CAROLINA DREAMIN’
WHEN THE HEAT’S ON IN SARASOTA
CAROLINA IS THE COOL PLACE TO BE

Local businesses in Western North Carolina are so accustomed to welcoming summertime guests from Sarasota that they scarcely raise an eyebrow when accepting a personal check drawn on a Sarasota bank. That’s how uniquely popular Cashiers, Highlands and Asheville, North Carolina have become among Sarasotans seeking a respite from Florida’s summertime heat and humidity.

For this reason it is only natural that Michael Saunders & Company should participate in selling luxury properties to clients and customers who wish to purchase vacation homes or investment properties in three of the East Coast’s most verdantly spectacular mountain retreats.

That’s exactly what Michael Saunders told a ballroom filled with scores of her associates as she introduced the developers behind three major North Carolina mountain and lake communities during an elegant early-evening reception at The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota on Wednesday, June 4th. The three communities—The Cliffs, Chinquapin and Firefly Cove—are set in the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains in the Asheville/Cashiers/Highlands area of Western North Carolina.

“Just as we’ve guided your clients into the finest properties in Southwest Florida,” Saunders said in opening remarks to her associates. “We look forward to steering them toward the breathtaking possibility of spending cool summers in one of the three superb new communities you are about to see.”

With that, Saunders introduced developer Fred Williams who revealed the details behind The Cliffs, a collection of eight luxury communities spanning 20,000 acres at the southernmost edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains—between Asheville, NC and Greenville SC.

The Cliffs presents an outstanding collection of eight master-planned communities offering gracious living and unsurpassed amenities; where a single membership earns the privilege of playing golf at eight private clubs.

These aren’t just any golf courses. Two are designed by Tom Fazio, two by Jack Nicklaus, one each by Gary Player and Ben Wright; and in a first for North America, a course designed by Tiger Woods—who will himself enjoy a residence in The Cliffs. That, in itself, speaks volumes about the community’s cachet and world-class appeal.

Next up, developer Gary Young introduced Chinquapin, a new community in the high country near Cashiers and next to Panthertown Valley National Forest. At an elevation of over 3,800 feet, Cashiers is renowned for its unique combination of mountain beauty and cool refreshing climate—where temperatures rarely exceed the mid 70’s, with low humidity.

At Chinquapin, nature plays host to elegant mountain living, where owners are treated to their own set of bucolic amenities—including hiking, biking, fly-fishing excursions, horseback riding trails, wilderness cabins and lodge—while enjoying complete access to those at Trillium, a sister community only 20 minutes away. There they enjoy an 18-hole championship golf course, Lake Club and Clubhouse, tennis and fitness centers, massage studio, croquet and much more.

Before the final presentation by John Cloud, developer of Firefly Cove, a pair of artists from Sarasota’s electrifying new Fuzion Dance Company, entertained the gathering with a contemporary dance choreographed to “Time of My Life,” the theme song from the popular 1987 film, Dirty Dancing. This was no coincidence, it turned out, as the final community featured in the evening’s lineup owns the distinction of having been the location for the movie’s filming.

Firefly Cove, as it is known today, is a distinctive mountain lake community that hugs the banks of majestic Lake Lure—a body of water heralded by National Geographic as one of the most beautiful man-made lakes in the world. Just 30 minutes from historic downtown Asheville, Firefly Cove is adjacent to Chimney Rock Park, with its 404-foot waterfall, 75-mile view and the famous rock formation that lends the park its name.

Designed as a second-home community with only 41 home sites—eight of them fronting Lake Lure—amenities at Firefly Cove include a 24-hour concierge, lodge-style clubhouse with fitness room and pool, a boathouse that enables residents to enjoy the lake without necessarily owning a boat. There’s an amphitheater for outdoor concerts, hiking trails into the park, a fitness center, massage facility, pool and hot tub, an organic community garden and visiting artist program.

Knowing how Sarasotans cherish their annual getaway to the cool Carolina air, the vast panoramas of its mountains, lakes and valleys and the feeling of wellness that accompanies its open-air lifestyle, Michael Saunders & Company is pleased to offer these three new communities, with limitless residential and lifestyle opportunities, for your consideration.

To learn more about the Carolina high-country lifestyle that awaits you at The Cliffs, Chinquapin and Firefly Cove, contact any associate from Michael Saunders & Company, or click here for more details.

The development teams from The Cliffs, Chinquapin and Firefly Cove join Drayton and Michael Saunders at Ritz-Carlton presentation and reception. Standing, left to right: Drayton Saunders, Terry Tincher (Firefly Cove), Fred Williams (The Cliffs), Michael Saunders, John Cloud (Firefly Cove), Gary Young (Chinquapin), Jim Brand (Chinquapin) and Diane Armstrong (Chinquapin)

As developer John Cloud looks on, artists from Sarasota’s Fuzion Dance Company perform to music from the classic 1987 movie Dirty Dancing, which was filmed on location in what is today Firefly Cove.