Tennessee National vs Lake Burton, Georgia: How Do They Compare?

Lake Burton and Tennessee National solve different problems. Burton is a mountain lake in the northeast corner of Georgia. Tennessee National is a private, gated lake and golf community on Watts Bar Lake in Loudon, Tennessee, about 30 minutes from Knoxville.

If you are looking north from Atlanta and both names are on your list, here is how to tell which one fits your plan.

How is Lake Burton different from Tennessee National?

Lake Burton is a mountain lake you buy a house on, and Tennessee National is a community you buy into. On Burton, the lake and the mountains are the whole point. At Tennessee National, the lake comes with a golf course, a marina, a clubhouse and a social calendar inside one gate.

Details about Lake Burton change. Confirm current rules, lake levels and listings with Georgia Power and a local agent before you decide.

How far is each one from Atlanta?

Lake Burton is the closer of the two. It is in the mountains of northeast Georgia.

Tennessee National is about three hours from Atlanta, nearly all of it on I-75. The gate is about 10 minutes from the interstate. The extra time is real, so be honest about how often you would make the trip.

Drive both before you decide. The Atlanta buyer's guide covers the route to Loudon.

How do the two lakes compare?

They are different kinds of water. Lake Burton is a mountain lake on the Tallulah River, owned and run by Georgia Power. Wooded slopes, coves and mountains all around.

Watts Bar Lake is a TVA reservoir on the Tennessee River. It has more than 39,000 acres of water and 722 miles of shoreline. It is a 72-mile navigable reservoir, and locks connect it to the rest of the Tennessee River system. There is room to cruise.

Be honest about which one you picture. If the dream is a mountain lake, Watts Bar is not that. It is big river water in the Tennessee Valley, and the Great Smoky Mountains are a day trip about an hour away. If the dream is a long run on a river lake and a marina inside the gates, that is what Tennessee National has.

On lake levels, ask each manager. Watts Bar changes about 5 to 6 feet between summer and winter, and TVA posts current levels on its lake level page. Ask Georgia Power how Burton is managed through the year.

What do you buy at each one?

On Lake Burton you shop individual lake houses and lots, one at a time. Have a local agent or attorney explain what you would own, what Georgia Power controls along the shoreline and what the dock rules are.

At Tennessee National there are five ways to own: a wooded homesite in The Timbers, a lake homesite, a waterfront homesite, a Land & Home package or a townhome. Finished homes are listed on the properties page. Homes are custom built and go through design review. There is no deadline to build after you buy a homesite, so you can hold the land and build when you are ready.

What drives the cost at each?

On a mountain lake, cost follows the house, the view and the water frontage. A local agent is the right source for current Burton numbers.

At Tennessee National, cost depends on which way to own you choose, where the homesite sits and the home you build. Pricing is in the info pack.

Do not guess at taxes. Tennessee has no state income tax, and Georgia's rules are different. Ask a CPA to compare the two for your situation.

Who should look at Lake Burton?

Look at Lake Burton if the mountains are the point. For example:

• You want a lake house more than a club calendar.
• You want the shorter drive from Atlanta.
• You are happy arranging golf, boat storage and upkeep on your own.
• You want to stay in Georgia.

If Lake Lanier is on your list too, see Tennessee National vs Lake Lanier.

Who should look at Tennessee National?

Look at Tennessee National if you want a lake home with a full week around it. For example:

• You want a big lake and a full-service marina.
• You want golf inside the gates. The course is a Greg Norman Signature design: 18 holes, 7,393 yards, par 72. See golf.
• You want neighbors and things to do. There are 22 social clubs and 180+ events a year.
• You are thinking about a move, not only weekends. Knoxville is about 30 minutes away.

What should you check in person?

Check what photos cannot tell you. At each place:

1. Drive the last stretch yourself, at the hour you would really arrive.
2. Ask who controls the shoreline and what a dock would take. On Burton that is Georgia Power. On Watts Bar it is TVA, so at Tennessee National ask what is possible on a specific waterfront homesite and what TVA requires.
3. Ask where the boat will live and what is open right now.
4. Visit in winter as well as summer.
5. Get the costs in writing: price, HOA fees, slip or dock costs, property tax and insurance.

The honest trade-off

Tennessee National is not a mountain lake, and it is not the closer drive from Atlanta. If those two things top your list, Burton is the right place to look.

What Tennessee National offers instead is a big river lake and a full week: a Greg Norman Signature course, a marina, 22 social clubs and 180+ events a year, on 1,492 gated acres about 30 minutes from Knoxville. See both, then decide which problem you are solving.

Facts about Tennessee National come from the community. Lake facts come from TVA. Rules, taxes, loans and insurance change, so confirm anything that affects a purchase with the right office or professional before you buy.