With water and golf course views, the settings may make some communities worthy of being located outside of Atlanta.
Two communities within 60 miles of downtown Atlanta are attracting folks desiring a weekend getaway, retirement home or primary residence, with prices ranging from under $200,000 to more than $1 million. The architectural styles range from traditional Southern to Craftsman to fishing cabins.
Jackson Lake
Located 55 miles from downtown Atlanta, the nearly 5,000-acre Jackson Lake is attracting residents in search of affordable weekend getaways. Styles at the Georgia Power-owned and operated lake include log cabins, Craftsman and traditional brick, with the majority of homes under $500,000. About 120 houses – of an estimated 2,300 homes on the lake – are on the market, with median prices in the high $200,000s, said Wally Cawthon of Lake Homes Realty. The highest sale in 2014 was $625,000.
Jon and Terri Hull’s second home was expanded from a fishing shack to a six-bedroom house that accommodates family and their kids’ college friends. They began looking for a fixer-upper, enticed by a $99,000 listing, and as they expanded their budget to $250,000, they purchased a home with no renovations needed. “We’re fortunate that we found it,” said Hull, who lives in Little Five Points.
It’s a 75-mile trip south from Bob and Julie Packard’s Cobb County home to their vacation home in Butts County. They sought a cabin to buy and fix up for under $200,000. “We didn’t want to be in a gigantic place,” Bob said. “We were really honestly surprised at what we can get at a reasonable price at the lake.”
They removed walls, reconfigured bedrooms, and added a laundry room and storage to the fishing cabin, built in the 1940s. New cabinets and butcher block countertops from IKEA updated the kitchen. “We tried to give it a more modern feel but keep it along the lines of what felt appropriate for an older, simple, open cottage,” Bob said.
Ages of homes at Jackson Lake range from 1910 – when the hydroelectric dam was built – to newer homes. Sellers have remodeled with granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and outdoor fireplaces. Cawthon is working with buyers from their 20s to 50s to retirees, from areas such as Marietta, Alpharetta, Lilburn, East Lake and Inman Park. “We knew one of these days it was going to get popular,” he said.
The three-bedroom, two-bath home with a loft that Atlantans Janet and Dennis Wilkinson purchased is in what’s called “Disco Cove” because of the socializing among residents. Their home was built in the 1960s, and they were attracted to the lake because of the environment for pontoon boating due to restrictions on the size of boats, they said.
Lynn and Rick Mercer, who have a primary home in east Cobb County, took a weekend trip to the lake five years ago with no intention of buying. On a boat ride, they saw a home for sale on a peninsula point, with cedar timbers and stone floors. From the horseshoe pit to a coffee table book that she also owned, the home reminded Lynn of the past.
“The moment I stepped foot on that property – I still get goosebumps — I was a little girl in Canada again,” Lynn said, adding that the seller also was from Canada.
The Jackson Lake cabin that Tommy and Heather Breedlove purchased is a departure from their downtown Atlanta townhome. They bought the three-bedroom, one-and-a-half bath cabin in 2010, when Heather was 34. The home was built in the 1980s, so they painted the interior and added tile floors, she said. The kitchen appliances and countertops were replaced, and a DIY project refaced the cabinets.
“I had always wanted a lake house to have an escape from Atlanta. But Lanier and Oconee, the price points are just not something that at our age we were going to invest in and be house poor,” said Heather Breedlove, a chief financial officer for Roswell-based Keystone Bros., the largest vinyl distributor in the U.S. “We were amazed at what we could get. It made our dream a reality and we’ve loved it ever since.”
The Georgia Club
This community in Statham, about 57 miles east of downtown Atlanta on Ga. 316, continues to develop with new homes from the $300,000s to more than $1 million. One house, in particular, that has recovered from a nightmare will be featured on the The Georgia Club Foundation Christmas Tour of Homes on Dec. 14 ($25 in advance/$28 day of tour, TheGeorgiaClubFoundation.com, 770-725-4902). In 2012, a fire in the basement destroyed much of Monte and Jan Trotter's traditional home, built in 2006.
The foundation and roof were secure, but the structure and interiors suffered soot, smoke and heat damage. The sub flooring, sheet rock, insulation, electrical wires and plumbing were torn out as the home was gutted. As they rebuilt, they adapted the floor plan to make it more livable and functional. Two feet was added to the den, which opens the kitchen. The kitchen was configured to maximize its space, including removing the bar in place of an island. A mother-in-law suite was added over the garage with elevator access. A loft on the second floor better captures natural light from the dormers. A train track about 10 feet high encircles the den.
“We were able to go in and make a tremendous amount of small changes. We went room by room and said, ‘OK, what would be different about this room?” Jan said.
In another section of the community, Wexford Gardens, Michael and Dawn Gray moved from Roswell into a custom Craftsman-style home on the golf course in February 2008. Wall space was a priority, as they have collected more than 30 pieces of art, including watercolors, etchings and acrylics, on trips. Another favorite piece is an antique French daybed that Dawn found on a shopping trip in Tulsa, Okla., with renowned interior designer Charles Faudree, who died in 2013, and designer Doug Deckard, who assisted her with holiday tour decorations.
Michael’s parents and his brother’s family also have built homes in other sections of The Georgia Club. “We have three generations here now,” Dawn said.
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