Get a New Altitude

At roughly 2,022 feet, where Stuart Mountain runs out of mountain, a custom-built retreat looks out over the Blue Ridge in every direction that matters.

Stuart Highlands is an established gated community in the Appalachian foothills outside Blue Ridge — city water, underground utilities, and high-speed internet, with the kind of light covenants that protect value without dictating life. From the top of the drive, the towns of Blue Ridge, Georgia and Copperhill, Tennessee are each just minutes away: two states' worth of dining, rail excursions, and river country.

The main level lives as one generous space: a great room anchored by a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace, a dining table that seats eight, and a kitchen built for real cooking — five-burner gas range, Bosch dishwasher, and an island bar with seating for four more.

The owner's suite keeps its own wood-burning fireplace — a second real fire in the house — and a bath finished in custom slate: jetted tub, oversized walk-in shower, dual showerheads.

Five bedrooms and three and a half baths across roughly 4,300 square feet on three levels. The lower level is the play floor: a family room built around a 75-inch screen and a game room ready for long weekends.

This home has operated as a successful vacation rental commanding roughly $509 per night — a rare listing that arrives with a proven income story as well as a private-retreat one.