DEL.ICIO.USVacation home: Oconee Heights, Lake Oconee
An escape from the madness
For the AJC
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Alan and Stacy Sollenberger wanted a vacation home at Lake Oconee and decided to go in on the purchase with Alan’s parents from Michigan. It ended up solving two desires: A winter residence for the Midwest retirees and a getaway spot for the Sollenbergers and their three children.
Photos by Christopher Oquendo / AJC Special
Alan and Stacy Sollenberger wanted a vacation home at Lake Oconee and decided to go in on the purchase with Alan’s parents from Michigan. Now they have a winter residence for the Midwest retirees and a getaway spot for the Sollenbergers and their three children.
In the summer the Sollenbergers are constantly at the dock because the kids - 9-year-old Emma, 7-year-old Brennan and 5-year-old Gavin - love skiing, tubing and canoeing.
The Sollenberger family’s home, which was built in 2003, has 5 bedrooms, 3 baths and about 4,000 square feet of livable space.
Getting there
Take I-20 east toward Augusta to Exit 130 (Ga. 44) and turn right. Travel about 6 miles. Turn right on to Carey Station Road. Turn left onto Askew Drive. Turn left onto Oconee Heights Drive and into the neighborhood.
Georgia Second Homes
Vacation Homes in Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, South Carolina & North Carolina - AJCHomeFinder.com
An escape from the madness
Where stress just peels away
Why Lake Oconee: They had visited friends’ homes there and liked the communities around Lake Oconee. Buying a home alone was out of their price range, so they discussed the idea of purchasing a place with Alan’s parents. “They would have a place in the wintertime to come down and we would have a place in the summertime to go play,” he said. They spent about eight months looking for the home. The controlled water levels on the Georgia Power-owned lake was a key factor in their decision to purchase at Lake Oconee, said Stacy, co-owner of ISHR Group, an HR consulting firm.
Their place: The Oconee Heights home has three bedrooms upstairs, including the master, and two bedrooms downstairs, with one large enough to hold four beds. “There’s a lot of rooms for the kids and the kids’ friends,” Alan said. A back porch overlooks the water, and the master bedroom and screened porch, which has a fireplace, face the water. “It’s not a very busy part of the lake,” she said. “There’s not a marina around us. There’s not a park around us. It’s actually quite serene.”
How they found it: They had a few major requirements. With small children, they didn’t want to be in a rocky area that could be dangerous for the kids. They also wanted a gradual increase in depth from the dock to the water - the water depth where their home sits starts at around 1 foot and ends up at about 5 feet at the end of the dock, which allows the kids to play in the water and provides plenty of depth for boats. They didn’t want a large country club development but a “lakey feel”, Alan said, with a mix of full-time and part-time residents. They considered buying a lot before deciding on the home in the Oconee Heights neighborhood. “Contrary to a lot of lots on the lake (that) have a lot of trees, this was wide open, all the way down to the water. So you have a great view,” said Alan, who works for HD Supply. “The view across is to Georgia Power property, so there’s no homes across the lake.”
How far from their home: A little more than 2 hours from Marietta.
How often they’re there: Almost every weekend in the summer as well as holidays. Alan’s parents, Harold and Lois Sollenberger live there during the winter and early spring.
What they do when they’re there: In the summer they’re constantly at the dock because the kids - 9-year-old Emma, 7-year-old Brennan and 5-year-old Gavin - love skiing, tubing and canoeing. “We get up in the morning and we go down there,” Stacy said. “We try to eat meals down there. At night, we try to grill out as much as we possibly can. Alan built a fire pit so we can roast marshmallows there.” In the winter, they hike, do puzzles and play board and card games. They also get together with family, including Alan’s sister, Kristen, her husband Daniel and 5-year-old daughter Amick. “My sister’s in Rhode Island, we’re down here, and my folks are in Michigan,” Alan said. “It provides an opportunity for us to get together a little more often.”
What they love about it: “It’s an escape from the madness,” Stacy said. “We play games when we’re out there. It’s idyllic. It’s very laid back.”
At a Glance
The Sollenberger family’s home, which was built in 2003, has 5 bedrooms, 3 baths and about 4,000 square feet of livable space, including the basement. They purchased it in December 2007.
Community Overview
Oconee Heights, located in Greensboro about 10 minutes off I-20, is one of the many small communities on the shoreline of Lake Oconee that suits people seeking an alternative to large gated golf communities, said Jon Higham, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Lake Oconee Realty. Homes range from $600,000s-$750,000s, and lots are typically a half acre to a little more than 1 acre.
Oconee Height Info
For sale
$650,000: 1481 Oconee Heights Drive, Greensboro 30642. A 4-bedroom, 3-bath home with a sunroom and basement.
.JPG)
-1.JPG)
Services »
