Floridian drawn to snow, peace

Broker-owner of Lizard Realty in Indian Shores, Fla., she knew the market was right for investing in a mountain home.

“I wouldn’t dream of trying to find a property on my own, so I worked with Sidra McCain Dinco of Harry Norman, Realtors of Blue Ridge and we started looking in the summer of 2008. In January 2009, I put this cabin under contract,” Barrett said. Barrett handles property rental on the beach in Indian Shores, and she puts the Blue Ridge cabin up for rent as well.

A great place to work: "A lot of my work is done by cell phone and e-mail so it's easy for me to be on the road. It takes about seven hours to get to Blue Ridge from Indian Shores, which is just south of Clearwater Beach. I get to Blue Ridge at least once a month."

Falling in love: "Like most buyers, I knew it was right as soon as I got there. One of the things that makes it work is that there's lots of level parking, which is hard to find up here. I'm from Florida, and it can be kind of scary to try to maneuver on the mountains and park on steep hills," Barrett said.

Spending time with the dogs: Barrett goes hiking with her two dogs, Rex and Reo, and loves taking them shopping in Blue Ridge. "All the shops are pet-friendly, which is great since I take the dogs everywhere," Barrett said.

Secluded but not too far out: One of the aspects she really appreciates about the house is that while it has great views and feels very secluded, it's not so far that she can't run a quick errand into town. "If I need a Diet Coke or food, it's only 10 minutes to civilization," Barrett said.

Buying a second home: Barrett's advice to someone looking for a second home is to first find the area that you like and then find a real estate agent that you trust. "That will make the difference between a real pleasurable experience and a complete nightmare," she said.

At a glance

The cabin has two bedrooms and a loft area with a unique catwalk that leads to the sunroom. “You feel like you’re floating in the clouds with all the glass everywhere and the views of the mountains and the valleys,” Barrett said. The finished basement houses the game room, which leads to a porch with a hot tub. All the modern conveniences like flat screen TVs, a Blu-Ray DVD player, satellite dish and high-speed wireless Internet have been installed.Large porches with rocking chairs offer natural entertainment as well.

Information

www.northgeorgialakehouses.com

www.blueridgemountains.com

Community information

“Real estate sales in the Blue Ridge area have been steady recently, and vacation rentals are a dominant force for area tourism,” said Sidra McCain Dinco of Harry Norman, Realtors of Blue Ridge, who owns Starry Nights Vacation Rentals.

Dinco says prices appear to have bottomed out and potential buyers are taking notice of the good deals that are available. Lending is strong and the sellers are motivated and willing.

Getting there

Take I-75 North to I-575 North. This becomes the Georgia Mountain Parkway (Ga. 515) at the Cherokee-Pickens county line. Continue on this road for 55 miles to Blue Ridge.

For sale

$229,000: 221 Foxfire Estates, Blue Ridge. Three-bedroom, three-bath cabin with screened porches on two levels. Wine room, custom wood bar in the kitchen, master bedroom with private screened balcony and garden tub. Full finished basement with hot tub. Mountain views.

$234,800: 21 Whispering Lake, Blue Ridge. Two-bedroom, two-bath country cabin less than 3 miles from Blue Ridge. Two covered porches, open deck, access to community lake for canoeing and fishing. New construction.

Recent sale

$184,900: 2429 Bullen Gap Road, Blue Ridge. Two-year-old wood-sided home, four bedrooms, three baths, screened porches and outdoor fireplace. Sold July 2010.