When nature’s beauty rests at your own back door, whether it is massive mountains or a still lake, a sense of peace cradles and comforts you. The image of spending a lazy day rocking in a hammock while gentle breezes rise from the water or fresh pine stirs, seems like a storybook setting for a laid-back way of life. And for many people, a perfect reality is having the ability to step upon an awaiting schooner or hike amid dramatic vistas within walking distance of their home.
Local developers, builders, and realtors are noticing a steady change in where clients are choosing to reside. After living for decades in crowded suburbia or bustling cities, where tired commuters race down busy streets, retirees and families are ready for a change. Homeowners who want a less hectic pace and a much quieter lifestyle embrace areas that are reminiscent of restful retreats. Medical research promotes carefree and stress-free living as a means to extend a person’s life, especially after retirement. People who desire healthier hearts are “heading for the hills,” according to researchers at The University of Florida.
Sun-drenched landscapes with unparalleled views draw many young families, baby boomers and retirees to the banks of area lakes and to the highest mountaintops where privacy, plenty of space, and simplicity inspire a higher quality of life. A natural setting provides its own entertainment for residents who enjoy an afternoon swim in a warm lake, floating lazily in an inner tube, or taking peaceful strolls and bike rides along nature trails.
Pastimes like stargazing, storm-watching, admiring wildlife, or fishing in stocked ponds and lakes in the midst of the mountains, also seem even more satisfying in settings which embody the essence of leisurely living. Stunning views of untouched wilderness captivate many who live in the mountains while an evening watching a moon sliver cast its soft glow along lake ripples brings peace to those living on the water.
“Lifestyle living is a common thread in both mountain and lake living,” according to Gina Sakich, a partner in the Chattanooga real estate firm of Real Estate Partners Chattanooga LLC and a former lakefront community resident herself.
“Though obviously very different, mountain and lake living provide a nature centered lifestyle. The water or the mountains are the focal point around which everything revolves. Family activities, entertaining, even just daily living, and relaxation are centered around the lake or the mountains.”
Ms. Sakich, whose company represents both select lake and mountain properties, says she still sees a number of second home or weekend retreats on the lake or in the mountains but stresses there is a growing number of people who choose the lake or mountain living lifestyle as their primary residence. She cites Dogwood Grove on Signal Mountain, as an example of a community that combines elements of a traditional development with those often found only in a resort community.
“Communities like Dogwood Grove give residents the amenities of a mountain resort as part of their lifestyle every day. Dogwood Grove has nature trails, bike trails, spring-fed ponds and direct walking access to a national forest, yet it also has the appeal of a neo-traditional neighborhood with estate quality homes, sidewalks, a tree-lined boulevard, mountain stone pool with cabana and outdoor fireplace, park and gazebo.”
Ms. Sakich says lifestyle living, whether it is urban, lake or mountain is a growing trend she sees in communities that her company markets and in the overall Chattanooga area housing market. “These communities allow residents to invest in a lifestyle and live that lifestyle every day, not just as a weekend retreat or vacation getaway.”
Local developer Tim McClure of McClure Development established lakefront properties in Soddy Daisy’s Barrington Point as well as atop rolling hills in the Emerald Bay subdivision in Hamilton County’s north end. He says people are attracted to a “different atmosphere than the norm” and are moving toward locations unlike anywhere they have ever lived before.
McClure, who is also vice president of the Home Builders Association of Southern Tennessee, says lakefront living or residing atop a mountain provides a more private escape from “the rat race of the larger communities with their wide-open traffic.” Many of his developments allow families to live in isolation but within close proximity to downtown Chattanooga. “Folks like to be on the outskirts but want conveniences at their fingertips,” McClure notes. “They want private living but accessibility with a snap of their fingers.”
Amenities that may be difficult to find in typical subdivisions are becoming increasingly popular in alternate communities and are providing major incentives for buyers. Amenities such as golf, fitness centers, playgrounds, walking paths, hiking trails, and stocked ponds are unique attractions for lake and mountain communities.
Chattanooga Developer and builder Don Walker, owner of Don Walker Rentals and Construction, reiterates how waterfront homes as well as properties labeled “across the street from waterfront homes,” boast high appeal with their easy access to boat slips, docks, and the water.
“The water always has been a drawing card to fisherman and boaters,” Walker says, noting how outdoor recreation such as water- or jet-skiing, camping, boating and swimming, entice individuals to build on or near the lake.
He says Georgetown Bay, one of his latest developments, boasts a bass fishing area and offers residents an opportunity for watching wildlife such as Canadian geese, ducks and blue herons. He says many families are becoming more attracted to large acreage so their horses can graze and to locations where they have easy access to horse trails.
Another of the region’s mountain and lake communities is Rarity Club, a community overlooking Nickajack Lake, a body of water which connects to the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway and allows boaters to travel to the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean. Rarity Club offers residents a chance to bask in pristine mountain and water views. Boasting English Manor architecture, championship golf, tennis courts, and a fitness center, Rarity Club provides amenities akin to a luxurious resort. In addition to miles of walking and hiking trails along Little Cedar Mountain, residents may also indulge in the community’s marina and yacht club as well as enjoy events at the clubhouse.
Canyon Ridge, a gated golf community atop Lookout Mountain, further epitomizes the perfect mountain setting with its feeling of seclusion, warmth, and its propensity toward a nature-driven lifestyle. Amenities at Canyon Ridge are aplenty including swimming, tennis, a fitness facility, hiking trails, and an exclusive clubhouse. A certain feeling of peace and comfort abounds atop this mountain community where the valleys below and neighboring mountains seem within reach.
For years to come many Chattanoogans will establish residences where they can maximize the great outdoors and live where relaxation happens at home and not just on vacations. They will continue to seek areas where they can leave a window open all night and listen to owls or deer making their way in the brush. Rustic mountain retreats and charming waterfront homes are no longer representative of a once-a-year hideaway, but are emerging as a lifetime luxury and a perfect segue to a happy retirement.