Welcome to another episode of the Found podcast! I’m excited to bring you someone I met years ago in a mastermind for revitalizing small towns and have since come to consider a friend and one of the smartest people I know.

Kara Hammes loves to travel, puts family first, and is an amazing planner and organizer. Professionally, she welcomes guests from all over the country to her multiuse rental property, the Brown County Barn Burner.

Key Takeaways

• We always link contact info at the end of these notes, but seriously, go check out the Brown County Barn Burner’s website right. now. It is a must for understanding this amazing property!
• Kara and her husband designed and built the Brown County Barn Burner in the south central Indiana town of Nashville. The area is known for its beautiful parks.
• The property includes an event space, four short-term rental apartments, and a commercial space leased to a bike shop.
• Kara is a big fan of the financial independence movement and used her “FU money” to take a step back from an unenjoyable career. 
• As avid travelers with family and friends, they noticed a gap in the market for large group accommodations in Brown County. They very intentionally designed their space to be the perfect space for vacationing groups.
• Kara relates to the saying “needing a vacation after the vacation” and works hard to make their rental space the most accommodating place possible. She wants everyone in their groups, especially the organizing-minded moms, to enjoy their stay and really relax.
• Kara always walks through a space before the guests arrive and tries to anticipate any needs that may arise. She says it’s a good weekend if her guests don’t need her at all.
• The decor throughout their spaces is just amazing. Kara very carefully thrifted and sourced each item. Obviously, there is a cost savings to used pieces when furnishing four apartments at once. But she also wants to have a cozy feel of nothing being too precious for the guests to enjoy. “Everything is one of a kind but nothing is irreplaceable.”

Financial Independence Followup

After the interview Kara contacted me with her favorite personal finance resources.

• Money with Katie and her accompanying podcast
• JL Collins’s stock series, starting with this blog post, or their book
• A good overview of financial independence and getting started on Mr. Money Mustache (Kara says Pete is a little more hardcore than other resources!)

Connect with Kara

You haven’t checked their website yet? Go there now! Connect with Kara on Instagram.

Connect with Molly

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