Cliffs managing director speaks in Oconee

The Great Recession threw a devastating punch at the Cliffs Communities in the Carolina mountains and at other upscale resort home projects in the country. In the case of the Cliffs, there is new ownership, Arendale Holdings. And David Sawyer, managing partner for the Cliffs Communities, today pronounced the project on “good, safe viable ground”—even if that means resort property sales aren’t bringing pre-2009 prices. Sawyer told the meeting of the Oconee Economic Alliance Business Forum that the Cliffs today operates seven projects from the Asheville, North Carolina area to the Salem, South Carolina area. The Oconee County development, Cliffs at Keowee Falls, is known for its competitive-play golf course which, in 2020, is to host the NCAA eastern regional tournament. Golf is the hallmark of Cliffs Communities, but the marketing arm also stresses activities such as cycling, tennis, wellness, and paddle boarding. A typical lakefront lot will sell for $500 thousand dollars and some homes are in the million dollars’ category.