Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Youngs.
Hi Ashley, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was 19 years old, a freshman in college when I decided to get my first residential real estate license. My mom was a top realtor in our hometown (St. Louis) at the time, and I figured I could work for her over the summer and learn the ropes of the business while home from school. I went on to graduate from Saint Louis University in 2008 with a Bachelor’s degree in Finance, and decided to stay and obtain my Master’s degree in Accounting as “job security” as my dad would call it, while interning for an urban land developer in St. Louis city. I grew with that company for over 5 years, learning all aspects of real estate from project development and property management to financing, budgeting, tax credits, acquisitions and dispositions.
From there, I went on to work for the Koch family as their personal Finance Manager, until my husband’s career moved us to Chicago, where I spent 5+ years working for a wonderful private equity firm based out of London. We had vacationed as a family on Highway 30A since I was a teenager, and with our first baby on the way we decided to build a home there for our family to have to visit to continue to build these special memories. A few months later, my husband had an opportunity to advance within his organization and that role brought us to Knoxville nearly 4 years ago, which was the biggest blessing for us and our family.
About a year after moving to Tennessee, my husband, who at the time was the Regional Director of Marketing for Wyndham Vacation Ownership, lost his job during Covid. I had heard something that stuck with me during this time…‘plant seeds in the tough times…’ (in theory so they will grow as you work out of them). We have personally owned a vacation rental property on Highway 30A for many years and have done quite well with it. So, when we ran into an old friend who was in real estate in Florida at the pool one day, we started talking about the rental market there and the returns we had been able to obtain with our revenue strategy. After that conversation, we decided to start planting the seeds with our (now) business.
We took a leap of faith and started Southern Holiday Homes in the fall of 2020. Since then, we have grown to manage over 35 prime luxury vacation homes on Highway 30A for clients across the United States, with rental revenues this year set to exceed $10M. My husband and I both left our full-time jobs to run this family business, and we look forward to great things ahead with plans to expand into multiple new markets later this year.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There was a time where both of us were working another job in addition to our business. With two toddlers at home as I’m sure anyone who works remotely with children can understand, it definitely can be challenging. It indeed has taken a lot of dedication and perseverance to get to where we are today (and will continue to with our plans for the future). We could not have done it without the support of our families with our children. There have been a lot of sacrifices but we are building a legacy for our family and we are proud of what we are able to do for our clients. As we had moved around quite a bit, when my husband lost his job even though he was offered another position in Nashville, moving in our minds was not an option. The minute we moved to Knoxville I knew we were home, and so we knew we had to figure it out here. Even with our business primarily based in Florida, Knoxville will always be home to us now.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Southern Holiday Homes?
Southern Holiday Homes specializes in a tailored, personalized actively managed approach to prime vacation rental properties on Highway 30A along the Emerald Coast of Florida. We are a full-service, boutique, family-owned and operated firm that delivers an exceptional customer service and guest experience. We pride ourselves on providing returns to investors far above what our competitors are able to achieve, and have an incredible team who vehemently support our efforts to deliver this to our clients.
What matters most to you?
Nothing is more important to us than our family. The time we have been able to spend with them in one of our favorite places where we work and play has been priceless.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.southernholidayhomes.com
- Instagram: @southernholidayhomes
- Phone: 850.739.1667
Image Credits
Whitney Port Photography and Dave Warren Photography
Linda
July 1, 2022 at 3:21 pm
Congratulations Ashley! Your dedication to your family and business shine and your success is well deserved and applauded. As the saying goes, hard work pays off and others will be encouraged to do the same through your story. Best of luck as you continue growing Southern Holiday Homes and in your upcoming ventures! Excited to return to my favorite vacation destination at Hwy30A soon.
Dave
July 1, 2022 at 7:17 pm
As a visitor to houses as a vacationer, I can attest to the fact that houses managed by Southern Holiday Homes were always able to provide a great experience. Hwy 30a is a top spot for Florida vacations and staying in a home managed by Southern Holiday Homes delivers on that promise. We will always rent property they manage.