Alpine Property Rentals, LLC - The Springfield House
Usually we just call The Progress Fund first. We’ve had a lot of success with The Progress Fund, and if it’s not broken, don’t try to fix it. I tell everybody to call The Progress Fund.
People
When Pam Kruse visited Gatlinburg, she saw the future of the Laurel Highlands. “How similar we are to that area, minus that we just don’t have all the shops and stuff,” she said of the thriving Tennessee town in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains. Gatlinburg, she said, gives visitors an array of opportunities to spend not only time, but money. “The worst thing that can happen in a tourist area is that people go back home with money in their pockets,” Pam says.
Progress
Pam and her wife, Jessica, have been buying houses and renting them to both vacationers and seasonal contractors. When a three-bedroom house and commercial building on 4.6 acres of land went up for sale, they saw a chance to add something new to the area’s offerings. The Progress Fund loaned them $136,000 toward the purchase.
Impact
At their new property, the Kruses set about adding amenities like a hot tub, pool and giant play set, while repurposing the commercial building to handle parties, weddings and other gatherings. That means business for caterers, florists, shopkeepers and more. “That’s all money that goes back into the local economy,” says Pam. Alone, it won’t turn the Laurel Highlands into Gatlinburg. But it will get it a little closer.
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