Resort living: Range of homes snuggle into Blue Ridge

The Blue Ridge Mountains beckon visitors in every season, but they are especially enticing in autumn. For prospective second-home owners in the District, it’s about a five-hour drive to Southwestern Virginia and Olde Mill, an 850-acre master-planned resort community in Laurel Fork.

Home prices in Olde Mill range from the $200,000s for villa homes to more than $800,000 for an estate home.

The Nantahala, a custom home at 108 Straight Away Lane, is on the market for $850,000. This Craftsman-style home sits on a cul-de-sac.

The five-bedroom, 4 1/2-bath home has walls of windows with views of the golf course, mountains and woods. It features a deck that overlooks the golf course, with an indoor-outdoor service bar and a covered flagstone patio.

The home boasts hickory hardwood floors; natural stone tile floors, which are heated in the baths; exposed, custom-built cedar posts and beams; and three custom stacked-stone fireplaces. The gourmet kitchen includes granite counters, an oversized center island with a farmhouse sink, a stone accent wall, custom cabinets and stainless steel appliances.

The main level includes a master suite with separate walk-in closets, a private office or study and a luxurious bath with an oversized walk-through shower and a whirlpool tub.

A custom audio, video, light and sound system provides high-tech security and entertainment. The finished terrace level includes two guest bedrooms, a full bath, a home theater, a pub, a billiards area, a den and a wine cellar.

The community will feature about 500 homes when the development is complete. Residents can enjoy the surrounding natural environment and the resort amenities of Olde Mill.

Two-bedroom, two-bath villas are available in the Overlook, priced from the $200,000s. Duplexes with two-car garages, two bedrooms and two baths are priced from the $300,000s at Laurel Mountain. Custom-built cottages and estate homes are priced from the $400,000s to more than $1,000,000. Monthly homeowner association fees range from $210 to $320, and property owners need to purchase a resort membership package ranging from $140 to $240 per month.

Norris Mitchell, a land developer in the District, returned home to the Blue Ridge Mountains to invest $12,000,000 in the renovation and enhancements to the existing Olde Mill resort. Features include a renovated and improved 18-hole golf course, an indoor swimming pool with a hot tub, an outdoor swimming pool and a new fitness center.

The club has two restaurants, facilities for special events and 3,000 square feet of elevated decking with views of the golf course, a 54-acre lake and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Community activities include concerts and casino nights, plus trips to local wineries, festivals and antique shops.

For information or directions to the Nantahala home at 108 Straight Away Lane or any of the homes at Olde Mill, call 800/753-5005 or visit www.oldemill.net.