Lake Lanier

If you’re looking into real estate North of Atlanta, you’ve more than likely heard about one of the area’s main attractions—Lake Sidney Lanier. Created in 1956 by the completion of the Buford Dam along the Chattahoochee River, the lake itself covers 38,000 acres of land with over 692 miles of beautiful shoreline throughout Hall, Forsyth, Dawson, Gwinnett, and Lumpkin counties.

Originally built to provide flood control, water supply, and hydroelectricity for Atlanta, it has obviously become a popular recreation destination for boaters, jetskiers, and park-goers, particularly during the summer holidays.
As the host of the rowing and sprint canoeing events during the 1996 Summer Olympic Games, over 7.5 million people visit the lake each year to take part in various water activities, as well as the Lake Lanier Islands Water Park. Additionally, Lake Lanier is also home to the Legacy Lodge and Conference Center, which is the main hotel attached to the sprawling Lake Lanier Islands Resort.

For avid boat lovers, the Lake is home to an abundance of boat storage areas and marinas, namely Holiday Marina in Buford and Aqualand Marina in Flowery Branch—both of which are two of the largest freshwater marinas in the world.
For possible homebuyers interested in the area, the lake can be accessed via several major highways and state routes, where homeowners are also treated to an abundance of museums, golf, galleries, fine restaurants, and shopping venues. In regards to nearby outdoor adventures, Lake Lanier is also home to over 90 parks that provide amenities such as swim beaches, picnic areas, boat ramps, and playgrounds.

Generally speaking, homeowners along the lake tend to receive the added benefit of having their houses situated next to a large body of water; however, it’s not simply the properties directly along the lake that show evidence of value increases. Houses and neighborhoods located within the general area also tend to hold their price, even when other property owners in Georgia are struggling to break even.

While obviously home to a lot of highly sought-after properties, the houses along the water vary in their actual sale prices, which often depend upon a variety of variables ranging from home and lot size, to dock access and view.

In short, if you’re looking for an exquisite home that has an abundance of large, lakefront windows and easy access to all of the water sport activities the area has to offer, then the properties along Lake Lanier need to be a solid consideration in your house hunt.