Deerfield, Lake Oconee | Neighborhood Guide
Deerfield is the sister neighborhood to Sandy Creek and one of the oldest — and most coveted — communities on Lake Oconee. It sits along Buckhead Drive on the Richland side, and it shares so much with neighbouring Sandy Creek that the line between the two is almost unnoticeable as you drive from one into the other. They were platted separately. In practice they live as one.
One decision, made when this place was laid out, explains most of what Deerfield is. The homeowners association owns the entire interior — nearly 95 acres of it. Every house sits on the water because there is nothing behind them to build on. The land inside the Buckhead Drive loop is recorded to Deerfield / Sandy Creek Homeowners Association, Inc., and it is not lots waiting on a developer. It is common ground, permanently.
Two things follow from that. Every lot here is waterfront with its own dock — all eighteen listing records on file carry private dock access, with no off-water lots at all. And houses almost never come up. Only nine individual properties in Deerfield have ever appeared in MLS records, and just seven have changed hands since 2019. The neighborhood cannot grow, so a year can pass with nothing for sale.
Where Deerfield Is Located on Lake Oconee
Deerfield sits on the Richland side of Lake Oconee in Greene County, wrapped along Buckhead Drive next to its twin, Sandy Creek. Some homes look northwest across the coves toward Beaverdam and Armour Bridge Road. Others face west to the main lake, straight across the water at the Reynolds Lake Club and the Ritz-Carlton. From several docks here you can see the 18th hole at the Oconee course, and on the Fourth of July you can sit on your own dock and watch the Ritz fireworks without leaving home. It is part of the broader Richland & White Plains area of Lake Oconee.
Buckhead Drive and the Shared Amenities
What makes Deerfield special is a combination of setting and simplicity. It shares a private, members-only boat ramp with Sandy Creek, along with the wooded Attaway Trail — which runs through that association-owned interior. Buckhead Drive winds through both communities as a large circular road, canopied by hardwoods and pines, and it is one of the prettiest lakeside streets to walk anywhere on Lake Oconee. Plenty of residents do exactly that in the evening with the dog.
It is worth sitting with what those 95 acres mean day to day. Buy a house here and you have the lake in front of you and a large block of undeveloped woods behind you that nobody can build on, subdivide or sell out from under you. Very few neighborhoods on Lake Oconee can say that, and none of the newer ones can.
Deerfield and Sandy Creek share one association. Listings through 2021 reported annual dues of $250. The most recent listing on file reports $1,250. That is a large increase in a few years. It is still modest against what a gated golf community charges, and there is more behind it here than a ramp key — the association maintains roughly 95 acres of common land, the trail through it, and the ramp. And it’s likely that property has seen a sharp increase in property taxes.
What Homes in Deerfield Sell For
Deerfield has moved a long way in a short time. Sales closing before 2023 came in around $615,000. The four that have closed since — $940,000, $1,045,000, $1,400,000 and $1,425,000 — sit around $1.2 million. Across the whole record, sales run from $402,500 to $1,425,000.
1710 Buckhead Drive was withdrawn at $1,599,000, withdrawn again at $1,800,000, and eventually sold at $1,400,000 in February 2024. 1430 Buckhead Drive was listed at $2,295,000 and expired after 272 days; it is back on the market at $1,995,000. And 1800 Buckhead Drive — at 9,495 square feet the largest house in the neighborhood — was listed at $2,750,000 and expired after 176 days.
Deerfield itself has not yet proven a sale above $1,425,000. That said, listings are so rare here, and in Sandy Creek, that the larger and more opulent homes are less likely ever to hit the market at all — so the ceiling reflects what has been tested, not necessarily what the best houses would fetch.
Values underneath it have certainly moved. That same 1710 Buckhead Drive sold for $800,000 in August 2021 and $1,400,000 thirty months later — up seventy-five percent.
You Are Buying the Lot and the View
Square footage barely predicts price here. What you are paying for is the lot, the frontage and what you look at. Water frontage on record runs 150 to 205 feet, and depth at the dock runs 4 to 12 feet. Lots sit between three quarters of an acre and one and a quarter. If you are comparing Deerfield listings on price per square foot you will reach the wrong conclusion; compare them on frontage, depth and which way the dock faces.
Homes in the Deerfield Subdivision
The houses date from 1980 to 2007, with most built in the mid-1980s. Until a few years ago it was difficult to find a property here that was not still held by the family who bought it when Lake Oconee was first filled. Today you will find a mixture: original homes largely untouched, lightly and fully renovated homes, and a couple of newer builds.
That range is wider than the price alone suggests, and it is why two Deerfield houses at similar money can be entirely different propositions — one recently renovated, one still on its original systems. Neighbours worth comparing are Sandy Creek, which shares the ramp and the dues, and Beaverdam & The West Place further along the Richland shore.
Frequently Asked Questions About Deerfield
Where is Deerfield located on Lake Oconee?
Deerfield is a subdivision on the eastern, Richland side of Lake Oconee in Greene County, built along Buckhead Drive next to its twin neighborhood, Sandy Creek. Many homes face west toward the main lake, the Reynolds Lake Club and the Ritz-Carlton Lake Oconee across the water.
How much do homes in Deerfield cost?
Recorded sales run from $402,500 to $1,425,000. Sales closing before 2023 averaged around $615,000; the four since have sat around $1.2 million. Three listings priced above $1.5 million have failed to sell — at $1,599,000, $1,800,000, $2,295,000 and $2,750,000 — so $1,425,000 remains the proven top of the market.
Does Deerfield have an HOA, and how much are the dues?
Yes. Deerfield and Sandy Creek share a single association. Dues were reported at $250 a year through 2021 and the most recent listing reports $1,250 a year. They cover the private members-only boat ramp and the Attaway Trail nature trail.
Are all the lots in Deerfield waterfront?
Yes, and by design — the association owns the interior, so there is nowhere off-water to build. Every listing record for Deerfield carries private dock access. Recorded frontage runs 150 to 205 feet, with dock depth between 4 and 12 feet. Docks are subject to Georgia Power shoreline permitting.
How often do homes come up for sale in Deerfield?
Rarely. Only nine individual properties have ever appeared in the MLS record for Deerfield, and just seven have sold since 2019. It is common for the subdivision to go long stretches with nothing available.
Why are there no off-water lots in Deerfield?
Because there is no interior to build on. The entire inside of the Buckhead Drive loop — nearly 95 acres — is owned by Deerfield / Sandy Creek Homeowners Association, Inc. and held as common land. Every home site is on the water, and the neighborhood cannot be expanded or infilled.
Is Deerfield the same as Sandy Creek?
No, they are technically separate subdivisions, but they sit side by side along Buckhead Drive and are nearly indistinguishable on the ground. They share the same boat ramp, the same nature trail and the same annual dues.
What kinds of homes are in Deerfield?
Homes date from 1980 to 2007, most from the mid-1980s, ranging from under 800 square feet to nearly 9,500. You will find original homes, lightly and fully renovated ones, and a couple of newer builds. Many were held for decades by the families who first owned them.
Interested in Deerfield?
Deerfield rarely has more than one or two houses available at a time, and the difference between two of them usually comes down to frontage, dock depth and how much of the original house is still original. Contact Margie and she will tell you which is which on whatever happens to be for sale.
Sale figures drawn from 18 MLS listing records covering 9 individual properties in Deerfield, closings from April 2019 through April 2025. Last updated September 2026.