Join Us to Revive Our Tiny House Retreat

Thank you to everyone who supported this! I have decided to pause.

I founded Lake James Tiny Houses in 2018 and completed the tiny house compound in 2023. What many don’t know is that for years, while working in corporate America, I was also running a small business I started in 2015. I often spent my evenings and weekends doing laundry and cleaning Airbnbs, saving almost everything I earned to buy more properties and slowly build my business. I lived frugally, always with the goal of becoming self-employed by the time I turned 40.

Creating unique experiences for people to escape and unwind was my passion. In 2018, I found the perfect land to bring my vision of a tiny house compound to life. Over the years, I did a lot of the manual labor myself, even trading in my car for a pickup truck so I could handle the tasks I used to pay others to do. I still remember picking up my brother from the airport and tossing his luggage into the truck’s cab—his stunned expression said it all. But I was determined to cut costs and put in the work myself.

By December 2022, I had finally made my dream a reality. I left my full-time job and sold my last rental property to finish building the tiny house compound. Achieving this was something I was incredibly proud of, as it took years of blood, sweat, and tears. The contractors who helped along the way will always have a special place in my heart, and many of the guests became lifelong friends. The compound may have been tiny, but it gave me the time and space to create treasured moments with my daughter that I will always hold dear.

Then came Hurricane Helene, and I lost everything. The two amazing women who helped me run the business every day are now out of work. I’ve been touched by how many former guests have reached out to ask if I have a GoFundMe. I’ve been working since I was 14, holding full-time jobs while earning two degrees, so accepting help has never come easily to me. But if I could rebuild, I would.

My dream was to create an affordable nature retreat where anyone—young, middle-aged, or older—could escape the stresses of life. Over the years, people from across the U.S. and around the world, from all walks of life, came to stay. I’m grateful to each and every one of you who supported this dream. Thank you for taking the time to learn about the journey behind Lake James Tiny Houses.