Private Equity Residence Club Ownerships Now Available at Catatoga

Lake Toxaway, North Carolina – September 28, 2009. . . Private equity residence club ownerships are now available at Catatoga, a 308-acre resort community near Lake Toxaway. The Residence Club at Catatoga offers one-eighth ownership, deeded interests in either a single-family residence on a private wooded home site or the Lake Lodge overlooking 22-acre Lake Catatoga. Both properties include full access to Catatoga Club’s extensive amenities including two miles of private trout fishing – with one mile designated as trophy brook trout water.

The single-family residence offering provides owners a beautifully and fully furnished three-bedroom, three-and-one-half bath home for just $125,000, while the Lake Lodge offers owners a six-bedroom, six-full and two-half bath fully furnished lakefront lodge for $350,000. The Residence Club at Catatoga offers unlimited, flexible use to owners all four seasons of the year (subject only to the club’s reservation policy and availability).

“The Residence Club at Catatoga allows buyers seeking a world-class mountain getaway the opportunity for home ownership at reasonable prices without the concern and complications of constant maintenance and upkeep,” says Steve Schneider, Merrill Trust Group’s Director of Sales and Marketing. “At Catatoga the club staff takes care of all your needs, including daily cleaning and housekeeping, concierge services, and maintenance. It’s an ideal vacation home solution.”

Catatoga is the perfect location for anyone seeking a serene getaway. In addition to its private lake and trout stream, the gated community is also close to fishing streams and extensive hiking opportunities in the surrounding Pisgah National Forest and Gorges State Park, which borders Catatoga on the south and west.

Nestled among stately hardwood and pine-covered mountains on a high plateau, Catatoga has two spectacular private waterfalls, a clubhouse with outdoor swimming pool, tennis courts, Jacuzzi, steam room, sauna, fitness center, game room, bar and lounge, boathouse and dock, and miles of secluded hiking trails. The Outpost cabin—including a general store, outfitters shop and Day Spa—is expected to open this fall. 

There are also completed and fully furnished homes available at Catatoga, as well as home sites located in private wooded settings, some with lake and long-range views. Prices for fully furnished homes start at $595,000, and home sites are available for as little as $85,000. A limited number of Catatoga Club non-resident memberships are also available.

Merrill Trust Group, LLC, is a developer of private clubs and resort communities throughout the southeast. Merrill Trust communities include Foxhall Resort and Sporting Club, the nation’s first urban resort and sporting club residential community in Atlanta, Georgia; Sky Valley Resort and Country Club, the highest elevation community in Georgia; Catatoga, a private retreat in Lake Toxaway, North Carolina; and Daytona Beach Resort and Conference Center, an oceanfront resort in Ormond Beach, Florida.

For more information on Catatoga sales, call Jim Staton at 828-877-6270 or email him at jstaton@catatoga.net. For media information, call Deborah Huso at (540) 474-5147, or e-mail drhuso@writewellmedia.com.

Sky Valley Releases First New Developer Home Sites

Sky Valley, Georgia – September 1, 2009. . . Sky Valley recently released its first home sites since developer Merrill Trust Communities and Resorts, LLC, purchased the community in 2004. There are currently 12 new developer home sites available, most of them situated at 4,000 feet or higher with long distance views toward the mountains of northern Georgia and western North Carolina.

“This is a historic opportunity for new buyers to own some of the prime property in Sky Valley,” says Merrill Trust Group’s Director of Sales and Marketing Steve Schneider. “For the last several years, the only way buyers could find views like this at Sky Valley was to purchase a resale property. Now we have choice home sites available with some of the best views in the community.”

Established in 1969, Sky Valley is Georgia’s highest elevation community, originally established as the southernmost ski resort in the country. The community’s valley floor rests at an elevation of 3,200 feet while the surrounding forested ridgelines climb to elevations over 4,000 feet. One of North Georgia’s most well-established resort residential communities, Sky Valley has a newly redesigned golf course by Bill Bergin, one of Altanta’s premier golf course architects, as well as more than 600 single-family homes, plus condominiums and timeshare units.

The recently released high elevation home sites are one acre plus in size with prices starting at $125,000. In the last 10 weeks, Sky Valley has sold nine properties, showing a definite turnaround in the North Georgia real estate market. “I think people feel comfortable buying here,” says Schneider. “Many of our buyers have parents or grandparents who have owned here for years, and the community has a long history.”

Merrill Trust Group, LLC, is a developer of private clubs and resort communities throughout the southeast. Merrill Trust communities include Foxhall Resort and Sporting Club, an equestrian and golf resort residential community in Atlanta, Georgia; Sky Valley Resort and Country Club, the highest elevation community in Georgia; Catatoga near Lake Toxaway, North Carolina; and Daytona Beach Resort, an oceanfront community in Florida.

For more information on Sky Valley sales, call 800-437-2416, Ext. 3. For media information, call Deborah Huso at (540) 474-5147, or e-mail drhuso@writewellmedia.com.

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