Cottage Grove at Lake Oconee | Neighborhood Guide

Off Harmony Road in Putnam County, on a single road with a cul-de-sac end called Cottage Grove Circle. The Eatonton Publix and Harmony Crossing is five minutes or less away.

It is called Cottage Grove at Lake Oconee. It is at the lake but it is not on the lake. It is a short drive to everything the lake area has to offer — restaurants, marinas, necessities. And it is at a price point that draws people who want to be near it all for a good entry point in a brand new build.

Single-level ranch homes in a cottage style, all by the same builder, currently running from about $280,000 to $360,000. Sizes start near 1,000 square feet and run to roughly 1,840, with two and three bedroom layouts.

Finishes are consistent across the plans — granite or quartz counters, luxury vinyl plank through the living areas, a gas fireplace in the great room and a two-car garage. Covered patios and mud areas appear as options rather than standard.

Lots are about a sixth of an acre and the houses sit close together, which is the trade for the price and the location.

The POA runs $1,800 a year, which is a little high for a small off-water neighborhood. What it buys is exterior maintenance, and for a lot of buyers here that trade is worth making — particularly for anyone using the house part-time or downsizing out of something that needed constant attention.

Ask what is covered in writing before you write an offer, because exterior maintenance means different things in different neighborhoods.

Somebody who wants a new house near the lake without a lake price, and who would rather not spend weekends on a ladder. The size suits downsizers, people buying a second place, and anyone who wants the area without the acreage.