The Pinehurst area of South Carolina is a popular destination for Appalachian vacationers. Luxury travelers there have used destination club homes from Portofino, Quintess, and The Markers, and fractional ownership homes are slated for construction, too. Near Pinehurst is Lake Jocassee, where the Jocassee Club is set to develop its fractional ownership units by the summer of 2008. The exclusive land around South Carolina’s Lake Jocassee is protected by state regulations, with residential development limited to the existing 36 homes in the area. The Jocassee Club will be the only private residence club on the lake.

Jocassee is located roughly seven miles from the North Carolina border. A nearby private residence club, the Mountaintop Golf and Lake Club, is located just north of the border.

The four-bedroom cottages at Jocassee will be between three and five stories, with a “rugged and relaxed” design, said Craig Stipes, a partner in the development. Minimal effect on the state-protected land is a priority, and Jocassee is marketing their residences as a blend of luxury living with low environmental impact.

Real-estate ownership in the area has become so expensive that the fractional ownership model proved the most sensible option for residents, according to Stipes. Jocassee will offer one-eighth ownership shares which translates to about six weeks of use per year. The cottages at Jocassee – or elsewhere in the area – will likely lure affluent vacationers that prefer the seclusion of Appalachia. Developers in mountain areas typically leverage natural beauty – as Jocassee will – to create a unique rural sense of luxury that Stipes says, in Lake Jocassee’s case, happens to attract a lot of residents from Florida.

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