Thoughts of a mountain home lingered for Brad and Leigh Ann Haertel, who bought a vacation home in North Georgia’s Big Canoe community in 2008. Brad, who works in commercial real estate, and Leigh Ann, who works for a government contractor, chatted about their Craftsman-style second home.
Why Big Canoe: The couple looked at Big Canoe previously but didn't buy a home then. While vacationing on Kiawah Island in 2008, they decided it was time for a vacation home of their own. They wanted something close to their permanent house with the potential for them to use every weekend and make the most of their money, Brad said. "We enjoyed the proximity of the mountains," Leigh Ann said. "It's a nice peaceful environment that's relatively close to Atlanta." They spent two months looking at properties. The new home they bought had been finished for about 1 ½ years, and they negotiated a price that was 23 percent off the original list price, Brad said.
Their home: It has four bedrooms, four baths, a bonus room and two decks. The living space also includes a screened-in porch with a fireplace, a big-screen TV, a table with four chairs, and two chaise lounges. "We basically just camp out in those chairs," Leigh Ann said. Their front porch also has space for a love seat and two chairs. The home is on a 1-acre lot, which the couple says provides the refuge they were seeking. "We look out and we really don't see too many houses. We just see nature. We were kind of wanting a place to get away from work stress and city life stress," she said. The couple has bought artwork and local pieces, but they're not in a rush to have it completely decorated. "We're just kind of pacing ourselves, and with the theme of it's a second home, it's relaxed, no pressure," Leigh Ann said.
How far from home: An hour and 10 minutes from Peachtree Corners. "That's the ideal thing about it," Brad said.
What they do when they're there: Take their dog, Claude, a border collie-German shepherd mix, on the trails around Big Canoe and to the community's dog park. They take pontoon boats out on the lake and explore North Georgia's towns and parks.
Advice for people buying a second home: Remember why you're buying the house. "It's just to enjoy your time away and don't make it stressful," Leigh Ann said.
At a glance
Brad and Leigh Ann Haertel’s home has four bedrooms, four baths and about 3,800 square feet of livable space. They bought it in September 2008.
Community overview
Big Canoe, an 8,000-acre community in North Georgia, offers four neighborhoods with a variety of housing sizes and styles, three lakes, a 27-hole championship golf course and 22 miles of trails. Other amenities include a 16,000-square-foot fitness center, a swim club, an indoor and outdoor tennis facility, a chapel, and restaurants. Big Canoe has about 2,400 homes owned by primary residents and second-home owners.
Info
Big Canoe
www.bigcanoe.com
Pickens County
www.pickenscountyga.gov
Dawson County
www.dawsoncounty.org
Getting there
From downtown Atlanta, take I-75 north to I-575 north. Travel about 30 miles to Ga. 108 (the first traffic light on I-575) and turn right. Continue on Ga. 108 about 2 miles to a four-way stop, and continue straight. The road becomes Ga. 53 East. You will travel through the town of Tate. Continue on Ga. 53 for about 9 miles. Turn left on Steve Tate Highway. The entrance to Big Canoe will be about 1.5 miles on the left.
Recent sales
$529,000: 3527 Bear Creek Drive, Big Canoe 30143. A four-bedroom, four-bath home with a screened porch with a fireplace.
$650,000: 3357 Bee Balm Way, Big Canoe 30143. A five-bedroom, five-bath home with a stacked stone fireplace and screened porch with a fireplace.
For sale
$659,000: 3389 Blue Sage Drive, Big Canoe 30143. A new four-bedroom, four-bath home with a master on the main and a screened porch with a fireplace.
$749,000: 3583 Blazingstar Lane, Big Canoe 30143. A four-bedroom, 4 ½-bath home with granite countertops in the kitchen and a master on the main.
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