Today we’d like to introduce you to Marlena Neal-Barnett.
Hi Marlena, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’m currently an Atlanta resident but I am developing communities throughout Georgia. In January of 2020, I found out about some land that was for sale in North GA. I had just come back from traveling with my family. I thought the land would be a great place for a resort or mountain getaway. So, I decided to pass the information about the land on to some investors. Unfortunately, no one wanted to be out in a rural area. I could not convince anyone to develop the land & then the pandemic struck so I gave up. Ironically, I had a vision to develop the land myself & use group economics to find ordinary people that would invest with me. I noticed a trend with celebrities like Kanye West buying land off-grid so I used that as a selling point.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It’s been very challenging to get the right people involved. Many people think it’s too good to be true or they get discouraged in the development process. I even had a seller pull out on another piece of land that I wanted to purchase. Most of the surrounding community is supportive. However, the community that I am developing is in a very small town. Its sort of like a hidden gem & many of the residents prefer to keep it that way.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a homemaker, wife, mother of 5 & serial entrepreneur. I’m a licensed auto dealer, insurance agent & I recently completed real estate school. I still have to take the real estate exam. I’m also a student working on my doctoral degree in business.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
The advice that I would give for finding a mentor or networking in general is to do your research before you get involved with anyone. Once you’ve done your research, take your time in getting to know someone especially before you pay for their service. I don’t charge people for mentorship or business advice however, I do expect a person to contribute to my cause and support the initiatives that I’m working on once the advice I give pans out.
Pricing:
- $500 for a membership
- $9500 to become an owner in our community
Contact Info:
- Email: info@
lakesofsummervillega.com - Website: www.
lakesofsummervillega.com - Instagram: https://instagram.
com/lakesofsummervillega?utm_ medium=copy_link - Facebook: https://www.
facebook.com/ lakesofsummervillega/ - Twitter: https://twitter.com/
lakesofsummer - Youtube: https://youtube.com/
channel/UCM6fsGKmKZs7HVRpFt1- fug
Image Credits
Rahiem Shabazz & Jacobi X
