Blue Ridge

He and his partners went from 20 short-term rentals to buying the Pine Tree Hotel in Idlewild, California and turning it into a destination.

And they're about to run the entire playbook again in Blue Ridge, Georgia, with two more properties opening this winter.

we get into all of it why he thinks occupancy and adr are the wrong numbers to stare at right take a 20 room over 40 room one every time our group bookings weddings reunions birthday parties cover his debt service before the entire year even starts and the thing that actually keeps him up at night which isn't demand isn't competition and it isn't ai it's money it's specifically how badly the lending world misunderstands what he's building.

He fell out of financing twice, went through three lenders on a property that was already performing.

We cover our our full debt service from group bookings and like a very small percentage of nights.

So like we're creating predictable revenue for our business and people just really resonate with the type of experience that we've we've developed.

So with that, you know, that's kind of our model and our our playbook, what we're doing, and we're doing the exact same concepts in Blue Ridge, Georgia, that fit a very similar demographic.

It's drivable from Atlanta.

I sold Wholesaling Inc. to Brent Daniels.

And after that exit, we live in Florida, and we have a little cabin up in Blue Ridge, Georgia.

We went up there for three weeks to celebrate the exit, my wife and I and my five kids.

[water running] And, um...

It's live TV.

I love it.

So after that, I went up to Blue Ridge and, uh, on...

We were supposed to be up there three weeks.

I would say you would need at least a week if you're gonna road trip that.

[lips smack] Number seven, Blue Ridge, Georgia.

Now, some of you are thinking, well, this isn't, again, a shocking place.

But I wanted to give you an option closer, right? And I've mentioned Mentone in Alabama, so I'm gonna put that in there as a side note 'cause I still haven't been, but I think it would be amazing in the fall.

If you want somewhere closer, Mentone, Alabama, or Blue Ridge, Georgia.

We went in the spring.

[lips smack] We went in May for our 19th anniversary and stayed in a beautiful cottage.

Although summers pick up as well, it's because it's such a short season So that's why Gatlinburg on the weekends.

Known for playing tricks on travelers and occasionally even attacking those who wander too close to his territory.

There is a Hermit of Blue Ridge from the 1940s.

The story captured the imagination of locals.

It's described as a gaunt figure.

He was known to scavenge for food and rarely interacted with the townsfolk.

Some claimed he had chosen solitude after a tragic loss, while others believed he possessed supernatural knowledge of the woods.

Where was that one? Hermit of Blue Ridge from the 40s.

Blue

yeah

and he wanted to go the bigfoot museum for his birthday so last weekend We drove the two hours to Blue Ridge, Georgia.

Beautiful country.

Absolutely gorgeous.

But right on the... on a hillside the driveway was i can't imagine driving 45 degrees in

the snow or ice i know

oh yeah well if you have ice that it that's it you ain't getting in your driveway you're parking on the street yeah and you you gotta climb uh 70 feet straight up practically i it was yeah but a beautiful house um And if you're ever in the North Georgia area, absolutely go to Blue Ridge and check out Expedition Bigfoot, otherwise known as the Bigfoot Museum.

They don't try to convince you of one thing or another.

I, I feel you.

We just drove back from, uh, uh, Blue Ridge, Georgia, for the Labor Day weekend, and my eyes are going blurry coming back from all those hours.

So, um, anyway, thank you so much for the review.

That was so kind of you to say.

All right.

And then there's mini apple cider donuts with, um-

We just got an apple cider donuts at, in Blue Ridge, Georgia this past weekend, and they're phenomenal.

And they were.

I was just going back down memory lane and cosplaying a first date again.

Speaking of memory lane, the Blue Ridge, Georgia hat was like our first trip together.

Yeah, it was our first trip.

You got that hat.

So, no, we ended that project.

We're going up to Blue Ridge, Georgia, actually, next weekend.

Oh, nice.

That's going to be fun.