Friday, August 30, 2019

August 28 - Resort Adventures

August 28, 2019
Day 240 - 125 Days to go
Base Camp Coffee of the Day: Lost in the Woods (Colombia/Costa Rica)

Our first cabin rental was Cabin 1 at Cross Timbers Cabins
It was a bit of a bittersweet day today. The little bunch of cabins that got us into the resort business was sold today. Back in the early Spring of 2011, we bought a property not too far from the lake with four little cabins on it. By that fall and two cabin renovations later, we had people driving in wanting to rent them. As a hobby and source of extra income, we decided to go ahead and begin renting to nightly guests. After purchasing an additional cabin next door, we began to think of it as a potential business. The biggest problem I had was trying to figure out how to grow our now five cabins into a real business. 

A rare winter snow at Cross Timbers Cabins
We took a trip that fall to the Canadian border for some fishing and camping. While there I had an encounter with my solution. I met a man named Dan who had just closed on the purchase of the campground we were staying at the day before we arrived. Dan was a kindred spirit who had been down my road. As it turned out, He owned three resort properties including the one we were staying in. The solution was not to try squeezing a living out of one small one, but to invest in more that one. That solution was perfect for us.

Over the years since then, one thing has lead to another until we owned four resort properties from small to large. By the Fall of 2018, we knew that the "Resort Adventure" was a life choice for us. This came with a decision to make and it wasn't an easy one. While modestly lucrative as a business, the smaller resorts were ideal for a "mom and pop" operation, or as a entry level business, but not suited particularly well for larger, multi-location business.  

Cabin 5 firepit-  Thanksgiving weekend, 2018
Our new solution took some soul searching, but after many months and many discussions, we had decided to sell the smaller resort properties and combine the resources into the purchase of a much larger resort. Something that would be more along the size, scope and scale of our Treehouse property (which is large enough to support a full staff of employees) We have been touring properties now for a year, we have several on our radar that would fit our goals if the timing were right. As of today, we got one step closer. There are still two properties to move before we make the jump to our next location, but I think it's only a matter of time. 

So now Cross Timbers Cabins is in the capable hands of a new owner and we are shifting our focus to "The Last Resort" as it is also for sale and improving quickly. 

“Leaving what feels secure behind and following the beckoning of our hearts doesn't always end as we expect or hope. We may even fail. But here's the payoff: it can also be amazing and wonderful and an immensely satisfying adventure.”
Steve Goodier 












Gift Item feature: The Last Resort
3 bedroom house
7 cabins
1 BIG pool!

Call me at: 417-234-4394 to place your order.














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