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Pre-retirees starting search early fc
Home & Real Estate
Trends • Development • City Living
By Kathy Dean
Cool weather, beautiful landscapes
and a relaxed lifestyle all help to make
the mountains a perfect place to settle,
and many metro Atlantans plan to retire
there. Not everyone waits to claim their
little spot of heaven, though. More and
more people are making the move to find
or build their mountain retreat now and
enjoy before and after retirement.
Keith and Robin Sievers label themselves
“outdoor people.” They’ve settled into their
new home, a two-story mountainside home
with main and terrace levels, in Big Canoe,
a gated private residential community set in
the rolling mountains of Jasper, Ga.
The climate and natural landscapes of
north Georgia are perfect, the Sievers said,
and so are the amenities they enjoy in Big
Canoe, where they’ve found the lifestyle
they were looking for. The community
boasts a unique Jeep Trail, award-winning
22+ mile trail system for hiking and biking,
three outdoor dog parks, three waterfalls,
Big Canoe Company, LLC
Robin and Keith Sievers
40 August 2017 \nn —
three lakes and scenic mountain landscapes.
“It’s amazing to live in a beautiful
mountain community that’s 30 minutes
from the north Atlanta suburbs, and
just 30 minutes from the start of the
Appalachian Trail,” said Robin. “More
importantly, though, are the wonderful
people who live here and the many
cherished friendships we’ve made.”
They admit that mountain driving was
a challenge at first, but added that they
quickly adapted. “While some driving is
required to get to everything we need, the
essentials are close at hand,” said Keith,
“and we’ve learned to group our errands
into enjoyable ‘urban safaris’.”
Katie Wercholuk, Marketing Director,
Big Canoe Company, LLC, reported that
she has seen an increase in pre-retirees
attracted to the lifestyle and options in Big
Canoe. “Many metro Atlanta residents
are becoming empty-nesters, but they’re
still working while planning for the future
before it’s time to retire,” Wercholuk said.
Old Edwards Club, between Highlands
and Cashiers, was the spot where Lynda and
Bill McNeeley found their mountain home.
“We both grew up in the mountains,”
Lynda said, “but had always gravitated to
the beach. We first went to Highlands in
the late 1980s. The cool weather and great
mountains, smells and activities drew us in.
We bought a small cabin in town and went
there about once a month for 12 years.”
The McNeeleys joined Old Edwards
Club in 2007 and bought their permanent
retirement home in 2009. The house is a
2,500-square-foot cottage with a lovely
screened-in porch and mountain view.
Rush Photography
The McNeelys at their mountain home.
“Every morning we wake to the same
beautiful view,” Lynda said. “Our friends
love to visit and come every year, and our
grandchildren love it as much as anyone. Bill’s
sister-in-law and some friends from Atlanta
bought here after just one visit to Highlands.”
Old Edwards Club offers a relaxed,
family environment, and Old Edwards
Inn & Spa, located in Highlands, spoils
visitors with delicious food and wine, a
nationally ranked spa and a world-class
golf course designed by Tom Jackson. “We
have something for everyone,” said Bill
Gilmore, Provisional Broker, Highlands
Cove Realty at Old Edwards Inn, and
Realtor with PalmerHouse Properties.
Lynda said that she and Bill adore
Old Edwards, and everyone they’ve met
is friendly. The McNeeleys added that
there’s plenty to do, too. They walk to the
golf course, pool and the best restaurant
in town. There are wonderful pools and
fitness, hiking, shopping galore, amazing
waterfalls and the nicest merchants you
could ever meet, Lynda said.
“Add craft shows and great markets
that offer every kind of food you can
imagine,” she said. “It’s easy to find
what you need to cook gourmet meals at
home, so we rarely eat out.”
While Bill is retired, Lynda still
works full-time remotely as a Residential
Mortgage Loan Officer with Fidelity Bank
Mortgage, so many of their Atlanta trips
are scheduled to coincide with closings or
office activities that she wants to attend.
It’s a wonderful setting for working and
taking good care of her clients, she said.
According to Gilmore, the area’s
internet and cell phone service is first rate,
making it a place where executives can take
care of business when they need to, and
then unplug and relax.
Lynda has had no issues with mountain
life. “It’s a quick two-and-a-half-hour drive to
the city if I have a business commitment. And
our community has a house watch during the
off season, so we never have to worry about
anything,” she said. “Just one phone call and
they’ll check on anything for you. And they’ll
even dig you out of the snow if you come
during the off season—I love that!”
Duane and Kim Champlin are
currently overseeing the construction of
their Old Toccoa Farm mountain retreat.
“We had a weekend cabin near Blue
Ridge before we retired, and we fell in
love with the area,” Kim said.
Old Toccoa Farm, just 85 miles north of
Atlanta, is near historic Blue Ridge, Ga., and
about 15 miles from the Aska Adventure Area,
which features camping, hiking and water
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