Enjoy Resort-Style Living Everyday

From mountains to lakes to beaches, it’s all here

By Pamela A. Keene

Georgia has bragging rights to it all—mountains, lakes and beaches. Within a five-hour drive of Atlanta, you can be at your second home, chosen from a tapestry of communities that focus on lifestyles for golfers, hikers, nature lovers, seaside shell collectors and those who want a quiet place to do absolutely nothing.

For decades, the Golden Isles on the southeast coast and Callaway Gardens/Pine Mountain on the western side of the state have attracted tourists for destination and resort-style vacations. The lure of the North Georgia Mountains has resulted in the creation of self-contained developments with shopping, restaurants and scads of amenities.

Lakeside Living with a Mountain Backdrop
With a 540-acre lake filled with cool stream waters, Lake Arrowhead has become a blend of primary residences and retirement homes. When it was built 30 years ago, people bought there for weekend retreats and second homes, seeking a respite with mountain views, a golf course and the lake.

“Today about 75 percent of our residents live here full time,” says Kay Williams, marketing director for Johnson Development, which is continuing the development of Lake Arrowhead. “As Atlanta has grown, we’re really not that far, only about 40 minutes from downtown, with easy access to both I-75 and I-575.”

The community encompasses 8,000 heavily wooded acre, with two-thirds still undeveloped. The appeal of living in a rural setting, with the conveniences of golf, lake and a 90-slip marina, brings in new residents.

“Something unusual about Lake Arrowhead is that the men are the ones who come in first to see the community,” Williams says. “Then they bring their wives. It’s the draw of the water, golf, the woods and the natural surroundings.”

Lake Arrowhead is one of the largest privately owned man-made lake in Georgia. The community is also opening a new 18-hole golf course later this year. The 8,500-square-foot clubhouse serves golfers and residents with indoor and outdoor dining for lunch and dinner seven days a week.

Other new amenities include a junior Olympic pool, bathhouse, playground and sports fields. “We’re also building a fantasy pool and aquatic center, a fitness center with a grill and smoothie bar.”

Homes start in the mid-$200,000s and go to upward of the $700,000s and beyond. Lots are between one-quarter and three-quarters of an acre.

“It is simply beautiful here,” Williams says.

Rolling Down the River
Few pieces of land remain that can offer Atlanta homebuyers what the developers of Sanctuary Cove have at their disposal. It’s a secret that up until now has been kept quiet but alas, news of pristine river property only 16 miles west of the city limits can only be kept under wraps for so long.

Sanctuary Cove, a gated estate community, is being developed on 242 acres of river-front property with ridge top views overlooking the 310-acre Dog River Reservoir. Residents will be able to enjoy a quiet retreat not far from the maddening crowd. For anyone searching for a primary or secondary home that offers privacy and serenity but is still close enough to the city—this might be just the place.

“It’s such a unique piece of property,” says Neil Hughes, president of Clear Creek Communities, the company developing the property. “There’s no comparable property nearby.”

Indeed, with a lake, several streams and a river right at your doorstep, it’s more like land one would find in the North Georgia Mountains. Residents have access to two miles of shoreline, two private docks with slips, boat storage and a launch and enviable views of the river and basin.

A tributary of the Chattahoochee River, Dog River ends at the Dog River Reservoir and the developer is taking full advantage of the land, planning only 67 home sites, including 32 lake front homes. Sites range from three to five acres; the lots bordering the water offer panoramic views of the Dog River Reservoir, a private lake for residents of the county.

Homeowners will enjoy two gated entrances, a five-acre lakefront park and outdoor community pavilion with fireplace. Home sites are priced from the $140,000s, homes range from the $600,000s to over $2 million.

Two renowned custom home builders, Jerry Mahaffey with Gem Homes and Mark Lackey with Lackey Homes, are constructing homes that feature lodge-styled architecture with dramatic wooden columns and covered porches with built-in fireplaces.

Located north of Sanctuary Cove is the 800-acre Dog River Park, with trails for horseback riding, nature trails, a boat launch and camping sites.

Hughes likens the pristine property to that of a mountain retreat, but just a half hour’s drive from the city. Sanctuary Cove is located off Highway 166 in Douglas County in the town of Douglasville.

In the Heart of Georgia Wine Country
In the style of its Reynolds Plantation near Athens, Linger Longer Communities is developing Achasta, formerly known as Birch River. Located two miles from the famous gold-rush town of Dahlonega, Achasta has an 18-hole golf course and a full array of amenities. The Chestatee River flows through the property and the views of the surrounding area are breathtaking.

Within a few miles, there are five wineries with acres and acres of vineyards that lace the mountainsides. They produce international award-winning wines and are quickly putting this section of Georgia on the map.

“It’s an easy escape from Atlanta to come here,” says Ginny Izydore, director of Atlanta sales and marketing for Linger Longer Communities. “As close as we are to Ga. 400 and Alpharetta, people who work on the Northside see us as an excellent choice for a primary residence.”

Linger Longer recently enhanced the golf course, adding extensive landscaping to the Jack Nicklaus layout that is routed along the shores of the river.

Lots range from $100,000 to $500,000, and average about three-quarters of an acre. “You can purchase a lot and never have to build here,” Izydore says. “We have people who want to buy into the Achasta lifestyle, and you must be a property owner to participate in the amenities, but not having to build a home right away takes the pressure off.”

The community’s newest neighborhood centers on The Mountain View Club, with indoor-outdoor swimming pools, fitness facilities and tennis courts. “It gives people other options in addition to golf,” she says. “This area around Dahlonega has evolved and offers great restaurants, a theater and galleries. There’s always something to do.”

Callaway: Nature at Its Best
Begun as a 13,000-acre nature preserve that opened on May 21, 1952 as the Ida Cason Gardens, Callaway Gardens is now a full-service resort with golf and spa services, beautiful landscaping, a butterfly center, 13 lakes, a horticultural center and cycling and hiking trails. Located about an hour southwest of Atlanta off I-185, it has long been a destination for rest and relaxation not only for Georgians but for visitors from around the world.

Always part of the vision of founder Cason Callaway, to create a place not just for visitors but residents as well, Callaway Gardens is working on a joint venture with well-known developer Cousins Properties to create nearly 1,400 home sites. The first phase begins with EarthCraft-certified homes in Highland Park, 41 prestigious, custom home sites nestled in the pines; Camp Callaway, with 47 rustic cabins resting along the shores of Martin Lake; Skyview Meadows and Mountain View Cottages, with 30 golf cottages overlooking Mountain View’s 18th hole and the 26-acre Twin Oaks Golf Complex.

“The communities appeal to a variety of prospective buyers looking for everything from vacation and seasonal homes to retirement and primary residences,” says Jeff Quinn, executive vice president of Cousins Properties, who is the managing director of Callaway Gardens. “Residents of Callaway Gardens Living, whether full- or part-time, are choosing to immerse themselves in the natural world around them.”

The homes have integrated indoor and outdoor living spaces with porches, plenty of windows and arbors. It’s a blend of lifestyle and the gardens’ ecosystem.

“The new, ‘green’ homes, cottages and cabins at Callaway Gardens provide an opportunity to live the Callaway family legacy of connecting man and nature,” Quinn says. “The chance to live here gives residents an appreciation for the simple things with a backyard full of award-winning gardens, a butterfly center, recreation and unlimited discovery.”

Golden Isles Lifestyles Vary from Casual to Elegant
Take your pick—the casual beachy days on Jekyll Island to the elegant lifestyle of Sea Island. Georgia’s Golden Isles, just five hours from Atlanta, fit the bill for coastal living.

“It’s been a tradition for years for people from Atlanta to come here for second homes and to eventually have primary residents,” says Bill Tipton, executive director of the Brunswick Golden Isles Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We’re a good getaway distance and there are so many things to do here—from great restaurants, golf and tennis, the beach and eco-adventures including shrimp pulls in the sound.”

Tipton says many regulars are second- and third-generation visitors who have decided to buy homes or condos in the area. As a result, several hotels are offering a unique product—a “con-tel,” rooms or suites in a traditional hotel that can be purchased as full-time residences. “It’s great because you have all the conveniences and amenities of a hotel, but you have a place waiting for you all year long.”

Additionally, new communities are being built on the mainland in Brunswick and on the Islands. “Resales are also available here,” he says. “For people thinking about buying, we have a very strong rental market and good companies who can assist with property management and rentals so that your home can be rented when you’re not planning to be there. It can help with the expense of owning a second home.”

Georgia’s diversity of mountains, lakes and seashores provides the perfect choice for people who seek resort lifestyles, either as second homes or primary residences. The combination of moderate weather, accessibility to many amenities and short driving distances to appealing locales makes Atlanta a perfect jumping-off point for resort-living lifestyle.