I want to start by saying something that might surprise you: Red Juniper Retreat doesn't have a pool. It doesn't have a hot tub. There's no waterfront view, no mountain backdrop, no Instagram-famous neon sign above the bed.
What it has is intention. Heart. And a story that started long before we ever thought about becoming hosts.
We Bought Our First Home in 2018 — and Had No Idea What Was Coming
When my husband and I bought our first home, I was in the middle of recruit school for the fire department. He was working long hours at a papermill. We were excited and I was convinced we had found our forever home.
We weren't thinking about Airbnb. We weren't thinking about short-term rentals or passive income. We were just two people working hard and proud to have a place of our own.
For awhile that was enough
The Shift That Changed Everything
After our first son was born, something changed — not in a dramatic, movie-montage kind of way, but in the quiet, heavy way that only parents understand.
My schedule at the fire department was 24 hours on, 48 hours off, plus mandatory overtime. My husband's swing shifts at the mill meant our days off rarely lined up. We knew something needed to shift.
During my maternity leave, we made a decision: I wouldn't return to the fire department. I had already been accepted to nursing school, and the plan was to power through two intense years of school while staying home more with our son. We paid off our credit cards. We sold our beautiful 4Runner. We were committed.
Then life did what life does.
Two Babies, Two Plans, and One Pivot
After a couple of years of infertility and a successful round of IVF for our first pregnancy, we were completely blindsided — in the best possible way — when we found out we were expecting again, naturally. Suddenly, we were looking at two babies under two, nursing school, and a future that looked nothing like the one we had planned six months earlier.
It was overwhelming. It was humbling. And honestly? It was the moment that cracked everything open.
Nursing school went on the back burner. We started asking bigger questions. Not just how do we make this work financially, but what kind of life do we actually want to build?
That question led us to real estate. And real estate led us to Red Juniper Retreat.
Why Our Property Was the Right Fit (Even When It Didn't Look Like It)
We started doing our homework on short-term rentals, and something became clear pretty quickly: our location was quietly special. We were in a rural setting surrounded by wedding venues, within a short drive of two cities, and there were almost no places for visitors to stay nearby. Guests coming in for weddings, family gatherings, and weekend getaways had nowhere to go.
We had somewhere they could go.
I'll be transparent: our mortgage rate played a real role in making the numbers work. I'm not going to pretend the math didn't matter, because it absolutely did. But it wasn't just the math. It was the secluded lot, the privacy of the property, the quiet that you can actually feel when you step outside. And it was my genuine love for creating warm, beautiful spaces — the kind that make people exhale the moment they walk in.
We named it Red Juniper Retreat, and we opened our doors.
What Happened Next Still Surprises Me
I expected it to do okay. I hoped it would help cover the mortgage. What I didn't expect was for it to become a Guest Favorite on Airbnb, sitting in the top 1% of listings on the platform, with a perfect 5.0 rating.
Not because we spent a fortune on it. Not because we had luxury amenities. But because we treated every single detail like it mattered — because to us, it does.
The rental didn't just replace my fire department income, it surpassed it-giving me the gift of staying at home with the kids while building something we truly love.
There is something genuinely moving about hosting families. About knowing that the space you poured yourself into is where someone's grandmother is celebrating her birthday, or where a couple is spending their first anniversary, or where a group of friends is finally getting a weekend together after years of life pulling them apart. I get to play a small part in that. It never gets old.
Why I'm Telling You All of This
I'm not sharing this story to brag. I'm sharing it because I spent a long time thinking that short-term rental success required something we didn't have — a bigger budget, a more impressive property, a more picturesque location.
It doesn't.
What it requires is doing things thoughtfully. Caring about the details. Showing up for your guests the way you'd want someone to show up for you. And being willing to bet on yourself even when the plan changes — especially when the plan changes.
If you're sitting on a property and wondering whether it could be something more, I want you to know: it might be. Not every property is the right fit, and I'll always be honest about that. But more often than not, the thing standing between you and a great short-term rental isn't your location or your budget. It's the decision to start.
This is how we do Red Juniper Retreat. And this is where our story begins.
Have questions about starting your own STR? I'd love to hear from you — drop a comment below or reach out through the contact page. This community is just getting started, and I'm here for all of it.