Hiawassee, GA Homes for Sale on Lake Chatuge and in Towns County

Hiawassee and Towns County at a glance

Towns County has two main towns: Hiawassee, the county seat, and Young Harris, home of Young Harris College. It is the smallest of the twelve North Georgia counties Gold Peach Realty serves by population.

TVA describes Chatuge Reservoir as 13 miles long, running southeast from its dam on the Hiwassee River in western North Carolina into north Georgia. The county notes that TVA created the lake in 1942.

What you will find for sale in Towns County

Property type	Where you tend to find it	Check first
Lake homes	Along the Lake Chatuge shoreline	TVA Section 26a dock permit, county lakefront setback, winter water level
Mountain cabins	Ridges and coves around Hiawassee and Young Harris	Road access, septic permit, lodging tax if you plan to rent
Land and acreage	Throughout the county, including high slopes	Mountain protection permit above 2,200 feet, perc test, survey
In-town homes and townhomes	Hiawassee and Young Harris	City zoning and whether city sewer serves the property

Lake Chatuge docks, setbacks and water levels

Lake Chatuge is a Tennessee Valley Authority reservoir, so TVA controls what can be built on its shoreline. Section 26a of the TVA Act requires a permit before shoreline construction such as a dock.

Those permits do not transfer on their own. TVA says Section 26a permits are not automatically transferred when a property sells, and a buyer should notify TVA within 60 days of acquiring the property. Ask the seller for the current permit, and plan to request one in your name.

The county's lakefront setback

Towns County adds its own rule on land. Under Section 10-92 of the county code, no building may be placed within 50 feet of the 1926-foot elevation contour of Lake Chatuge, measured along the slope. Docks permitted by TVA are exempt. For lots in subdivisions, Section 40-169 sets a minimum setback of 20 feet from the 1933-foot contour. Inside Hiawassee, the city's own zoning code applies.

Renting out a Towns County home

We did not find a short-term rental ordinance in the online codes for Towns County, Hiawassee or Young Harris. The county's online code is codified only through July 26, 2019, so a newer ordinance could exist. Call the Towns County Commissioner's office at 706-896-2276 before you count on rental income.

Lodging taxes do apply. In unincorporated Towns County the hotel-motel tax is five percent of the rent, and operators must register with the county's chief tax assessor. The City of Hiawassee levies eight percent of gross rent within its special tax district, and its definition includes tourist and rental cabins. The county Tax Commissioner accepts lodging tax payments. Georgia also charges a $5.00 per night state hotel-motel fee, which an online marketplace collects when the booking goes through it.

Septic, wells and building in Towns County

Septic. Towns County is served by District 2 Public Health. Call Environmental Health at 706-896-8873 for on-site sewage (septic) questions. The county building code requires a copy of the septic permit from the county health department before a building permit is issued. On resale, ask the seller for the original permit.

Sewer. The City of Hiawassee collects and treats the city's sanitary waste. Ask whether a specific property is connected; if it is not, it relies on a septic system.

Wells. District 2 Public Health runs a well water evaluation program. The Georgia Department of Public Health notes that private wells are not subject to any regulatory authority and recommends a coliform test every year, so include a water test in your inspection period.

Steep land. The Towns County Building Department requires a mountain protection permit for any land disturbance above 2,200 feet of elevation. The department applies the International Building Codes with Georgia amendments.

Mountain road access

Drive the road to any hillside property yourself, ideally in wet weather. Find out whether the county maintains it or owners share upkeep under a written agreement, and whether a fire engine can reach the house.

Drive times from Hiawassee

Approximate drive times from downtown Hiawassee without traffic. Fair and festival weekends add time.

To	About	Miles
Blairsville	25 minutes	16
Helen	30 minutes	21
Murphy, North Carolina	35 minutes	23
Clayton	40 minutes	26
Cleveland	50 minutes	30
Blue Ridge	55 minutes	39
Dahlonega	1 hour 10 minutes	50
Gainesville	1 hour 25 minutes	54
Downtown Atlanta	2 hours 25 minutes	108
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport	2 hours 40 minutes	121

Mountains, fairgrounds, college and health care

Brasstown Bald, the highest point in Georgia at 4,784 feet, is a U.S. Forest Service site with a visitor center address in Hiawassee. The Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds on Music Hall Road in Hiawassee hosts the Georgia Mountain Fair, a fall festival, a Christmas lights event and concerts at Anderson Music Hall. Young Harris College, started in 1886, is a United Methodist-affiliated college in Young Harris.

The Towns County School District runs the public schools. Chatuge Regional Hospital in Hiawassee is an affiliated facility of Union General Health System. For property taxes, the Towns County Tax Assessor's office takes homestead exemption applications, and Georgia's homestead exemption must be filed by April 1 of the first year you claim it.

How Gold Peach Realty helps Hiawassee buyers

Gold Peach Realty is a licensed Georgia brokerage based in Dahlonega, a little over an hour from Hiawassee. A Towns County purchase with us runs like this:

1. We start with how you will use the property: full time, weekends or partly as a rental.
2. We set up a live Towns County search and send new listings that fit.
3. For each lake home you like, we ask for the TVA permit and check the house against the county's lakefront setback.
4. During due diligence we line up the home inspection, a septic review and a water test.
5. We negotiate and coordinate the closing.

Comparing nearby areas? See Blairsville homes for sale in Union County, Helen homes for sale in White County, or Lake Burton homes in Rabun County. Or go back to North Georgia homes for sale.

Frequently asked questions