The pool and Bear Cabin.

By Natalie Simms
nsimmshh@att.net

Twenty years ago, local physician Dr. Matt Mumber and his wife, Laura, purchased 420 acres in the Chattahoochee National Forest in northern Floyd County with a dream to build a private retreat center. Now with multiple log cabins, sport court, pool, pond and more, this property now known as Many Streams Ranch is going on the market through an auction on Feb. 16.

“We bought the property in 1999 through a private sale, so it’s never been on the open market before to my knowledge,” says Mumber, a radiation oncologist with Harbin Clinic.

“We’ve developed it over the last 20 years as a retreat center and donated the use of it to Cancer Navigators for retreats. We’ve also enjoyed it over the years with family and friends. And for the last five years, we’ve had it listed on VRBO for rentals for family reunions, church retreats and family gatherings.

“We now live on Mount Alto and have a beautiful place there … so we just figured we didn’t need both beautiful mountain views. Really, we are ready for the next chapter in our lives, so we thought now is the time to let someone else build and create the place of their dreams.”

The Mumbers are working with Albert Burney, a boutique auction company based in Huntsville specializing in luxury real estate auctions, to facilitate the live auction that will take place at the property at 3761 Big Texas Valley Road at 11 a.m. on Feb. 16. Registration begins at 10 a.m.

The property has been divided into three individual parcels for the auction. Bidders can bid on each parcel separately or on the entirety as a collective bid.

“It will be one auction and every bidder will have an opportunity to place a bid and the marketplace will determine how much it will go for on auction day,” says James Morgan, project manager with Albert Burney.

“We will go with the higher … whether it’s three individual bids on each parcel or one bid on the collective. The collective must be higher than the three individual bids. Each bidder will have opportunity to increase bid whether individually or collectively.”

Here is a brief description of each parcel (click here for extensive details on each parcel/building):

• Parcel 1: includes 109-plus acres, the Deer cabins and a pond. From a private or corporate retreat to a family compound to the ideal gentleman’s hunting camp. With approval, this parcel can also accommodate up to a 5,000-square-foot barn and enlarging the pond up to a total of 10 acres.
• Parcel 2: includes 28-plus acres, Bear & Moose cabins, sport court and pool. The lit sport court includes basketball, tennis, volleyball, badminton, hopscotch, four square and shuffle board. This parcel boasts the ideal homestead location. The existing cabins would be perfect for weekend getaways or build your dream home on this site and you already have plenty of room for guests to visit.
• Parcel 3: includes 284-plus acres, an orchard, two three-acre building envelopes, and accommodations in place for up to a 5,000-square-foot barn with approval. This parcel is a blank canvas to create your own mountain hideaway. Potential use could include a family homestead, mountain get-away, hunting camp, or a nature lovers paradise.

“The Mumbers have made the decision to sell and close this chapter of their life,” says Morgan. “They still had events there up until the first of the year and are not taking any more reservations at this time.”

The auction is a reserve sale, so the owners have the ability to accept or refuse the final bid or bids, says Morgan.

“We usually ask our sellers to be open to the marketplace and not set a certain price. These particular sellers want the ability to say yes or no at the end of the day, so this is a reserve sale subject to the sellers’ confirmation,” he says.

Albert Burney has been marketing the property for a number of weeks with print ads and lots of digital content.

“We do lots of tracking and work to market the property through a custom campaign…once someone calls, we take them through the process,” says Morgan. “We target buyers looking in the Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama area, as well as high net worth individuals to create opportunities. What we do is stand the property on a pedestal and shine the light on it, but really, the property stands on its own.”

He says they have had some calls on the property but so far not the response they thought they would have.

“The property has beautiful mountain views of the sunset and sunrise, the ideal retreat center or for family compound…it’s a breathtaking mountain oasis,” says Morgan.

The Mumbers do have a conservation easement on various parts of the property but the easements are not in conflict with continued operations.

An Albert Burney representative will be available daily from Feb. 9 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Feb. 13 through auction day between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to show the property by appointment only. You can schedule a private tour by calling, 800-434-1654