Twelve Oaks: Southern charm and more

All About Twelve Oaks Description: This Gone with the Wind-themed neighborhood is named for Ashley Wilkes’ plantation, and the streets are named for characters in the novel. It’s in east Brentwood.   Entrance: There are two, both on Crockett Road. No. of homes: 47 Price Range: $649,900-$725,000 Timeline: Built from 1986 HOA dues: $150/year Amenities: Underground utilities, neighborhood activities include annual luminaries Schools:  CES,WMS,RHS

By AMY STUMPFL
For Brentwood Home Page

Twelve Oaks offers all the Southern charm you might expect from a neighborhood built around a Gone With the Wind theme. Named for Ashley Wilkes’ plantation in Margaret Mitchell’s landmark novel, this cozy subdivision features street names such as Butler, Tara and O’Hara.

“This may be Brentwood’s best-kept secret,” says Nancy Heap, a realtor with Main Street Real Estate. “It’s a very quiet neighborhood, which backs up to the Governor’s Club and sits directly across from Dolly Parton’s place on Crockett Road – so it’s protected from growth on all sides. There’s no traffic, and yet you have quick access to Concord Road and Crockett Park, so it’s very convenient. But I think the big attraction is the combination of these big, beautiful homes on large, private lots with mature trees.”

Built from 1986, Twelve Oaks includes just 47 homes, all on full-acre lots. Currently two homes are available on realtracs.com (including one which was built in 2004), listed at $649,900 and $725,000.

“One of the things we noticed right away was that each lot was at least an acre,” says Marleen McCloud, whose family relocated to the area in 1997. “Coming from California, where you might be 10 feet from your neighbor, that really appealed to us. And at the time, this neighborhood offered a very good price point for us.”

Interestingly enough, McCloud says that many of her neighbors also moved to Brentwood from California.

“When you consider the difference in how much house you get for your money, it’s pretty huge,” she says. “It’s a small neighborhood, and we don’t have much in the way of amenities. But that was never a big issue for us, and it also means we don’t have a lot of extra costs or maintenance. Residents pay just $150 a year to maintain the front entrance.”

Whatever Twelve Oaks lacks in terms of formal amenities, however, it more than makes up for with its peaceful, park-like setting.

“We love the big lots, the mature trees – it’s just a wonderful sense of privacy and peace,” McCloud says. “We have nice neighbors, and we love the area. We’ve been very happy here.”