Episode 4 marks the show's first guest conversation, featuring Paula Elliott, a longtime self-managing owner in Chalet Village — one of Gatlinburg's oldest and most historic vacation communities, celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. Paula's connection to the Smokies goes back to childhood, rooted in her grandparents' 50 consecutive years of visiting after their honeymoon shortly after the national park was established. She and her late husband bought their property in a whirlwind three-day trip in 2003 — closing the deal, meeting their eventual property manager, and completing the home inspection all before they left town, with the original intent of "just looking."
Paula and her husband self-managed with a property manager's help for nine years (2004–2013) before transitioning to fully independent, self-managed ownership — a role she's now held for over a decade while living four hours away in Indiana. The conversation is a practical, detailed walkthrough of how she pulls that off: a trusted, do-it-all housekeeper she calls her "Jackie of all trades" (kept on a paid retainer even during slow seasons), a private weather-monitoring service she credits with helping her stay ahead of storms since living through the 2016 wildfires, security cameras, and a proactive communication style with guests that she says all but eliminates midnight emergency calls.
Paula and Tom dig into candid, practical advice for the wave of new self-managing owners who've entered the market in recent years — including her strong opinions on furnishing for durability over Instagram appeal, seating and place settings that match a property's full sleeping capacity, keeping gift cards on hand for guest hiccups, and the danger of not understanding — or investing in — the local community you're renting into. The episode closes on shared themes from the series so far: an abundance mindset over scarcity, the importance of realistic income expectations (post-COVID booking data, not the 2020–2023 "gold rush," should inform new purchases), and safety as a non-negotiable standard for every host.
Discover more about our host.
- A "just looking" trip turned into a purchase. Paula and her husband closed on their Chalet Village property, met their future property manager, and completed the home inspection all within a single three-day trip in 2003, with no original intention of buying.
- Nine years co-managing, then over a decade fully solo. Paula worked alongside a local property manager from 2004 to 2013, using that time to learn rates, guest expectations, and local systems, before transitioning to full self-management — a role she's held ever since, from four hours away in Indiana.
- A trusted local "Jackie of all trades" makes remote ownership possible. Paula's housekeeper handles cleaning, minor repairs, yard work, and proactive storm prep (like dripping faucets ahead of freezing weather) — and Paula keeps her on paid retainer even during slow booking stretches to maintain the relationship.
- Proactive communication prevents middle-of-the-night emergencies. Paula credits clear, advance guest communication — weather warnings, power outage instructions, an on-site emergency kit — with her phrase "educated guests and informed guests have the best experience" for largely eliminating late-night emergency calls.
- Furnish for durability, not just photographs. Paula warns against furniture chosen purely for how it photographs if it won't hold up to guest use, and insists a property should seat and serve as many people as it sleeps — right down to having enough plates, cups, and wine glasses.
- Know the community you're renting into. Paula emphasizes that local teams — cleaners, contractors, maintenance workers — often commute 45 minutes or more, and that treating them, and the broader community, with respect and loyalty pays dividends for owners who invest in those relationships.
- Use real income history, not COVID-era numbers, to evaluate a purchase. Paula calls 2020–2023 the "COVID gold rush" and cautions new buyers to seek out longer-term rental income history rather than basing purchase decisions on that short, unusually strong window.
- Safety is the standard she wishes every host would adopt. Paula points to Gatlinburg's decades-long history of safety inspections (now expanding countywide) as something to embrace rather than resent, arguing that cutting corners on safety — from fire pits to weather communication — is never worth the savings.
- Reach Paula directly. Paula welcomes questions via email ([email protected]), her personal Facebook page (Paula Kepper Elliott), or her Goldilocks Haven Facebook page.
