A CHANCE taken on a block of rundown villas with bullet-holes and caved-in ceilings has led to a revenue of $220,000 in one year for a savvy investor.
The woman, originally from LA, moved down South and is now seeing her work directly benefit the local community.
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Sara McDaniel moved from Springhill, Los Angeles down to what she said is the friendliest town in the south.
Minden, Louisiana, is a small town of less than 11,000 people, as reported by Realtor.com.
The town is known for many things and is more than just its unique Spanish-style architecture.
Sara, an investor and founder of Simply Southern Cottage, described the town as “the friendliest city in the South, we are a dreamy Southern town full of kind people, historic architecture, quaint shops, brick streets, and outdoor adventures.
“We can truly meet the desires of almost every traveler, creating a warm experience full of Southern hospitality.”
But Minden, like lots of places in the US, has a housing gap as many citizens struggle to find affordable living spaces.
Sara continued: “There most definitely is a housing gap.
“We keep a waiting list a mile long of rental clients desiring a place to live.
“If I had unlimited funds, I would purchase additional properties to turn into affordable housing options.”
Sara currently has “27 total doors”, with 11 of them being short-term rentals, and the remainder being longer term properties.
Most of them are located in Minden.
A VILLA FROM HISTORY
Everything changed for Sara when a childhood friend called her to see if she was interested in a project.
It would be her biggest job yet, restoring a block of historic villas at Spanish Court in town.
The property was built in 1931 and remained in use until the 1980s, and has sat abandoned ever since.
Sara described the villas as having bullet holes in the windows and ceilings that were caving in.
She took the chance and bought the eight apartments for $50,000.
The investor very quickly found asbestos in the walls and lead paint throughout the rooms.
It was going to be a costly fix-up.
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She ended up taking out a loan that had a 0% interest rate and offered $46,000 in financing.
But it wasn’t enough, and Sara was eventually forced to sell a property in Texas and use the home equity to clean up the prominent environmental issues.
It took about 18 months to do up the eight villas.
The villas have been open to the public since February 2023, and are available as short-term stays located near downtown Minden.
Sara added: “This project is more about investing in our community and a historic structure than it is making money.
“I have almost purchased the entire street these villas sit on.
“It was more important to me to save a historic structure, revitalize a street previously known for gang activity, drugs, and more, and provide meaningful and worthwhile employment opportunities for my immediate staff and team of subcontractors than it is to turn a profit.”
But the gamble paid off, and in 2024 Sara made $220,000, all of which goes back into the villas.
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
Sara is already feeling the positive consequences of the updated villas.
She said: “As I get older, I realize every day just how short life is and just how much work I feel I have left to do on this earth.
I take calculated risks and make decisions every day that terrify me, but I also love the exhilaration when things work out and I see others benefiting from decisions I make daily.
“Ultimately, I also believe in people over profit and work tirelessly to leave a legacy rather than make a gazillion dollars.
“I want people to remember me for the work I did while on earth and not how much money I made.”
Sara has also started a nonprofit to honor her late father Phillip Carroll.
The Phillip’s Cottage serves as a transitional home for women with children who graduate from the Louisiana Teen Challenge in Minden.
Sara is currently renovating a home which will serve as the group’s base.
She hopes that it will be ready by August.
