I sold my $2 million rental portfolio to buy a campground. It hasn't made money yet, but the joy it brings me is priceless.

A Candyland-themed cabin at Magical Mountain Resorts.Courtesy of Shannon MooreIn 2021, Florida resident Shannon Moore sold her $2 million real estate portfolio.Moore then bought an 11.5-acre campground in a small North Carolina town for $290,000.She opened a tiny home vacation park. Although business is slow, she's confident in her choice.This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Shannon Moore, 52, the owner of the Magical Mountain Resorts, a tiny home vacation rental village in Hayesville, North Carolina. Hayesville is a small town about five hours west of Raleigh and around three hours northeast of Atlanta. The conversations have been edited for length and clarity.I lived in Florida my whole life. But after I divorced and turned 50, I just got tired of it — call it a midlife crisis.I had been a real-estate agent in Florida for 20 years and built a portfolio of three duplexes and two small homes. But over the years, the cost of insurance and maintaining the rental properties had greatly increased. I started to think, "Maybe it's time to cash out."In 2021, I sold my real-estate portfolio for about $2 million. I wanted to use that money to buy a campground or a property with little cabins somewhere in the mountains, like Tennessee or the Carolinas.That's when I found a listing on Zillow — a Hayesville, North Carolina property. It was 11 and a half acres, and on the market for $290,000. It came with five tiny cabins, a larger house, a pavilion, and 20 RV slots.All the cabins looked like they would fall. A friend who works in real estate flew to Hayesville to check out the property with me. He was like, "Do not do it." He said, "This place just needs to be torn down. It's a shithole."But I had my own plan. I bought the property in November 2021 and moved in soon after.I followed my dreams of building a tiny-home parkI decided to turn the property into a tiny-home park for vacation rentals.I had money left over from selling my real-estate portfolio and used every dime to rehab the Hayesville property.The campground wasn't operational when I bought it — it hadn't been for about 15 years. I had to install new sewer lines, gravel roads throughout the park, and new plumbing and electrical systems. I also gutted the five existing cabins on the property and added new appliances, furniture, and decor to each one.I designed a Florida-themed camper for myself to live in, and brought in two tiny homes on wheels. One is a double-decker bus from southern England, and the other is a small, tiny house on a trailer. So, I have seven rentable units on the property.Moore's campground in Hayesville, North Carolina.Courtesy of Shannon MooreWhen styling the village, I wanted it to be something unique. I didn't want "black bear cabins" with rustic furniture and bear blankets on the couch.I wanted something whimsical and cool, so I decided on a fairy-tale village.My tiny village is one of a kindBefore decorating the cabins, I researched copyrights because I didn't want to get a letter from Disney or Warner Bros.I discovered that Lewis Carroll's original "Alice in Wonderland" is in the public domain, meaning there are no copyrights. That means I could use imagery inspired by it, like mushrooms, rabbits, and the Queen of Hearts.An "Alice and Wonderland"-themed tiny home at Magical Mountain Resorts.Courtesy of Shannon MooreI have two cabins at the front of the property that are "Alice in Wonderland"-themed. One is Alice's White Bunny Cottage, painted pink and blue. Outside, mushrooms and flowers light up with solar-powered lights, and you'll find little hedgehogs, mushrooms, and tiny keys scattered throughout the flower beds.There's also a Harry Potter-themed cabin called The Caretaker's Cabin — renamed for copyright reasons — and a double-decker bus called The Midnight Bus, which resembles the Knight Bus from the series.I also have a Snow White Cabin, one of the tiny homes on wheels. It's a white cottage decorated with baskets of apples and red poppies.Then two Candyland-themed cabins look like gingerbread houses, with frosting dripping off the roofs.Another Candyland-themed cabin.Courtesy od Shanoon MooreOver 250 local and international artists have contributed to the property's artworks or furnishings. The doors for the "Alice in Wonderland" and Candyland cabins were hand-carved in Turkey.My visitors come from all walks of lifeThe village opened to visitors in March 2023. I often run promotions, and right now, I'm offering a rate of $99 per night.My guests are typically grandparents traveling with their grandchildren, nuclear families, university groups, bachelorette parties, anniversaries, and birthday celebrations.Disney, Warner Bros., and Harry Potter fans also frequently visit — it's a fun and diverse crowd.The Midnight Bus, which resembles the Knight Bus from Harry Potter.Courtesy of Shannon MooreHonestly, business can be pretty up and down. Sales tend to slow in September when kids return to school, and again during the winter months when it gets colder, but things usually pick back up in the spring and summer.I did well from March through August last year, but when Hurricane Helene hit North Carolina, no one came, even though my property didn't suffer any damage.Business is currently down because people are worried about the economy. However, it's starting to pick back up — I was almost fully booked for March and April.I haven't made a profit, but I'm hopeful business will pick upI haven't made a profit compared to how much I've invested in the property.Electricity costs me about $1,700 a month on average. Thankfully, water is free since I have a fresh spring well flowing from a nearby mountain. But there are always extra expenses — for example, I'm currently redoing the roads, a $10,000 project.The cost of maintaining Magical Mountain Resorts also includes .Courtesy of Shannon MooreAfter covering the bills, I usually reinvest any remaining revenue into the property. I've added many amenities to make the village more appealing to visitors. In August, I built a large barn with a fenced area and brought in two miniature horses, a donkey, three Nigerian dwarf goats, two Kunekune pigs, and two Patagonian cavies.I also created a massive fairy garden, which cost about $5,000 to build, and I refurbish it every few months.A Harry Potter-themed cabin.Courtesy of Shannon MooreDespite everything, I feel like I'm building both a dream and my retirement, and who wouldn't be happy about that?I live on a beautiful property. The front borders a certified trout creek, and the back connects to the Nantahala Forest. I lived on the beach for 50 years, which was great, but I wanted a different vibe — new scenery, a fresh experience. Now, I live in a cute, quaint little town.Sure, I could've taken the $2 million and put it into stocks or a 401(k), and just lived off the returns. But for me, creating a place where families can make memories is far more meaningful. Some guests come back two, three, or even four times — and you can't put a price on that.Read the original article on Business Insider

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