You know, when you get to your vacation spot, there’s that moment when you look out at the view, breathe deeply, and just exhale every care away? Well, you don’t have to wait for a vacation. On the Montalba mountaintop, you can have that feeling every single day.
Montalba is located in Anderson County, approximately an hour and a half from Dallas, situated between Athens and Palestine. Anderson County has some of the most beautiful terrain in the state because it’s between the piney woods and the East Central Texas forests. There are hills, lakes, ponds, and every type of wildlife you can imagine. If you’re looking for the most peaceful place in Texas where nature is the star, it’s this luxury retreat on the Montalba mountaintop.
Joy Kirsch was searching for a place in the country to decompress from city life in Dallas when she discovered the Montalba mountaintop, one of the higher points in Anderson County. It was located in a brand-new development called Pine Mountain Ranch.
“I grew up on a farm and was accustomed to big open spaces,” Kirsch said. “I was certainly not expecting to find this spot with these wonderful views. You feel like you are in Colorado.”
She was hooked, built a three-story custom luxury retreat, and became the first homeowner on the Montalba mountaintop. There are now 11 neighbors in Pine Mountain Ranch. Some are located near one of the two lakes, while others are scattered around the meadow or adjacent to the wildlife habitats.
“I came here for solitude,” Kirsch said. “I still get that benefit, but when I want to socialize, my neighbors are a wonderful, warm, welcoming group of people. And I’m going to miss being part of this small community.”
It’s indeed a tight-knit community with an annual chili cook-off, Christmas party and visit from the Easter Bunny! Everyone heads out together to pick blueberries when the season starts, and neighbors will often go to the farmers’ markets in Athens and Palestine together.
Vanessa Goodwyn and her husband arrived at Montalba almost as quickly as Kirsch did. They were living about 30 minutes away, and her husband found the property on a bike ride. It was time to build there forever home and this was the perfect spot.
“I feel very secure here and always have,” Goodwyn said. “It’s a special community. We recently made a neighborhood newspaper with the kids that live here and drove around in the golf cart to sell them for fifty cents apiece.”
Lori Richie and her husband had lived about five miles down the road for 30 years. They are the newest residents, approaching their first anniversary. They found Pine Mountain and fell in love with the views. “It’s beautiful here, and the neighbors are the cherry on the top,” Richie said. We have Eagle Lake in our backyard. You can fish, watch the sunset, the geese and deer. It’s so serene.”
It’s clear that the neighbors are fabulous, and now a lucky buyer has the opportunity to purchase Kirch’s property as she embarks on her next adventure. Her custom luxury retreat was designed not only as a perfect full-time family home but also as a fantastic weekend getaway.
The house is on 1.12 acres with three levels spanning over 3,970 square feet, featuring two primary bedroom suites, three full bathrooms, and possibly the cutest cowboy-themed half-bath you’ve ever seen.
Kirsch starts and ends her day on the first-floor patio with coffee in the morning and cocktails at happy hour. The second floor is the living space for meals and entertaining. “The Eagles Nest primary suite is on the third floor, so you are in a treehouse with the birds,” Kirsch said. “It’s really like three different homes in one for whatever mood you’re in.”
“I’ll miss the sunsets, waking up to the sounds of the birds and watching the storms and rain as they move across the horizon,” she said. “This home is a total immersion in nature.”
Even the listing agent for Kirsch’s luxury Montalba mountain retreat, Cheryl Drane-Skipworth, moved here. “There are moments where you can see all seven colors of the rainbow,” she said. “I’ve seen Jupiter and its four moons through our telescope and the Milky Way.
If you are flying in, the Palestine Municipal Airport can accommodate your Gulfstream-V corporate jet, and you can be on the Montalba mountaintop in ten minutes.
This move-in-ready luxury home is being sold fully furnished and presents a truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own the most peaceful place in Texas.
Cheryl Drane-Skipworth has this unique Montalba mountaintop retreat located at 331 Private Road 8458, available for $1.45 million.
