Vineyard Open House Blog

Piper's Landing: Privacy, Golf, Access to Waterways in "Sailfish Capital of the World"

Piper's Landing, FL offers 49 boat slips.

We’re pleased to announce the addition of Piper’s Landing to the growing portfolio of fine communities on the WaterViewHome Network. A hidden jewel along the St. Lucie Waterway, Piper’s Landing attracts devotees of yachting, tennis and golf. The 600-acre enclave boasts a particularly active social calendar. 

Piper's Landing is an enclave of 300 homes on 600 tropical acres just north of Palm Beach. Known for ample, landscaped space between homes and ample tee times as well, it offers quick access from a protected yacht basin to both the Indian River and the Atlantic.

The community’s redesigned, 6,832-yard championship golf course was laid out by Joe Lee, then transformed and modernized in 2007 by the award-winning architect Gene Bates. With a membership level of 16.7 members per hole, there’s never a wait for a tee time.

49 Reasons for Yacht Owners to Buy In: Piper’s Landing has recently completed its new private marina, outfitted with 49 separate boat slips that can accommodate pleasure vessels up to 75 feet in length.

It’s an ideal embarkation for sportsmen headed to the St. Lucie Inlet and the Atlantic Ocean as well as the St. Lucie Locks leading to Lake Okeechobee and the state canal system. That’s the beauty of Florida's scenic, coast-to-coast St. Lucie Waterway.

The nearby port town of Stuart is known as the “Sailfish Capital of the World” and the area offers excellent fishing for bass, tarpon and many others.

Real Estate: Piper’s Landing

* Six separate home styles
* Waterfront Homes with private moorings
      o Priced from $1 million to over $2 million
* Custom Homes with views of fairways, lakes or woodland
      o Priced from $700,000 to over $1 million
* Golf Homes with screened lanai, pool, course or lake views
      o Priced from $515,000
* Golf Villas with fairway or water views
      o Priced from $330,000 to $495,000
* Golf Cottages on oversized wooded lots
      o Priced from $250,000
* Lakeside Condominiums with front and rear porches
      o Priced from $249,900
    * Click here for more information about Piper’s Landing!

The Preserve at Grand Lake, OK: Enjoy Natural Beauty With Modern Amenities

The Preserve at Grand Lake, OK: nature and convenience.

We are pleased to announce the addition of The Preserve at Grand Lake to the WaterViewHome Network. Peaceful seclusion and an array of water sports meet along the handsome stretch of Oklahoma waterfront that makes up The Preserve at Grand Lake. This community's waterfront site, owned by one family for generations, was never farmed or timbered, allowing the original landscape to retain all its graceful beauty.

The Preserve is the newest upscale waterfront community on the shores of Grand Lake in the Green Country of northeast Oklahoma. The property was designed with the preservation of natural beauty and natural wildlife habitat as its top priority.

Preserve at Grand Lake residents enjoy an ideal location in what is called Courthouse Hollow. By water, it is within minutes of all there is to see and do on the main lake, including restaurants, bars and marinas with fuel service.

Grand Lake's ecosystem is unique in the Midwest, home to eagles, fox, snowy egrets, wood ducks, fox and white pelicans. The Preserve is a leader among Grand Lake communities in its hand-clearing, preservationist approach to the lakefront environment.

New Marina: Highest-quality materials and the craftsmanship went into The Preserve's new marina. The result is a facility with low maintenance requirements and a light environmental impact, still offering easy access from each and every homesite.

Real Estate: The Preserve at Grand Lake, OK

* 55 lots total
     o Reduced pricing on house lots
     o Excellent financing available
* Buy now, build later with your own builder
* Amenities and infrastructure are 100 percent complete
* Grand Lake homesites with boat slips from $29,900
* Click here for more information about The Preserve at Grand Lake!

Madison Lakes Offers Four Seasons of Fun, Water Sports in the Warm Georgia Sun

Madison Lakes, GA offers miles lakes, trails, golf, more.

WaterViewHome has just added Madison Lakes, a gated community on 1,000 acres featuring a new championship golf course, 60 acres of open space, four miles of walking trails, equestrian facilities, fitness, pools, fishing, canoeing, kayaking and more.

Madison Lakes is a 1,000-acre planned community of rolling hills, open spaces and 60 acres of lakes and streams. The master plan includes four miles of walking trails, parks, equestrian, fitness, tennis, pools, and multiple recreation centers.

At the heart of the property is Long Shadow Golf Club, a newly completed 18-hole championship course. Already praised by local and national golf media, the course will be complemented by a proposed executive-style course for beginners and casual golfers.

Outdoor sporting includes fishing, canoeing and kayaking or exploring over walking trails. Horse owners can ride on community maintained bridle paths and graze their mounts at the Equestrian Facility, with its stables and generous pasture land.

Four Seasons of Fun: Another focal point is the Madison Lakes Community Center. Warm Georgia afternoons bring members out to its Junior Olympic pool, adult Jacuzzi or kids' pool. The pool complex also includes a large entertaining and socializing area.

Real Estate: Madison Lakes, GA

*  Collection of homes priced from the mid-$200,000s to the $700,000s
*  Homesites on lakes and fairway
*  Lot sizes from under a quarter-acre to over an acre
*  No time limit requirement for building
*  Click here for more information about Madison Lakes!

The Bluffs at Richmond Hill, GA: Rural Tranquility, Easy Access to Savannah

The Bluffs at Richmond Hill, GA: nature near Savannah.

WaterViewHome has just added The Bluffs at Richmond Hill, located just 20 minutes from metro Savannah in highly regarded Bryan County, featuring waterfront activities, estate-sized lots and buy-now, build-later flexibility.

The Bluffs at Richmond Hill is a waterview community located just 20 minutes from metro Savannah with easy access to Interstate 95. All homesites at The Bluffs are between one and three acres in size.

This waterfront community’s infrastructure and amenities are 100 percent complete. Residents don’t have to wait to enjoy their clubhouse, tennis courts, gated entrance, 20 acres of sparkling lakes and well-maintained walking trails.

Built on a Sturdy Reputation: Offered by Georgia Shoreline, a highly respected developer of upscale resort residential properties, The Bluffs at Richmond Hill takes great advantage of the fine schools, shopping, and restaurants the Richmond Hill area is known for.

Richmond Hill is also near the southern end of well-regarded Bryan County, where quiet, rural scenery belies the easy access Savannah and its attractions. The landscape is a mix of stately forests and quiet creeks, marshlands and intra-coastal waterways.

Real Estate: The Bluffs at Richmond Hill, GA

*   Estate-size house lots, one to three acres
*   Use of all premium amenities
*   Lots priced from $69,500
*   All parcels sold with a recent survey and warranty deed
*  Click here for more information about The Bluffs at Richmond Hill!

Wachesaw Makes Major Upgrades, Rosewood Village Goes Green, and More

Sunset Dunes, Canada is surrounded by water on three sides.

Sunset Dunes, Prince Edward Island, Canada is planning for a welcome wave of publicity with the first airing of the Big Break Prince Edward Island TV reality series on April 20, at 9 p.m. EDT, on The Golf Channel network. Prince Edward Island is the first-ever Canadian host for the popular series. Sunset Dunes is PEI’s most exclusive waterfront community for retirement or vacation-home ownership, with 27 fine golf courses in the immediate area. Click here for more information about Sunset Dunes!

Wachesaw Plantation Club, SC is in the process of upgrading several important and popular member amenities. Kimbel's, the member-only dining facility overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway is undergoing kitchen equipment upgrades in anticipation of the wedding season. Also, the Har-Tru clay courts, where Wachesaw Plantation member and recent Jr. Orange Bowl champ Harrison Richmond practices, are being resurfaced in preparation for spring tennis season. Click here for more information about Wachesaw Plantation!

Lakewood Ranch, FL, in partnership with Corvus International, Iowa Sports Management and Johan Kriek Tennis, unveiled plans for a new $110-plus million sports, spa and training complex last week. The facility will house several sports academies and will accommodate outside spa and club memberships, along with state of the art wellness opportunities for Lakewood Ranch members and Manatee and Sarasota county residents. Click here for more information about Lakewood Ranch!

Rosewood Village at Wintergreen Resort, VA makes new strides in energy conservation with word that its newest golf villa has partnered with Earthcraft House, the only green building program to receive NAHB's Green Building Program of the Year award twice. The partnership results in construction that shows superior  insulation practices, such as airsealing the building envelope and its mechanical systems while allowing for fresh air intake. 

News Shorts
The Landings on Skidaway Island, GA, has found a way to make sailing affordable as well as fun--the Rhodes 19 Sailing Club. Read how it all got started on the blog, plus see pictures of Rhodes 19 under sail.

Wachesaw Plantation Club, SC is offering a new Discovery Package that is only available through GolfCourseHome.net. The package includes a two-night, two-rounds-of-golf stay, for two visitors, priced at $350 per night.

Watch this Friday for a special feature on the new trends in health & wellness in master-planned communities and the launch of our newest Network Member Website, HealthandWellnessCommunities.net. Enjoy!

The Landings' Rhodes 19 Sailing Club Is a Model for Sailing on a Budget

Join the Rhodes 19 Sailing Club for carefree sailing anytime.

Sailing on a budget has found a welcome home at The Landings on Skidaway Island in Savannah,
Georgia. The purchase of a boat has traditionally meant the beginning of paying for storage, scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, upgrades and repairs, insurance and other expenses. If you divide the annual expense by the number of times you actually sail, it can make you twice (or more) about taking that first step.

However, the sailors at The Landings have found the solution—the Rhodes 19 Sailing Club—and the result has enabled them to enjoy both recreational and competitive sailing with minimal expense for the past six years.

The Club was launched in 2002.

Getting Started
It all started in the fall of 2002 when Mike Rouzee, a Landings resident and long-time sailor, was serving as the Commodore of The Landings Yacht Club. He saw the pent up demand for inexpensive sailing and he put together a proposal and presented it to the community’s governing body, The Landings Association.

Skidaway Island is just off GA's Emerald Coast.

If they would purchase the boats he was sure that a number of residents would pay a monthly fee to use them, and that the monies collected would be sufficient to repay The Association. He estimated that 11 members would be the break-even point.

The Rhodes 19 Fits the Bill
The Association agreed, and appropriated $25,000 to purchase the boats. Mike had selected the keel model Rhodes 19 because of its stability, sail plan, and availability. Although the design is over 50 years old, the boats are still in new production and there is a lively used boat and equipment market.

Enjoy recreational or competitive sailing.

By the summer of 2003 The Landings Rhodes 19 Sailing Club had acquired seven boats, keeping within the budget, and had approximately 30 dues paying members. The dues structure was critical, with five separate categories ranging from Student (at $20/month) to Resident (at $55/month). A seasonal rate was also initiated for those who summer elsewhere, and a Single Head of Household rate for those in that situation.

Every effort was made to lower the barriers to participation. Today there are still about 30 members, contributing almost $20,000 in annual dues. Even with the $9,000 annual expense budget, The Landings Association sees an excellent return on their investment.

Races are held year round.

An Active Calendar
And what about the sailing? Well, it’s been active and fun-filled. The Club organizes regularly scheduled races every weekend year round, alternating Saturdays and Sundays. Members indicate if they plan on participating that weekend and the coordinator assigns them to a crew and a hull for the day. Each week you are likely to see changes.

The races foster camaraderie and good hearted ribbing.

The races are run according to the Racing Rules of Sailing, but the protests are likely to be heard on the dock afterwards, beers in hand, amid loud “clarifications” of the rules. Good sailing and good comradeship. In addition, there is a recreational sail each Thursday for those who wish to practice their skills outside of competition, or who simply want to enjoy an outing on the water. Members are also invited to use the boats at any other time.

 
Rhodes 19 crossing the line.

Membership in the Rhodes 19 Sailing Club is open to all residents of The Landings. You can get a better idea of the program by viewing the YouTube video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIB657ROd8U or by going to the Landings Rhodes 19 website at http://home.comcast.net/~dhealy917/site/?/home/.

Or better yet, visit the community and sail. You will receive a warm welcome.

About The Landings
Located just 12 miles from historic Savannah on a 6,500-acre barrier island off Georgia’s emerald coast, The Landings on Skidaway Island is the recipient of the Urban Land Institute’s coveted Award for Excellence. Its extensive list of amenities includes two full-service marinas, six championship golf courses designed by masters like Arnold Palmer, Tom Fazio, Arthur Hills and Willard Byrd, four swimming pools, a state-of-the-art fitness center, and 40 miles of walking and biking trails.

Mariner Sands: Limited Residences & Memberships Equal Privacy, Fun in FL Sun

Mariner Sands, FL has limited residences, 36 holes of golf.

We are pleased to announce the addition of Mariner Sands--a warm and spirited Florida Treasure Coast community--to the WaterViewHome Network. Member-owned Mariner Sands offers 36 holes of championship golf, Jupiter's beaches & more.

Mariner Sands is a mature, 728-acre private community located in the charming town of Stuart. It has just 771 residences and the Mariner Sands Golf Club, with its 36 standout holes by Tom Fazio and Frank Duane, is limited to 540 equity memberships.

All members have access to a beautifully appointed clubhouse which offers first-class dining and entertainment, plus other amenities such as nine Har-Tru tennis courts, a swimming pool complex and a staff which provides dedicated personal service.

Where Florida Turns on the Charm: The town of Stuart is located nearby, on Florida's Treasure Coast, with its historic downtown, exclusive shops and distinctive restaurants.

Jupiter Island is less than 15 minutes to the south of Mariner Sands and has two superb public beaches and a wild life preserve. The Kravis Center for Performing Arts, City Place and major-league baseball training camps are all nearby.

For boat owners, Port Salerno (just three miles away) offers boat dockage with easy access to the St. Lucie Inlet and the Intracoastal Waterway.

Real Estate: Mariner Sands, FL

    * Mariner Sands is limited to 771 residences
          o About one-fourth of residences are condominiums or villas
          o The remainder are either custom-designed or builder homes
    * Prices range from the $250,000s to over $1 million
    * Click here for more information about Mariner Sands!