North of Atlanta, 461-acre 'farmstead' project reaches 70 percent sold

Just a few months after breaking ground, a residential project promising “farmstead living for modern world pioneers” has sold nearly 3/4ths of its lots, with some larger home prices flirting with $4 million, according to developers.  

The Sanctuaire Farms project, spread across 461 acres in Cherokee County, officially broke ground in July, promising a master-planned, agri-community with unique amenities, including a working farm.  

Officials with project developer The Folia Group, a longtime homebuilder in Atlanta’s northern suburbs, say 70 percent of Sanctuaire Farms’ roughly 50 lots have sold to date, exceeding expectations. 

The acreage—roughly the size of Piedmont Park and Chastain Park combined—is three and ½ miles from downtown Ball Ground in Atlanta’s exurbs, about an hour from the city’s core. It’s bordered on one side by the 200-acre McGraw Ford Wildlife Management Area.

Farmstead lots at Sanctuaire Farms range from 5 to more than 20 acres, with land prices starting in the $290,000s. (Yes, the community is gated.) 

Home plans recently unveiled range from about $1.4 million up to $3.9 million. 

The latter buys a “timeless farmhouse” with five bedrooms, five bathrooms, and two half-bathrooms in just shy of 5,000 square feet on 11 acres, as designed by architect J. Steven Kemp (the overall project's primary designer) and built by New River Building Co.

What sets the project apart—and is enticing buyers into Sanctuaire Farms instead of setting out pioneer-style and starting small farms of their own—is a section called The Grange Community Farm, according to The Folia Group. That’s where an orchard, greenhouse, community garden, schoolhouse, and “art house” will be located, alongside educational options where residents can learn to raise livestock, farm, and properly garden. 

The Grange area is also where a subscription system for vegetables, dairy, beef, poultry, and pork will be managed.

Facilities at The Grange will host special events, celebrations, and other gatherings such as farm-to-table dinners and cookouts, according to project officials. 

Chad Davis, a project Realtor with Shirley Gary Group/Ansley Real Estate, said a core selected group of “exceptional builders” have begun constructing houses at Sanctuaire Farms. 

“Property owners may choose to build their own barns and additional structures for livestock, beekeeping, woodworking, gardening, or other pursuits,” Davis noted in a project update. “They may also choose to enjoy these activities at The Grange, which has been designed as the social hub of Sanctuaire.” 

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ALPHARETTA—In unrelated but nonetheless interesting North OTP news, a key component of Alpharetta’s lauded new downtown core is coming up for grabs soon.   

For the first time since it opened in 2018, the 415 S. Broad St. building—a 38,000-square-foot office and retail property at the 26-acre, mixed-use Alpharetta City Center—is up for lease or sale, according to commercial real estate firm Newmark. 

The four-story structure was originally built for DataScan, but the global inventory management tech company plans to vacate it in the second quarter of 2026, leaving it fully furnished, per Newmark officials.  

Beyond the Alpharetta City Center location, perks of the LEED Gold-certified property include direct access to the Alpha Loop trail and views of the North Georgia Mountains. 

Amenities include rooftop solar fields, a terrace overlooking downtown’s main green, backup generators, huddle rooms and private offices, and the opportunity for company signage on the building, per Newmark.

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