$249,000

Charming, cheerful and easy to own. This sunny yellow cottage in Shady Shores puts you minutes from Lake Lanier for less than most apartments ask you to commit to. Step inside to wood-look floors and a family room built around a floor-to-ceiling stacked stone fireplace, the kind of spot where winter evenings take care of themselves. The kitchen has a wall of oak cabinets, a double sink under a window that looks out to the trees, and a laundry room right next door. Downstairs, a spacious bedroom with a ceiling fan, a full bath and its own door out to the backyard feels like a private retreat. Outside is where this home shines: a big covered pavilion with a vaulted wood ceiling, low-maintenance turf, a privacy fence, and a wide concrete driveway with room for several cars on a corner lot. A smart start, a quiet downsize, or a place to finally stop renting. Come see it.