Part-Time Mountain Living: Don’t Wait to Enjoy Your Mountain Home
A home in the mountains often begins as a “someday” plan. Someday, when work slows down. When family commitments change. When there is more time to enjoy a different pace
Walkable Mountain Living
Custom Homes & Build-Ready Homesites
Franklin, NC
Community Highlights
- Walkable to the Little Tennessee Greenway
- Just blocks from historic Main Street
- 24-acre master-planned community
- 32 build-ready homesites (Phase I)
- Underground utilities
- Preserved natural areas
- Homesites from the $70s
- Homes from the $500s
A Walkable Location with Regional Access
Just a few blocks from Historic Main Street, Sanctuary Village offers the convenience of a walkable location in the mountains. Restaurants, grocery stores, healthcare, parks, and the Little Tennessee River Greenway all just a few blocks away. Beyond Franklin, Highlands, Cashiers, Asheville, and North Georgia are all within an easy drive.
Featured Home & Homesite
Move-In Ready Home
3 bedrooms / 3.5 baths
$549,000
Comfortable, flexible, and filled with natural light, this home features an open main level, and three bedrooms each with ensuite bathrooms.
Enjoy an exceptional setting beside a small creek and across from the park entrance.
Build-Ready Homesite
Lot 32
$130,000
Build the home you’ve always imagined on one of Sanctuary Village’s larger homesites.
Located near the lower park, Lot 32 offers an exceptional setting for your new home.
Everyday Life at Sanctuary Village
Life here is about choices. Start your morning with coffee on the porch, enjoy a walk through the neighborhood or along the Little Tennessee River Greenway, then spend the afternoon exploring Historic Main Street or meeting friends for lunch. End the day relaxing on your porch or simply enjoying your surroundings.
Whether you’re looking for walkability, outdoor recreation, or a slower pace of life, Sanctuary Village brings it all within easy reach.
Want a closer look at what everyday life can feel like? Read: What Everyday Life Looks Like in a Walkable Community
A Vision Taking Shape
In this short video, developer Tim Ryan shares why Sanctuary Village was created, what makes it different, and the vision that continues to guide the community today.
Designed for the Way You Live
No two homeowners have the same vision for their mountain home. Whether you’re simplifying your lifestyle, building your forever home, creating space for family, or designing a mountain retreat for weekends and extended stays, Sanctuary Village offers the flexibility to build a home that fits the way you live.
Thoughtful Design
Every home at Sanctuary Village follows architectural design guidelines that encourage quality, lasting craftsmanship, and a cohesive neighborhood character while allowing each home to reflect its owner's vision.
Flexibility
Whether you envision a compact cottage or a larger custom home, Sanctuary Village gives you the flexibility to create a home that reflects your lifestyle and vision. With no minimum home size requirement, you can create a home that's uniquely yours.
Designed for What’s Next
Whether you're simplifying, starting a new chapter, or looking ahead, Sanctuary Village supports a lifestyle that evolves with you. Here, you can settle in, build connections, and feel at home for years to come.
Life Beyond Your Front Door
Sanctuary Village was designed with the idea that home doesn’t end at your front door. Throughout the neighborhood, gathering spaces, nature trails, parks, and preserved natural areas provide room to relax, enjoy nature, or spend time with neighbors. These shared spaces become a natural extension of your home, enriching daily life without requiring more square footage.
Gathering Spaces
Thoughtfully designed places to gather, relax, share conversations, or simply enjoy the outdoors.
Nature Trails
Walking trails connect homes, parks, and nature, making it easy to enjoy daily walks, exercise, and quiet reflection.
Parks
Community parks provide space for recreation, relaxation, and everyday moments with family and friends.
Preserved Nature
Preserved trees and natural landscapes create a peaceful setting that changes beautifully with every season.
Insights & Updates
Experience Sanctuary Village
The best way to discover Sanctuary Village is to experience it in person. Stroll the walkable neighborhood, explore the parks and walking trails, tour available homes, and see how thoughtful planning and a walkable downtown location come together to create a truly unique mountain community.
Traveling from out of town? Ask about staying in our on-site Guest Cottage.—a comfortable way to experience Sanctuary Village while exploring Historic Main Street, the Little Tennessee River Greenway, and everything Franklin has to offer.
Common Questions & Answers
Choosing a new community is an important decision. Here are answers to a few of the questions we hear most often.
What inspired the name Sanctuary Village?
Years ago, we often drove past a beautiful gated neighborhood in Miami called The Sanctuary. Surrounded by lush landscaping and a peaceful setting, it was one of those places that always made us wish we lived there. After moving to Franklin, we developed a traditional mountain community called The Sanctuary at Mountain Grove, featuring larger homesites and long-range mountain views. When we later discovered the downtown property that became Sanctuary Village, we decided to carry the name forward because it reflected the kind of place we hoped to create. Today, Sanctuary Village is an open community where people connect, nature is preserved, and residents of all ages and backgrounds can enjoy a walkable mountain lifestyle.
Is Sanctuary Village a 55+ community?
No. Sanctuary Village is not an age-restricted or 55+ community. It is a Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND) designed to welcome residents of all ages and stages of life. The community offers a variety of home styles and encourages a connected lifestyle with parks, green spaces, and convenient access to Historic Main Street in Franklin. Whether you’re a young professional, raising a family, an empty nester, or retired, Sanctuary Village is designed to support a vibrant, multigenerational neighborhood.
What types of homes are built at Sanctuary Village?
Every home at Sanctuary Village is custom designed. Whether you envision a charming cottage or a larger family home, you have the flexibility to create a home that fits your lifestyle. There is no minimum home size, and all homes are built in accordance with the community’s architectural guidelines to create a neighborhood with enduring character.
Where is Sanctuary Village located?
Sanctuary Village is located in Franklin, North Carolina, just a few blocks from Historic Main Street. Surrounded by the Great Smoky Mountains and Nantahala National Forest, Franklin provides convenient access to Asheville, Waynesville, Highlands, Cashiers, Cherokee, and other destinations throughout Western North Carolina. From Sanctuary Village, residents can enjoy a walkable lifestyle with easy access to downtown shops, restaurants, local events, and the Little Tennessee River Greenway.
What amenities does Sanctuary Village offer?
Sanctuary Village features parks, walking trails, green spaces, and inviting gathering areas designed to help people connect with nature and with each other. Residents also enjoy the stone park entrance with its community fire pit, all within walking distance of Historic Main Street and the Little Tennessee River Greenway. Everyday conveniences—including shopping, dining, healthcare, fitness centers, and entertainment—are just minutes away.
What is it like to live in Franklin, NC?
Franklin offers the charm of a small mountain town combined with the conveniences of everyday living. Residents enjoy four distinct seasons, a vibrant historic downtown, outdoor recreation, local festivals, healthcare, shopping, restaurants, and a welcoming community. Surrounded by the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains, Franklin provides an active yet relaxed lifestyle that attracts people from across the country.
Is Sanctuary Village a Subdivision?
Developed under its own Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND) zoning, Sanctuary Village is designed to create a neighborhood centered on walkability, connection, and everyday living rather than simply a collection of homesites. The community has a homeowners association, and every home is custom designed within architectural guidelines that preserve the neighborhood’s character, while allowing homeowners to create a home that’s uniquely their own.
Parks, walking trails, gathering spaces, preserved natural areas, and walkable access to Historic Main Street and the Little Tennessee River Greenway connect residents to both nature and the broader Franklin community.
Continue Exploring Sanctuary Village
Explore these pages to learn more about the community, available homes and homesites, custom home building, and life in Franklin, NC.
