In what experts call a sign of vacation home sales improvement, The Reserve at Lake Keowee will launch a second phase of its Village Point community this fall, opening a model home within the Village Point neighborhood and breaking ground in two new neighborhoods.
According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), vacation home sales rose 10.1 percent from 2011 to 2012 and accounted for 11 percent of all purchase transactions in 2012.
NAR’s chief economist Lawrence Yun attributes “a strong stock market recovery” and “attractively priced recreational property” as the main drivers behind the increase in second-home sales.
With 45 percent of vacation homes last year being purchased in the South, Rutledge Livingston, The Reserve’s director of sales, sees the opportunity in the numbers.
“With the increase in vacation and second-home sales in the past year, we want to meet the market demand and continue promoting the Village Point neighborhood,” Livingston said.
Created in 2000 by Greenwood Communities and Resorts, The Reserve at Lake Keowee is a residential community spanning 3,900 acres in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, with 30 miles of shoreline on Lake Keowee. The community includes a 200-slip marina, Village Center, Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, and more than 1,400 acres of parks, preserves, trails and green spaces.
Village Point is a marina-front neighborhood offering lakeside homes within a short walk or golf cart ride to The Reserve’s Market and Post Office, pool pavilion, Orchard House clubhouse and golf practice facility, and the fitness and tennis center.
Since the announcement of Village Point in August 2012, 11 of the 13 Phase One homesites have sold, and seven homes are currently under construction. Phase Two will offer an additional 17 homesites in the neighborhood. Home and site packages are expected to start in the mid-$700,000s, with three home plans available ranging from 2,650 square feet to 3,750 square feet. These can be customized by adding an optional third floor or guesthouse.
In addition to introducing its second phase of homes within Village Point, The Reserve at Lake Keowee is seeing new home construction The Cottages at Laurel Pond and High Grove.
“We believe that these neighborhoods offer the best of what The Reserve is known for – beautiful architecture, scenic views and state-of-the-art amenities – with layouts and pricing that cater to a range of second-home buyers,” Livingston said.
