2025 was a wild ride for our family. I feel like I lived 1,000 years—yet somehow didn’t age a day. So many things shifted, stretched, and ultimately changed for the better. One of the biggest? We bought an Airbnb in Tennessee.
And to make it even crazier—we bought it without ever seeing it in person. I can’t wait to show you the house, but first, let’s walk through the beautiful chaos of buying a short-term rental property from afar.
Nothing Changes, If Nothing Changes
Change has always been hard for me. I love familiar things, comfortable things, routines that don’t require much thought. But 2025 brought major job changes and unexpected opportunities.
I went from working at home two days a week to just one. On paper, it seems small—but in real life, it was a huge lifestyle shift. Mike went from being employed to being retired, and honestly, what a gift that turned out to be.
With all of this change happening at once, we decided to stop resisting and start leaning in. The phrase I kept coming back to was simple but powerful: nothing changes, if nothing changes.
Rental Properties (and Why an Airbnb Was the Next Step)
Before you think we completely lost our minds buying an Airbnb sight unseen—we do have experience with rental properties. We own several long-term rentals in Chicago that we’ve managed for years. We even wrote a book about it:
“How to Manage Condo Investments” — a real-life guide written by amateur landlords, covering everything from tenant communication to sample emails.
Here is a Link to book
That said, we’d always talked ourselves out of short-term rentals. It felt risky. Complicated. Easy to postpone. But when 2025 started out feeling unpredictable anyway, we asked ourselves—why not now?
Mike deserves all the credit here. He did the research, analyzed markets, scoped properties, and ultimately manages everything. We narrowed it down to one house we loved… and then debated it endlessly. We are very much a “make a spreadsheet for everything” family.
I still remember the night we finally decided to move forward. We were sitting at the Langham hotel lobby bar—one of our favorite spots—when the topic came up again. I remember saying, “I don’t know what has taken so long. I would’ve already bought a place.”
Apparently that comment stuck, because six weeks later, we were officially Airbnb owners.
Buying an Airbnb Virtually
Buying an Airbnb is not for the faint of heart—especially when you do it entirely online. Mike found a real estate agent virtually. We toured the property virtually. We signed every document virtually. It still feels wild to say out loud.
We had a target price in mind, and after some back-and-forth negotiations, the seller came back with their final offer and a deadline. It was higher than we wanted to pay.
Mike and I agreed to think on it separately. I was walking home from work, feeling completely torn. I didn’t want to walk away—but I also didn’t want to overpay. So I did what I always do when I’m stuck: I asked God for a sign. Specifically, a sign related to Tennessee. Yes, I said it out loud. When I got home, I told Mike I hadn’t decided yet because I was waiting for a sign. He thought I was slightly unhinged—but also knows this is just how I operate.
Later that night, while getting the kids ready for baths, Maggie casually asked,
“When are we going back to Dollywood?”
Mike and I froze… and then burst out laughing. That was it. We accepted the offer.
A few weeks later, we closed. Mike went down to Tennessee after closing just to make sure it was real—and he was completely blown away. The house was even better in person.
Prime Lodge at Reedmont
During our search, we knew we wanted something turnkey, newer, and aligned with our love of modern luxury. Prime Lodge at Reedmont checked every box. This property has a Scandinavian-inspired design with minimalist, modern finishes and a true mountain-luxury feel.
Prime Lodge at Reedmont is a 3-bedroom, 3-bath modern mountain cabin in Sevierville, Tennessee. Designed for families or groups, it features:
- A chef’s kitchen
- Game and theater room
- Hot tub
- Stunning mountain views
Located just minutes from Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, and the Great Smoky Mountains, it offers the perfect balance of peaceful nature and upscale adventure. The cabin comfortably sleeps up to 8 guests with three king beds and two twin sofa sleepers.
I still haven’t seen it in person, but Mike insists the photos don’t even come close to capturing how beautiful it is. Take a look for yourself—and if you’re interested in booking a stay, you can find the link below.
Prime Lodge at Reedmont
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