Atlanta residents Ron and Carrie Negin knew they wanted to build a second home near Lake Toxaway, but they had no idea what kind of challenges they would face when the process began. They chose Toxaway for several reasons - proximity to Atlanta when they just need to get away from the city, as well as the higher elevation that lends itself to cooler temperatures. But they also chose it because it is the largest private lake in North Carolina, with access to activities they love - like playing golf and fishing. However, they were aware that finding a lot that was available and usable might be a challenge. Plus, they were building their new home in the middle of a pandemic.

Trust was the single biggest factor in choosing Sundog Homes to build because they already had a connection with us. They had sold their previous home in Bear Lake Reserve with the help of Sundog Realty’s Bernie Gilchrist. Since their primary residence is 150 miles from their new home, they had to be sure they could be in constant, reliable contact with us. The Negins knew from their experience with Bernie that they were in good hands.

• Finding a usable lot in Lake Toxaway.
• A new, modern home with rustic features.
• A front covered porch that connected to the side entry porch for easy access to the mudroom.
• A little extra room in the main bedroom and bathroom.

The Negins decided to build our River Dog plan, a classic Craftsman-style home with 2,422 square feet. They added a 2-foot extension to one side of the home for some additional space in the main bedroom and bathroom. We also connected the front porch to the side porch so it’s closer to the kitchen when they grill outside.

Since it was the first time he and Carrie had built a custom home, Ron said, “It was a huge leap of faith”. Even with the unknowns, he said, “Overall, it was much easier than expected.”

Ron Negin said the challenges building the home were “virtually none,” and that he found the most difficult part of the process of building was making selections on finishes - especially since the building was going on during a worldwide pandemic. “Covid made some selections difficult and delayed some materials,” he said. So they had to do the majority of the picking via video meetings and email. But that didn’t seem to bother the Negins. In fact, he said our crew was “Trustworthy … dependable and communicative,” in spite of the challenges.

According to Ron, they couldn’t be happier. “It is really the perfect house for us. “The overall final look of the house was exactly what we were looking for: A perfect amount of rustic touches with modern conveniences. We couldn’t have asked for anything better.”