About Murphy's Bear Paw

Whether it's bait or biscuits you need when you're at Bear Paw Lakefront Resort in Murphy, North Carolina, the little convenience store and gas station just a mile from the resort entrance is open again for those last minute shopping trips. Located on Hiwassee Dam Access Road, it's now called The Dam Store and it's open 7 days a week.

One of the best things about Bear Paw Lakefront Resort on the shores of beautiful Lake Hiwassee is that you're up in the mountains, away from all the hustle and bustle of strip malls and chain stores.

But when someone has eaten the last Hershey bar and you've promised the kids they could make S'mores around a campfire tonight, it's nice to know there's a place just down the road that stocks a little bit of everything.

Cold drinks, picnic supplies, an extra bag of ice - or maybe gas for the jet ski - whatever you need for a day or a weekend at the lake, you'll probably find it somewhere at The Dam Store.

And, yes, there really is a Dam - just down the road. In fact, it's the largest overspill dam in the world.

Are you ready to escape to a secluded home on a lake in the cool mountains? Ready for a REAL vacation with no maintenance headaches? The townhouse condos at Bear Paw Resort on Lake Hiwassee are just what you've been looking for. These affordable lakefront homes for sale in the mountains of Murphy, North Carolina offer the ease of condo living in the peace and serenity of the Smokey Mountains.

Your outdoor living area with both covered porch and open deck overlooks miles of US Forest Service on the opposite shore of the lake.

This incredible lake and mountain view will never be disturbed by development. Bear Paw Lakefront Resort is surrounded by national forest service land, offering a haven for wildlife and a restful retreat from city life.

Lakefront condos for sale at Bear Paw Resort in Murphy range in price from $200,000 to $285,000.

There are three condos for sale right now, from 2 bedrooms and 2 baths with an open loft overlooking the living area to 4 bedrooms and 3 baths.

Bear Paw Resort has a marina, tennis courts, pool and community building. Lakefront homes for sale at Bear Paw Resort have 24 hour gated security, assuring peace of mind whether you're in residence at your mountain home or far away.

Imagine spending the holidays in front of a cozy fireplace in your mountain home.

The mild four season climate and central location midway between Florida and the Midwest and Northeastern states makes Bear Paw Resort in Murphy North Carolina an ideal destination for extended family gatherings at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Murphy is an easy 2 hour drive from Atlanta, Chattanooga, Knoxville and Asheville.

You can leave work on Friday evening and be at your lakefront resort home in time to enjoy the sunset from your spacious deck.

Bear Paw Lakefront Resort is a unique mountain community on the shores of Lake Hiwassee in Murphy, North Carolina and 2009's sales figures point out that fact. Unlike the rest of Cherokee County, only one home in Bear Paw sold for under $150,000. All the rest were higher than the average sale prices elsewhere in our area. And with 7 lots and 6 homes sold, the ratio of home sales to land sales was reversed too.

Here's a breakdown of the sold transactions in Bear Paw for 2009, along with current properties for sale in each category:

Homes

• Lakefront homes for sale - 8
• Lakefront homes sold - 2
• Condos and cottages for sale - 6
• Condos and cottages sold - 0
• Interior homes for sale - 8
• Interior homes sold - 3

Land

• Lakefront lots for sale - 11 (including 2 on a cove)
• Lakefront lots sold - 1 pending
• Wooded lots for sale - 46
• Wooded lots sold - 6

Lots Sold List Price Sale Price DOM* Comments

• Lot 11 Sleepy Hollow $9,900 $5,500 88 distress sale, lot
• Lot 11 Cherrywood 15,500 15,000 272 seasonal view
• Lot 17 Ridgewoo 29,900 19,000 648 mtn. view lot, originally listed 12/07 for $79,000
• Lots 5&6 Cherrywood 35,000 30,000 581 2 lots total, listed 10/07 for $54,900
• Lot 5 Whispering Pine 49,000 37,500 712 listed 1/08 for $78,500, lake & mtn view
• Lot 12 Nantahala Dr 175,000 pending 174 lakefront cove lot

Homes Sold

• 36 Ridgewood $139,900 115,000 543 2 / 1, wooded lot
• 28 Lonesome Pine 199,000 185,500 1,100 3/2, new construction on the market for 3 years, listed 11/06 for $297,500
• 294 Mallard 227,900 220,000 187 3/3, new construction
• 70 Beach Rd 415,000 365,000 89 3/2, lakefront
• 100 Frank Lane 489,000 435,000 622 3/3, lakefront spec house, listed 4/08 for $625,000

* DOM - days on the market

There is no way to track the number of properties that expired unsold over the past year, since the Mountain Lakes MLS only keeps track of expired properties for 30 days

With over 180 miles of shoreline, Lake Hiwassee in the mountains of Murphy, North Carolina is one of the greatest natural resources of Cherokee County. The lake is over 6,000 acres in size, surrounded by almost 500,000 acres of US Forest Service.

One of a chain of lakes created by the TVA, Lake Hiwassee holds the distinction of having the world's largest overspill dam at one end of its 22 mile length. Construction on the 307 foot high Hiwassee Dam began in the 1930's. Today, visitors can walk or drive across the dam or do their sightseeing from the nearby picnic area.

The lake is over 200 feet deep in places and anglers catch striped bass, bluegill, yellow perch and muskie. There are several marinas that rent boats as well as a number of public boat ramps, including one in downtown Murphy on the Hiwassee River.

Boaters love the fact that they can spend a whole day on the lake in the middle of the summer and feel like they have it all to themselves. Because nearly all of the lakeshore is bordered by Forest Service, it remains uncrowded and unspoiled by residential or commercial growth. The only residential development on the lake is Bear Paw Lakefront Resort, a year round gated community with 2 marinas, pool, tennis courts and 24 hour security.

Hanging Dog Recreational Area on the eastern side of the lake has a public campground with picnic area, hiking trails and a boat ramp. There's also an old cemetery nearby where you can find graves of settlers dating back before the Civil War.

If you're looking for a mountain lake with great fishing and boating, no crowds, mild year round weather and incredible scenery, come and visit Lake Hiwassee in Murphy, North Carolina.

Do you dream of spending your summer in the cool mountains, on the shores of an uncrowded wilderness lake? Bear Paw Lakefront Mountain Resort in Murphy, NC may be one of the best kept secrets in the Southern Mountains.

Located on Lake Hiwassee and surrounded by 500,000 acres of US Forest Service, the Bear Paw community has over 1,000 lakefront and lake access lots. With only about 250 homes and cottages, it's an unspoiled and undiscovered treasure.

Resort amenities include 2 marinas, a community pool, playground, tennis courts and 24 hour gated security. Lakefront lots start at around $200,000 and a chalet on the lake can be yours for under $500,000. Wooded lots with access to all the resort amenities are available starting at less than $10,000. You can still find a cottage in the woods with lake access for around $100,000.

Bear Paw Lakefront Resort began as part of the TVA Dam projects designed to put people to work during the Depression back in 1936. Construction on the Hiwassee Dam continued until 1956. Durning that time, a portion of the US Forest Service was set aside to provide housing and services for over 1,000 workers needed to build and operate the dam, which provided electricity through the Tennessee Valley Authority.

There were 42 permanent houses built, some of which are still standing. Here and there you'll see one of those original log cabins on Village Road, which winds through the woods along a ridge above the entrance gate. The workers also had a school, hospital and even a bowling alley.

In later years, additional lots were subdivided and marketed to city dwellers from Atlanta, eager to find a cool summer vacation spot. Only 2 hours from downtown Atlanta, Bear Paw became a popular weekend destination.

With a mild 4 season climate, Bear Paw Lakefront Resort has become a favorite year round retirement destination as well. The warm days and cool nights of Fall color season make the lakefront resort a prime tourist spot and its location halfway between the Midwest and Florida in the mountains of Murphy, NC is ideal for extended family gatherings at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

For more information on mountain lakefront homes and lots for sale or lake access building sites at Bear Paw Resort, check out our listings at www.Countryhomesnc.com . Or give me a call at 828-837-9989. I look forward to helping you find your dream getaway here in the mountains!