUM waterfront lots.

McLean homes and lots represent a premium priced waterfront development, however its impact has not been significant yet.  The higher priced lot sales are scattered all over the lake: Handsmill in York, The Sanctuary and The Palisades in Charlotte, Woodland Bay, Reflection Pointe and McLean in Belmont, Fort Mill/Tega Cay, Allison Creek, Concord Road.  As home inventory tightened up, buyers turned to waterfront lots to build their own homes rather than buy established.

Million-plus dollar home sales were scattered around the lake as well:  a couple in McLean, a few more in Belmont, York, Tega Cay, quite a few in “non-neighborhoods.”  In addition to the 16 homes sold to date in the $1 million category, there are 11 currently under contract.  Four of these are new construction (McLean), and may not close in this calendar year, depending on completion schedule.  In 2016, there were 15 sales in this price segment for the entire year, so already we’re significantly ahead of last year’s record breaking numbers.

New homes in The Vineyards on Lake Wylie (upper lake area) have several sales in the $800’s and $900’s, newer construction homes not found in abundance on the southern part of the lake.

Waterfront Homes by Price Point:

In the chart above the blue bar represents last year’s sales through 3rd quarter, and the red bar represents number of waterfront homes sold this year.  Sales surpass last year most significantly in the $1 million plus segment, followed by homes in the $500-$799k segment.

The GREEN bar represents number of homes currently listed in each price segment, and the percentage differences below the chart depict listings vs. last year.  The most dramatic story is in the lower priced homes, where there are just 9 homes currently listed (including some under contract!).  Stacked up against “demand,” more accurately represented by last year’s sales, you can see that the decline in sales for homes under $500k can be blamed on lack of inventory, which is about 71% lower than it was last year!

Inventory in the $500-$799k segment is down 22% vs last year, and sales for this year show a modest increase over last year’s, in spite of the inventory shortage.

Inventory in the $800-$999 price range is probably the “healthiest,” with a good number of choices relative to the number of buyers.  In the $1mm+ segment, homes available still outweigh demand, but with the increase in demand in this price category, the outlook is improving over what we’ve seen in recent years.  There have been quite a few new listings in this segment, and more than a third of this year’s sales have occurred with homes on the market less than 2 months.

If you’d like to see more details about recent home and lot sales, please visit my webpages for home sales:https://thelakewylieman.com/waterfront-home-sales

and recent lot sales: https://thelakewylieman.com/recentlysoldlots

As always, I welcome your calls and emails to discuss your property in more detail.  Thanks!

Check out my website for Lake Wylie real estate.  We specialize in Lake Wylie waterfront homes and land.

Development Update – Fall 2017

lakewylieman

As the heat of summer begins to subside and we settle into our fall routines, the real estate market generally begins to slow down a little. This year, however, the bullish market is still blazing!
Lake Wylie waterfront home listing inventory is at record low levels, particularly in the mid- and lower-priced ranges. This is having a profound impact on the market. Waterfront homes are selling at a much faster rate, at an average of four months on market, compared to about six months in 2016. Sellers are also seeing offers closer to their asking price, and the average waterfront home sale is about $687,000, up 14% from 2014.
Increased demand for quality homes is motivating buyers to stay on top of new listings. Since May, over half of waterfront homes sold were on the market for less than a month! While most of these quick sales were in the moderate price waterfront segment ($500,000 – $800,000), several were in higher priced, “luxury” segments. As true in recent years, inventory levels in the million-dollar plus price range is still much higher than demand levels. However, buyers in this category often have specific criteria, and when a new listing meets those criteria, they are ready to buy.
What is selling on the lake?
In reviewing sales from the current year, along with what is currently under contract, we can get an idea of what is driving today’s buyers. Sales have occurred all around the lake, with 70% on the South Carolina side. Almost half of sales (45%) were in the Clover School District.
Waterfront homes in the 500K and under price point average about 40 years in age. More than half of these sales went under contract in under two months. Current inventory is less than 25% of last year’s levels, the most pronounced shortage of any price segment.
In the $500,000 to $1 million category, the median age of sold homes is 24 years, with average time on market about four months. While the current inventory is higher in this price point, it still demonstrates a deficit with about 30% less than last year this time.
Homes over $1mm are selling at record levels, with ten homes sold in this luxury price segment through the end of July.
Waterfront lot sales are outpacing last year’s by about 30%, quite likely a result of some buyers deciding to build their home after being unable to find an existing property that met their needs.
Market Trends Off the Lake
In general, the market is very strong within the Clover School District. The median home price off the lake is $283,000, up a little from a year ago. Homes in the Clover School District spent an average of ten weeks on the market. The excellent Clover School District remains a strong selling point, motivating buyers to make strong offers. In fact, sellers are receiving an average of 98% of their asking prices, which is a slight increase from 2016. Almost a third of home sales off the lake this year have been new construction.
The little haven of Lake Wylie is an attractive place to live with great schools, low taxes and plenty of southern charm. Because of this, expect the housing market to remain strong and lead us to another record breaking year.
Drew Choate, “The Lake Wylie Man” specializes in Lake Wylie waterfront homes and lots, and other homes in the Lake Wylie community. He is affiliated with Wilkinson ERA Real Estate and has an office in Lake Wylie.

Hidden Gems

lakewylieman

The internet is a fabulous tool, isn’t it?  Want to make Oysters Rockefeller?  One Google search and you have dozens of recipes at your fingertips.  Want to figure out how to get a coffee stain out of your tile grout?  We used to have to call our mothers for such wisdom, but now it is just a Siri inquiry away.  How about finding out the most beautiful beaches in the world?  TripAdvisor and dozens of other sites offer pictures and reviews.

What about finding your perfect house?  Zillow, Trulia and dozens of real estate sites provide easy to use property searches.  However, as great as the technology is, some properties simply fall through the cracks.  For instance, suppose you want to find a home in a particular school district.  Or a home anywhere on the shorelines of Lake Wylie.  Or, you’d like to find a building lot on the lake.  This is where things may get dicey.

Most online searches begin with a zip code or a city, and that might not be sufficient for your criteria.  Did you know, for instance, that some school districts, for instance Clover SC, include homes in TWO different zip codes, and more than one town?  And the shorelines of Lake Wylie stretch through TWO states, three counties, and six zip codes.  If you’re looking for land to build on the lake, other considerations come into play.  For instance, many potential properties that would be best suited for building are not coded as land, but as “single family homes,” as they may have a cabin or mobile home currently on the property.  These structures could easily be removed to make way for the home you’d like to build.

Some available properties are missed for other reasons as well.  For instance, particularly in new developments, addresses may not tie over to the map search functions of some online tools.  Also, depending on a particular realtor’s affiliations and subscriptions, some listings may not show up on syndicated sites at all.

So what’s the answer?  Use the tools available to begin your search, getting an idea of what’s available and at what cost.  Then, ask your realtor to search for “hidden gems” based on your criteria.  Make sure you use an experienced realtor who knows the area and category of home that you’re searching for.  Particularly when searching for specialty property, it is very important to enlist the help of a realtor who specializes in that type property and has a proven record.

Looking for Lake Wylie lakefront?  Contact The Lake Wylie Man team, leader in sales for waterfront property each year for the past eight years!

 

Time to Winterize your boat!

lakewylieman

The frost is on the pumpkin, so guess what? Time to winterize! If you’re a new boat owner on Lake Wylie and have never had to winterize your boat, don’t panic. It isn’t that difficult. But don’t put it off too long, either! The time and effort you spend now will save you boatloads in the spring.

The best place for your boat during the winter is out of the water, under cover. Whether on a lift or on a trailer on your driveway, make sure your boat is covered with a tarp or fitted boat cover. If you must leave your boat in the water over the winter, be sure to close all seacocks and gate valves in order to protect the thru-hulls.

You should check your owner’s manual of your boat for information on winterizing, but here is some basic information:

Fuel: Fill your fuel tank to avoid a build up of condensation over the winter months. (Condensation can lead to corrosion and clogging.) Add a fuel stabilizer. Change the fuel filter and water separators.

Inboard Engine: First, change the oil (best done when the engine is warm, so that impurities in the oil are drained away.) Change the oil filters. Then flush the engine with fresh water. Circulate antifreeze through the manifold by using a pickup hose from the waterpump to a bucket of antifreeze. Check the fluid in the tranmission.

When an engine is not being used, oil tends to settle at the bottom, exposing pistons and valves to air and humidity, which can cause corrosion. To avoid this, remove the spark plugs and spray “fogging oil” inside the carburetor. Then, clean and replace the spark plugs.

Replace the engine’s old gear oil with fresh oil. You can dispose of any used oil at an authorized recycling center.

Interior: Open all drawers and bins and clean thoroughly. Leave refrigerators, hatches, etc. open so that air can circulate. Of course, make sure to remove any food, valuables, and flammables. If possible, bring cushions and life jackets inside. At the very least, turn cushions up on ends to prevent growth of mildew. You can also use moister absorber products such as “Damp Away” to absorb excess moisture while your boat is under wraps for the winter.

If this all sounds intimidating to you, you can take your boat to a marine service center and and they’ll do it all for you. Visit my website for a list of local Lake Wylie Boat Service and Repair.

Whatever option you choose, do not neglect this maintenance chore. When that first beautiful spring day arrives, you want to be enjoying your boat on Lake Wylie. You don’t want to spend that gorgeous day joining the long waiting list who need boat repairs because they didn’t get around to properly winterizing their boats!

Disclaimer: The author is not responsible for damage or injuries that may occur as a result of this information.

For more waterfront resources for boaters and homeowners on Lake Wylie, visit TheLakeWylieMan.com.  And when you’re in the market for Lake Wylie waterfront real estate, contact the lakefront specialist – – The Lake Wylie Man!