Posts

A California couple was about to close on a nearly million dollar Smokies spec home sight unseen, based on a $140,000 revenue promise. Tom Goodwin breaks down what that number leaves out and what every out-of-state buyer should ask first. ...

Brooke Pfautz, founder of Vintory and Comparent, explains why purpose-built design worked in Orlando, why commission is the wrong first question for owners, and how his team built an AI product designed to replace its own company. ...

In losing Dolly Parton, Sevier County lost more than a star. It lost someone who proved that legacy is built in the quiet, ordinary acts of loving your neighbor. It's a truth Mountain Laurel Chalets' founders, Dot and Ralph Egli, lived out in Gatlinburg in their own quiet way. ...

Travers Xanthos built a Nashville short-term rental business from a Craigslist cold call list, survived the pandemic with flyers and construction crews, and eventually walked away. He shares what it taught him and what the Smokies can learn from it. ...

Revenue, property care, trust, communication, or pride of ownership: which one matters most to you? Tom Goodwin gives homeowners the questions to ask any manager or co-host before signing, plus how to check reviews and why you should never rush the decision. ...

From UTV trails to waterfall hikes to a wild bear sighting, the Lukic family of five found their home away from home at Ten Bears cabin. ...

Every homeowner has a "love language" — revenue, property care, trust, communication, or pride of ownership. Jodi Cleer of Away Day joins Tom Goodwin to explain how understanding it changes everything about how you serve them. ...

Annie Holcombehas co-hosted 300 episodes of Alex & Annie. She joins Tom Goodwin to share what she's learned about mentorship, the real dangers of remote co-hosting, and why hospitality — not technology — is where this industry is headed. ...

Four community voices — a homeowners association president, a 49-year attraction GM, an STR educator, and a former management company owner — tackle what's changed, what's at risk, and why stewardship beats extraction in this market. ...

Recorded live at Ober Mountain, three Mountain Laurel Chalets team members with 60+ combined years tackle a deceptively simple question: owners first, or guests first? The answer says a lot about how this business actually works. ...