Summer Update From Sutton Knob

An increasingly busy summer season at Sutton Knob has led the developers of the 94-acre real estate development to move up their plans to build the third rental cottage at the outdoor-oriented rental and real estate development in Pisgah Forest. The two rental cottages currently in operation at Sutton Knob have been booked at nearly full occupancy throughout the summer. As a result, Dan and Mary Kay Schuessler, Sutton Knob’s developers, have decided to break ground on a three bedroom cottage to be built by GoingGreen Builders on Cedardale Lane with the goal of having it completed and ready for rentals beginning in spring and summer of 2016. The home will be decorated by Dee Ann Allen, owner of Decorating by Dee Ann. The third cottage will also be managed by Deer Ridge Property Management, which has been handling all rental bookings and marketing from the beginning.

“We are very pleased that our first two cottages have had high occupancy this year,” Dan Schuessler said. “We are very excited that guests have enjoyed the onsite trails and ponds with some saying they never turned on their TV during their stay.  That is the experience we wanted to create, the ‘escape from reality’ through the ultimate mountain adventure that Transylvania County offers.”

In addition to the busy rental season at Sutton Knob, real estate sales have exceeded expectations as Sutton Knob has consistently been one of the most active developments in home sales in Transylvania County for 2015 with a total of five lots currently sold and one pending.

“What has surprised us the most is (Stephen) Billy Harris of Portfolio Properties (Steve Owen & Associates) selling five home lots this year to buyers from Hawaii, Texas, Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina,” Schuessler said. “We never expected to have this response on lot sales, but the views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and trails have been a key selling point. All of our buyers have some passion for the outdoors including hiking and cycling. It is great to be able to provide a community to build their mountain retreat and be located in the middle of all the outdoor adventures that our county offers as well as 15 minutes from downtown Brevard.”

Since purchasing the property in December 2013 the majority of infrastructure work and most of the amenities at Sutton Knob are now complete. The Schuesslers credit the hard work of the Sutton Knob team for getting Sutton Knob to where it is today.

“The quality of the work done by Jerry Brown Construction, Dee Ann Allen, Cantrell Construction, CMC Landscaping, and Going Green Builders has been outstanding and we would not be where we are today without their commitment to high quality and timely execution with all this taking place while I am working in Houston,” he added. “I have been blessed to work with a team I can trust and have confidence that our development will fit well within the county and help contribute to the economic growth that we need to grow construction and tourism.

Due in large part to the success of the real estate at Sutton Knob and the rental program, the Schuesslers’ goal of building additional cottages will continue, while they also want to continue to evaluate other development opportunities in the county.

“Our vision is to have 10 rental cottages by 2020 driven by the successful rental program through Deer Ridge Property Management,” Schuessler said. “We will also continue to add to the trail system and add other features in the development driven by lot owner and cottage guest feedback.

“A dream for us someday would be to build tree house cottages somewhere in the county as that would provide another type of accommodation for tourists.  We also believe business needs to actively support the future growth and development of the Brevard Music Center driven by Mark Weinstein and his team.   As BMC prepares to celebrate their 70th anniversary, it is important we support BMC going forward to remain a leading summer music festival.   Right now, our focus is Sutton Knob but it is fun to think about future ideas to help further grow tourism in the county.”

In an effort to help support continued growth and development in the county, the Schuesslers have donated $1,000 for every lot sold to the United Way of Transylvania County.

“We plan to continue to reinvest our lot sale proceeds into the county,” he said. “When we started this project, we committed to invest exclusively in Transylvania County and we remain committed to that objective to help create more jobs in the county. There are many people in our community who have no other choice but to work outside of the county given limited job opportunities.  Being able to be a small part of providing job opportunities in the community is what we are about.  It is exciting to see the other developments in the county also supporting Transylvania County as the ultimate mountain vacation destination.

“While we are currently only living in the county part of the year, we look forward to being permanent residents when we retire and plan to actively continue development in the county, volunteer in the community and enjoy the mountain experience full time!”

For additional information on the development process and construction at Sutton Knob, please follow along with our frequent updates at our website, www.suttonknob.com and take a tour of some of the many amenities that can be found at Sutton Knob, as well as find driving directions to Sutton Knob. For information on real estate opportunities at Sutton Knob, please email billyharrisnc@gmail.com.