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Buyer's Guide

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Why choose a Lake Specialist from the Living on Lake Lanier team for your new home? Because our expertise is unmatched!

For over two decades, we’ve lived, worked, and played on Lake Lanier, gaining invaluable insights into the unique factors that make buying a lake home a distinct experience. With 692 miles of shoreline stretching across five counties, Lake Lanier offers something special for everyone, no matter where you are in life.

Whether you’re looking to spend your days boating, fishing, or enjoying lakeside dining, we know the lake is where unforgettable memories are made with family and friends. It’s a peaceful retreat from the hustle and bustle of city life, with plenty of hidden gems to explore just a boat ride away.

At Living on Lake Lanier, we’re not just helping you find a home — we’re helping you embrace a lifestyle. Whatever your vision, we’re here to turn your dream of owning a lake home into a reality.

The Home Buying Process

We understand purchasing the right lake home is a big financial and lifestyle decision. With over 20 years of expertise and expansive knowledge of Lake Lanier and the surrounding areas, the Living on Lake Lanier team will give you the confidence you need when buying the home of your dreams!

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Start Your Search

We take the time to understand the age, stage, and unique goals of your family, ensuring we guide you through every step of the process. If necessary, we’ll connect you with our trusted local lenders, known for their stellar reputation and proven track record of getting our clients to the closing table—on time, every time.

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Be the First to Know

Be the first to know when new properties hit the market — and get access to exclusive off-market opportunities too!

We’ll create a custom search tailored to your wishlist, ensuring that homes matching your criteria are sent directly to your inbox as soon as they’re available. Our team has successfully connected buyers and sellers on many off-market deals, and we’d love to help you do the same. Why wait? Be the first in the know!

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Buying on Lake Lanier

There are a few extra details to account for when buying a lake home. Lake Lanier is our backyard! With a close working relationship with the Army Corps of Engineers, we can offer additional insight regarding shoreline management, boat dock specifications, dock permits, and what can and cannot be done on Corps property. By the way, the Corps of Engineers are a bunch of really great folks!

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Offer & Close

Once you've found the home of your dreams, we'll move quickly to submit a competitive offer. As expert negotiators, we’re dedicated to securing the best price and terms for you. When your offer is accepted, we'll guide you through every step—inspections, appraisals, closing, and the Corps of Engineers’ change of ownership process (just a quick heads-up: dock permits are non-transferable). We’re excited to help you make your lakeside dream a reality! 

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Experience the Lake Life

We are Experts in Buying & Selling Lake Property:

● On and off market properties Army Corps of Engineers
● How to Find the Right Lot ● Lake Lanier Civic Organizations
● Septic systems ● Dining and Activities
● Dock Permitting  
Read what our clients have to say

Testimonials

"Teresa sold our house for more than we thought we would get. She did this not only with her top notch professional social media resources but with fantastic negotiating skills. She has a calmness demeanor with true expertise on lake Lanier. We interviewed several realtors and cannot be more satisfied with choosing Teresa Smith!"
"Teresa sold our house for more than we thought we would get. She did this not only with her top notch professional social media resources but with fantastic negotiating skills. She has a calmness demeanor with true expertise on lake Lanier. We interviewed several realtors and cannot be more satisfied with choosing Teresa Smith!"
Dennis G.
"Teresa Smith accepted my listing on a lake property that really wasn’t in marketable condition. I was selling the property as part of an estate and I live in a different state. Teresa was extremely patient and helpful in lining up contractors as required over several months to improve the property and present it in the best possible light possible. I can’t imagine anyone more professional, patient, courteous, and professional than Teresa. When we were able to get an acceptable offer she served as my power of attorney at closing gratis so I wouldn’t have to travel to Gainesville. From start to finish over a number of months Teresa persisted and assisted. I can’t recommend her and her team more highly."
"Teresa Smith accepted my listing on a lake property that really wasn’t in marketable condition. I was selling the property as part of an estate and I live in a different state. Teresa was extremely patient and helpful in lining up contractors as required over several months to improve the property and present it in the best possible light possible. I can’t imagine anyone more professional, patient, courteous, and professional than Teresa. When we were able to get an acceptable offer she served as my power of attorney at closing gratis so I wouldn’t have to travel to Gainesville. From start to finish over a number of months Teresa persisted and assisted. I can’t recommend her and her team more highly."
Parker S.
"We can not say enough good things about Teresa Smith and her team. Having lived in our home over 30yrs, she went above and beyond to help us prepare our home look it’s best. She worked with us extensively using her many resources and contacts to make this happen. She made us feel like we were her only client always just a phone call away any time we needed her. She is so easy to work with always listening and accommodating to our needs. We owe her a lot for helping us keep our sanity through what was a very stressful time for us. We highly, highly recommend her!"
"We can not say enough good things about Teresa Smith and her team. Having lived in our home over 30yrs, she went above and beyond to help us prepare our home look it’s best. She worked with us extensively using her many resources and contacts to make this happen. She made us feel like we were her only client always just a phone call away any time we needed her. She is so easy to work with always listening and accommodating to our needs. We owe her a lot for helping us keep our sanity through what was a very stressful time for us. We highly, highly recommend her!"
Sherry F.
"Working with Teresa Smith and Mackenzie Scott to sell our lake home was a most pleasurable experience! Their experience and expertise, coupled with their positivity, turned a potentially stressful experience into one that kept everyone moving forward comfortably. The end result was a sale with both the buyer and us thrilled. Teresa and Mackenzie have earned our highest recommendation!"
"Working with Teresa Smith and Mackenzie Scott to sell our lake home was a most pleasurable experience! Their experience and expertise, coupled with their positivity, turned a potentially stressful experience into one that kept everyone moving forward comfortably. The end result was a sale with both the buyer and us thrilled. Teresa and Mackenzie have earned our highest recommendation!"
Sally A.
"Not only does Michele know everything about Lake Lanier and is more than happy to share that knowledge, but she is also very talented at knowing exactly what you are looking for in a home. Michele took the time to get to know our family and identify homes that met our needs. I highly recommend Michele to anyone looking for a home."
"Not only does Michele know everything about Lake Lanier and is more than happy to share that knowledge, but she is also very talented at knowing exactly what you are looking for in a home. Michele took the time to get to know our family and identify homes that met our needs. I highly recommend Michele to anyone looking for a home."
Kyle D.
"Michele was absolutely fantastic in helping us find our weekend getaway lake house. We toured multiple properties and she was very helpful in leading us down the right track when we weren’t even sure what we really wanted. She is crazy knowledgeable and made the buying process as smooth as can be. She has lots of contacts and helped lineup multiple inspections to ensure that what we were buying was of good quality and the value. She truly had our best interest in mind throughout the entire process. There were some difficult decisions to be made and she helped us through all of them. I would definitely recommend Michele to anyone that’s looking to purchase home on Lake Lanier."
"Michele was absolutely fantastic in helping us find our weekend getaway lake house. We toured multiple properties and she was very helpful in leading us down the right track when we weren’t even sure what we really wanted. She is crazy knowledgeable and made the buying process as smooth as can be. She has lots of contacts and helped lineup multiple inspections to ensure that what we were buying was of good quality and the value. She truly had our best interest in mind throughout the entire process. There were some difficult decisions to be made and she helped us through all of them. I would definitely recommend Michele to anyone that’s looking to purchase home on Lake Lanier."
Buyer | Seller
"Teresa and her team are absolutely phenomenal and we've now purchased 2 homes, sold one, and referred several friends to these wonderful ladies. They are beyond knowledgeable about Lake Lanier and have a real expertise surrounding lake life and the variables that go well beyond the home purchase itself. So much of lake life is about the water you're on and the location on the lake, and Teresa's team has taught us SO much about about what to look for in the perfect home. Smart, savvy, responsive, professional, and as it turns out, like a part of our family now, too-just wonderful. This is who you want if you're looking for a home anywhere near Lake Lanier."
"Teresa and her team are absolutely phenomenal and we've now purchased 2 homes, sold one, and referred several friends to these wonderful ladies. They are beyond knowledgeable about Lake Lanier and have a real expertise surrounding lake life and the variables that go well beyond the home purchase itself. So much of lake life is about the water you're on and the location on the lake, and Teresa's team has taught us SO much about about what to look for in the perfect home. Smart, savvy, responsive, professional, and as it turns out, like a part of our family now, too-just wonderful. This is who you want if you're looking for a home anywhere near Lake Lanier."
Davis A.
"Michele was amazing throughout our entire home buying process. She is extremely knowledgeable and helped us understand every step of the way! We would highly recommend Michele for both buying and selling a home."
"Michele was amazing throughout our entire home buying process. She is extremely knowledgeable and helped us understand every step of the way! We would highly recommend Michele for both buying and selling a home."
Buyer | Seller
"Teresa and Mackenzie helped us sell our family home on Lake Lanier, a house our parents built and handed down to us. It was very personal and they handled our process with a wonderful combination of grace and professionalism. The house carried a price point lower than most of their listings but I never had the sense that they worked any less on our behalf. From beginning to end, they were proactive, communicative, and responsive; in short, they worked hard! Their specialization (and rootedness) on Lake Lanier is also extremely helpful. We appreciated their counsel on all aspects of the sale. Finally, we had to address questions about the foundation and structural integrity of the house. Teresa brought in trusted contractors she's used before to answer our questions well. Teresa and Mackenzie are really good people, we enjoyed working with them, and we'd hire them again! (And we'd recommend them to family and friends."
"Teresa and Mackenzie helped us sell our family home on Lake Lanier, a house our parents built and handed down to us. It was very personal and they handled our process with a wonderful combination of grace and professionalism. The house carried a price point lower than most of their listings but I never had the sense that they worked any less on our behalf. From beginning to end, they were proactive, communicative, and responsive; in short, they worked hard! Their specialization (and rootedness) on Lake Lanier is also extremely helpful. We appreciated their counsel on all aspects of the sale. Finally, we had to address questions about the foundation and structural integrity of the house. Teresa brought in trusted contractors she's used before to answer our questions well. Teresa and Mackenzie are really good people, we enjoyed working with them, and we'd hire them again! (And we'd recommend them to family and friends."
David W.
"Put simply, we’ve never before experienced a real estate service level like Michele delivered. We’ve been in our fair share of real estate transactions over our lifetime, but we haven’t enjoyed paying a real estate commission more than we did when Michele led us to the close on our lake life dream. She’s a powerhouse on her own, but she’s not alone. In the tight lakefront Lanier market, her determination and competence shined as she delivered a contract win in a competitive bid. In a short due diligence window she amazed us with the expert relationships she had at the ready to get us the answers we needed to make smart decisions fast. Michelle added tremendous value as our champion, and was worth every dollar of commission (something we haven’t gotten to say in the past). We’re very grateful."
"Put simply, we’ve never before experienced a real estate service level like Michele delivered. We’ve been in our fair share of real estate transactions over our lifetime, but we haven’t enjoyed paying a real estate commission more than we did when Michele led us to the close on our lake life dream. She’s a powerhouse on her own, but she’s not alone. In the tight lakefront Lanier market, her determination and competence shined as she delivered a contract win in a competitive bid. In a short due diligence window she amazed us with the expert relationships she had at the ready to get us the answers we needed to make smart decisions fast. Michelle added tremendous value as our champion, and was worth every dollar of commission (something we haven’t gotten to say in the past). We’re very grateful."
Stacey W.

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