Summer Place in the Georgia Mountains (Atlanta, Helen: rentals, houses, college) - (GA) - City-Data Forum

CollegeProf · 07-10-2009, 09:27 PM

Looking for a place to get away from the summer heat in the GA mountains. Looked at Lake Arrowhead, Big Canoe and Bent Tree. All are nice but all have some drawbacks. Can anyone enlighten me on their opinions of any/each? If you have a place there, why did you choose it? If there's a better option, please feel free to suggest that too. Thanks in advance!

Shagbark Hickory · 07-12-2009, 04:58 PM

Have you looked those places up on tripadvisor (.com)??? Or yahoo travel???
Those are sites I check for reviews on accommodations.
Sorry I'm not much help but since you got no replies.........,

BobKovacs · 07-12-2009, 05:00 PM

I wouldn't count on "getting away from the heat" by going to the places you mentioned- they might be a few degrees cooler than downtown Atlanta, but that's about it.

CollegeProf · 07-24-2009, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobKovacs

I wouldn't count on "getting away from the heat" by going to the places you mentioned- they might be a few degrees cooler than downtown Atlanta, but that's about it.

Bob,

Let me re-phrase. I'm looking for a nice place on a lake North of Atlanta. Peace and quiet are very important. Don't want a "mini Buckhead" like Lake Lanier. Lake Chatuge is too far. Any suggestions?

LisaTom · 10-09-2009, 07:44 AM

Hi Prof,

We live in Big Canoe - bought a house after renting for the summer. It is beautiful and runs 10 to 15 degrees cooler than Atlanta (depending on your elevation), with nice breezes. I am also very sensitive to noise and it IS quiet. And very private too - no one will bother you. But, if you want, there's plenty of places to socialize too. For us it was the perfect combo of natural beauty, privacy, and community.

Oh, and there are five lakes here!

If you are renting check carefully though. There's some houses that are 35+ years old and have loud AC, or let's just say are not as nice as they should be...

Because of the slow market you can rent for a month almost as cheap as you used to rent for a week! and even better renting for the summer. Don't be afraid to bargain.

MJay · 10-09-2009, 01:15 PM

Try this: North Georgia Cabin Rentals - Tanglewood Cabins of Helen GA

CollegeProf · 10-19-2009, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LisaTom

Hi Prof,

We live in Big Canoe - bought a house after renting for the summer. It is beautiful and runs 10 to 15 degrees cooler than Atlanta (depending on your elevation), with nice breezes. I am also very sensitive to noise and it IS quiet. And very private too - no one will bother you. But, if you want, there's plenty of places to socialize too. For us it was the perfect combo of natural beauty, privacy, and community.

Oh, and there are five lakes here!

If you are renting check carefully though. There's some houses that are 35+ years old and have loud AC, or let's just say are not as nice as they should be...

Because of the slow market you can rent for a month almost as cheap as you used to rent for a week! and even better renting for the summer. Don't be afraid to bargain.

Thanks. We plan to rent next summer if we don't buy. We really like Lake Watch Village. A little concerned on the community...are they in financial trouble or is everything OK now?

K'ledgeBldr · 10-21-2009, 07:43 AM

If you haven't run across this-
Georgia's Sparkling Cool Lakes
It has links to all the N. Georgia lakes and then some.
I'm partial to Carters Lake for that area. It's not as developed as the others you mentioned.

LisaTom · 10-27-2009, 12:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CollegeProf

Thanks. We plan to rent next summer if we don't buy. We really like Lake Watch Village. A little concerned on the community...are they in financial trouble or is everything OK now?

Lake Watch villas are among the oldest homes in Big Canoe, so I'd look at them carefully before renting long-term.

The community is not in financial trouble, but there has been a refusal to approve a capital reserve fund. Some members feel that not having this fund would leave Big Canoe vulnerable in case of an emergency; others feel that it's better to approve large expenditures case-by-case.

A lot was spent on the clubhouse but that's being paid off through a special assessment. The regular monthly fees can be raised annually to keep up with inflation; the board has not taken full advantage of this capability but it is thought to be a backup strategy if all else fails!

I'm no expert in finances but there has been a fair amount of rumor-mongering when it comes to money. The financial records are open and can be studied if you are interested.