Good deal for a 'little escape'

David and Pat Martin had been searching for a second home in the mountains for about five years, off and on. With the extra expenses of two children in college, they needed to find a deal. They ended up buying a bargain in Double Knob Mountain, an Ellijay community. Pat, 51, and David, 58, chatted about their second home.

Why Ellijay: One of their goals was to own a cabin at a sufficiently high elevation so if there was a chance of snow in north Georgia, they could enjoy it. The couple had been looking for land in the Suches area and said they were certain they would end up buying there. But they were swayed to Ellijay after seeing a Craigslist ad by Scott Nichols, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker High Country Realty, for the Double Knob cabin. "We were looking for a little escape cabin," Pat said. They also were able to purchase vacant lots on both sides of the cabin, giving them 5 acres.

Their home: A two-bedroom, one-bath log cabin built in 1999, surrounded by trees. "The layout of the cabin is really what sold us," Pat said. "It has a separate little nook for your dining table and a separate little area for the living room. So many of the cabins, it's like everything is right together." David likes the privacy of the location, which is about 30 minutes from the towns of Ellijay and Blue Ridge. "I didn't want to buy something in the mountains where I could look out and see my neighbor," he said. The cabin, which was originally listed at $149,900, also has a screened porch and deck with a hot tub. Another plus: It came fully furnished, down to the pictures on the walls, and pots and pans. "It would have cost a ton of money to build a cabin and furnish it," David said. "When you consider the furnishings and everything that got left, I think we got a real good deal on the cabin."

How far from home: About 110 miles, from Douglasville.

How often they're there: Every couple of weeks. "We've gotten to see snow up there several times, which is thrilling us to no end," Pat said.

What they love to do when they're there: Hike the community trails, which connect to the area's popular Benton MacKaye Trail.

Tip for others: The home is off 3 miles of dirt roads. When the couple visited the cabin with Nichols, they loved it, but weren't sure about the drive up the mountain. They did a test drive and discovered that although there are some narrow and steep sections, most of the road is fairly wide, so Pat was comfortable with the drive.

What they love about it: "It took us a long time to decide, but … every time we go up there, we're so thrilled with our cabin," Pat said.

At a Glance

David and Pat Martin’s cabin in Ellijay's Double Knot Mountain community has two bedrooms, one bath and about 754 heated square feet, according to tax records. They purchased it in December.

Community overview

Double Knob Mountain is a vast expanse of mountain property consisting of several formal and informal communities with mostly cabins and a few traditional style homes, Nichols said. Two-bedroom, one-bath, wood cabins with decks, wood-burning stone fireplaces and central HVAC on about 1.5 acres typically sell for the low to mid $100,000s. Larger cabins, which have three bedrooms, three baths, granite counter tops and large master suites, are priced in the $400,000s, he said. There’s no gated entry or paved roads in Double Knob, whose backside borders more than 30,000 acres of the Cohutta Wilderness. “Double Knob is particularly appealing to weekend cabin owners who truly want to feel like they have left the stresses of the city behind,” Nichols said. “Winter weather often allows us to use our four-wheel drive, and you can pretty much count on needing a car wash on Sunday as you head back to the city.”

Info

Gilmer County Chamber

www.gilmerchamber.com

Coldwell Banker High Country Realty

www.MountainsOfGeorgia.com

Getting there

Take I-75 north to Exit 268 (I-575/Ga. 5 north), which turns into Ga. 515. From June Walker Chevrolet in Blue Ridge, take Ga. 515 south for 4.2 miles and turn right onto Lucius Road. When the road ends, take a left onto Boardtown Road. Travel 3.2 miles and turn right on Big Ben Road, into Double Knob Mountain.

For Sale

$249,900: 61 Little Amy Creek Trail, Ellijay 30540. A two-bedroom, three-bath cabin built in 2005 on 1.78 acres with an outdoor fireplace, hot tub and sauna.

Recent Sales