Mountains beat out Florida Panhandle

Randy Fernandes and Byron Hill desired a getaway on the water after moving back to Atlanta from London in 2006. They initially looked at the Florida Panhandle, but the high insurance rates and long drive stopped that search.

They had visited friends with homes in north Georgia and were enticed by the mountains and proximity to lakes.

Fernandes, 46, who works for a major software company, and Hill, 46, a health care consultant for an international investment bank, chatted about their Morganton vacation home.

Their place: A 2003 cabin with a wraparound deck, two master bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths and an unfinished basement. Another selling point: a catwalk that visually separates the living room and dining room.

They plan to finish the basement, which has enough space to add another bedroom, bathroom and living area plus room for storage. “When we finish it off, it’s going to be bigger than our house here in Atlanta,” Hill said.

How they found it: They learned quickly that beautiful cabins were available, but the locations weren’t right, Hill said. “We found one cabin we absolutely loved, but it was in the pasture,” he said. They looked at about 20 cabins during their search. The one they purchased stood out because of the setting. “The view is amazing anyway and the sun sets right in the middle of the view,” Hill said.

They were close to not even looking at it because they had viewed another place in the area that “freaked us out” because it was so far up in the mountains, Fernandes said.

Also, they didn’t like the street name. “I told Byron, ‘The address is Coon Gap Road. I hate that address, and I have the feeling we’re going to like this place,’” Fernandes said.

How they bought it: “There’s just deals to be had and lots of choices,” Hill said.

Even though the home they purchased had been on the market for only eight days —- compared to others listed for months —- they negotiated about $15,000 off the asking price.

Fernandes and Hill credit that to agents Scott Nichols and Mark Reeves with Coldwell Banker High Country Realty. “Scott said, ‘Give us your bottom line. Let me go for it,’ ” Hill said. “I fully expected it to still go around a couple more times, and he got it.”

How they decided what they could afford: A spreadsheet outlined a detailed budget, from expected routine monthly costs to how much they would spend on food.

They also got a 4.8 percent interest rate, much lower than the 6-7 percent they expected, which enabled them to spend a little bit more.

How far from home: About 1 1/2 hours from Midtown.

How often they’re there: Three weekends a month, on average.

At a glance

Randy Fernandes and Byron Hill’s Morganton cabin has 2 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, an unfinished basement and about 1,800 square feet of livable space. They purchased it in March.

Community overview

Coon Gap is a small community consisting of less than a dozen rustic, vacation-style homes, Realtor Scott Nichols said. It’s in the northeastern part of Fannin

County, near the Union County line. Lake Blue Ridge, Blairsville and

downtown Blue Ridge are about 20 minutes away, and Poteete Creek Recreation Area on Lake Nottely is about 15 minutes away.

Info

Fannin County Chamber of Commerce:

www.blueridgemountains.com

Coldwell Banker High Country Realty:

www.mountainsofgeorgia.com

Getting there

Take I-75 north to I-575 north, which becomes Ga. 515. Travel out of Blue Ridge toward Blairsville for about 10 miles. Turn left onto Maple Grove Road. Travel 1.7 miles and turn right onto Squirrel Hunting Road. Travel about 2.7 miles and turn right onto Coon Gap Road.

For sale

$172,900: 2112 Squirrel Hunting Road, Morganton 30560. A 3-bedroom, 1-bath furnished cabin built in 1987 and situated on 4 acres.

$1.7 million: 2379 Squirrel Hunting Road, Morganton 30560. A 3-bedroom, 2-bath lodge on 54 acres with features such as a stacked stone fireplace and

cathedral ceilings.

Recent sale

$180,000: 169 Chickadee Road, Morganton 30560. A new 2-bedroom, 2-bath cabin

with three porches and a rock fireplace.

$231,000: 41 Hunters Ridge, Morganton 30560. A 2-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath cabin built in 2007 with a wraparound porch and a rock fireplace.