Ginn’s BriarRose Development in Georgia Has Successful Release

All 23 cottage sites released were sold in one weekend.

December 3, 2007 – Palm Coast, FL – In 2003, Jeff Davis left the Ginn Company to develop The BriarRose, an 1879 acre private country club and estate community in the Oconee River Valley near White Plains, GA. This August, the Ginn Company, financed by Lubert-Adler, purchased BriarRose for an undisclosed sum and brought Jeff back to his prior position as president of Ginn Real Estate. Last weekend, the change was celebrated with a release event, which I attended, featuring 23 newly released cottage lots. All 23 lots, priced from the low $200s to the mid $300s were snapped up, many from foreign buyers taking advantage of the weak dollar. Five of the cottage lots plus three estate lots were bought by folks from the U.S.

The BriarRose shares many of the characteristics of Ginn’s other developments. They target buyers seeking homesites for retirement and second homes. Other Ginn projects offer lifestyle themes built around golf, skiing, or water. The theme at BriarRose is country living. Lots are all large, some several acres. About 225 of 800 homesites have been sold. Homes will vary from cabins and cottages under 1900 square feet to multi-million dollar estate homes of several thousand square feet. It does have a golf course, but will additionally include an expansive equestrian facility and a sporting club. The sporting club, with over three dozen bird dogs, offers some of the best quail hunting in Georgia. It also offers several clay shooting facilities, some single station, a five station stadium, and a walk up course, where clays (clay pigeons) seem to appear at random as the shooter progresses through the course in a simulated hunting environment. The 250 year-old house at the sport club will be converted into a fine “country” dining restaurant.

Rather than “new urbanism,” BriarRose represent “new ruralism.” I grew up in a small town environment. There were only 66 students from two towns in my high school graduating class. I hunted with a great dog and shot clays when I was younger. I thoroughly enjoyed the BriarRose experience. It took me back to a more tranquil and peaceful time when you could sit in front of a fire with your dog at your feet and the smell of good food emanating from the kitchen. But the real highlight of the weekend was the sales, indicating that there is life left in both Ginn and in some segments of the real estate market. This is good news for all of us.