Tennessee National vs Lake Martin, Alabama: How Do They Compare?

Lake Martin is a lake first. Tennessee National is a community first. That one difference decides most of the rest.

Lake Martin is in east-central Alabama, with a long lake house tradition. Tennessee National is a private, gated lake and golf community on Watts Bar Lake in Loudon, Tennessee, about 30 minutes from Knoxville.

What is the difference between Lake Martin and Tennessee National?

At Lake Martin you buy a lake house and then choose your part of the lake, and at Tennessee National you buy into one community that sits on a lake. Around Lake Martin, homes and neighborhoods are spread along the shore, each with its own feel. At Tennessee National, the golf course, the marina and the social calendar are inside the gates.

Details about Lake Martin change. Confirm current lake levels, shoreline rules and listings with Alabama Power and a local agent before you decide.

Which one fits a year-round plan?

Either can, but they are set up differently. Tennessee National is set up for living there all year. There are 22 social clubs and 180+ events a year, from trivia and live music to wine tastings and holiday parties. Knoxville is about 30 minutes away for hospitals and shopping, and McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS) is about 35 minutes.

Around Lake Martin, ask each neighborhood how many owners are there all year. If you plan to live there full time, visit your exact neighborhood on a weekday in winter. See who is home, and time the drive to the stores and doctors you would use.

Do the same at Tennessee National. An ordinary Tuesday tells you more than a holiday weekend.

How do the two lakes compare?

Both are big Southern reservoirs, run by different managers. Lake Martin is an Alabama Power lake on the Tallapoosa River. Alabama Power manages the lake level and the shoreline, so ask Alabama Power how the level changes through the year and what a dock permit takes.

Watts Bar Lake is a TVA reservoir on the Tennessee River, with more than 39,000 acres of water and 722 miles of shoreline. Because it is a 72-mile navigable reservoir with locks to the rest of the Tennessee River system, a boat day can be a trip up or down the river, not only a loop around home.

Watts Bar changes about 5 to 6 feet between summer and winter. TVA posts current levels on its lake level page. See marina and lake life for how boating works at Tennessee National. If a private dock matters to you, ask what is possible on a specific waterfront homesite and what TVA requires.

What about golf?

Tennessee National has one Greg Norman Signature golf course inside the gates: 18 holes, 7,393 yards, par 72. It is a golf cart community, and East Tennessee has four seasons with mild winters. Golf membership questions go to the club. Start with the golf page.

Golf is available around Lake Martin as well. Ask each club how membership works and how far it is from the part of the lake you like. If golf is a few rounds a year, that may be all you need. If golf is a weekly habit, having the course in the neighborhood changes your week.

What drives the cost at each?

On an open lake, price follows the water. Does the lot touch it? Is there a dock? How old is the house, and which part of the lake is it on? A local agent can show you how those pieces price out around Lake Martin today.

At Tennessee National, what you pay depends on which of the five ways to own you pick: a wooded homesite in The Timbers, a lake homesite, a waterfront homesite, a Land & Home package or a townhome. Homes are custom built and go through design review. There is no deadline to build after you buy a homesite. Pricing is in the info pack.

For taxes, ask a professional. Tennessee has no state income tax, and Alabama's rules are different. A CPA can compare the two for your situation. Our guide to moving to Tennessee from Alabama covers the basics.

Who should look at Lake Martin?

Look at Lake Martin if Alabama is home and you want to keep it that way. For example:

• Your friends and relatives are in Alabama, and you want a lake you can reach on a Friday.
• You want a classic lake house and your own routine.
• Swimming and cove days are the main event.
• You are happy to arrange golf and boat care on your own.

If you want a lake closer to Huntsville, we also compare Tennessee National and Lake Guntersville.

Who should look at Tennessee National?

Look at Tennessee National if you want the pieces already put together. For example:

• You want golf, a marina and a clubhouse inside one gate.
• You want social life that runs all year.
• You want Knoxville, an airport and I-75 close by.
• You are planning to live at the lake, not only visit it.

What should you check in person?

Check the things a listing cannot show you. At each place:

1. Visit on a weekday in the off-season.
2. Ask the lake manager about lake levels and docks. Alabama Power for Lake Martin, TVA for Watts Bar.
3. Ask where the boat will live and what is open right now.
4. Ask what the neighborhood includes and what you would drive to.
5. Ask for the costs in writing before you compare: price, HOA or club fees, dock or slip costs, property tax and insurance.

The honest trade-off

Tennessee National is not a short Friday drive from Birmingham or Montgomery. If the plan is a lake house your people can reach from home in Alabama on a Friday, Lake Martin fits that plan better.

Tennessee National fits a different plan: living at the lake, with a course, a marina and 22 social clubs on 1,492 gated acres about 30 minutes from Knoxville. Visit both and see which plan is yours.

Facts about Tennessee National come from the community. Lake facts come from TVA. Rules, taxes, loans and insurance change, so confirm anything that affects a purchase with the right office or professional before you buy.