$495,000

Let's start with your garage. Right now, somebody's car is probably sleeping in the driveway because the garage is full of kayaks, coolers, bikes, tools, and that thing you're definitely going to sell on Marketplace. This house has a three-car garage. Everybody gets a spot. Now the stairs. This is a ranch, with the primary suite on the main level, so the trip from bed to coffee pot is about twenty steps. Then there's the lake. You may have already run the numbers on a lake house: the price, the dock, the second set of everything, and the weekends spent fixing things instead of enjoying them. Here's another way to do it. Port Royale Marina is just minutes away. Spend the day on Lake Lanier, grab lunch at Pelican Pete's, then come home to a house that doesn't need winterizing. Fair warning: live this close to the lake and you'll suddenly have a lot of friends who want to visit. The flexible rooms can handle it. Use them as a guest room, an office, or a place for the hobby that's been taking over the dining table. Riverstone Plantation is a neighborhood where people use the amenities: a pool plus tennis, pickleball and basketball courts. Another fair warning: around here, pickleball can go from "let's try it" to a standing Tuesday night pretty fast. Walk the dog and you'll come back knowing three new names and holding an invitation to something. When you want quiet, the fenced backyard is all yours. Lanierland Park, Bennett Park and East Forsyth High School are close by, too. The house has fresh paint inside and out and new carpet, so the to-do list is short and your weekends stay free. And now it's $495,000. The lake is minutes away. The pickleball courts are even closer. And your car finally gets to sleep inside. Come see it.