“Businesswoman Seeks Life of Simplicity in Her Own Tiny Home Community”
Cynthia Nevels is building her very own luxury Tiny Home community. | Image: © 2024 Miss Ari Photography
Four years ago, the pandemic changed our concept of time. Uncertainty about many dynamics of life ushered in real concerns about health, about family, about finances and our overall sense well-being.
Many among us are still trying to recover mentally from the political decisions that uprooted normalcy.
For Dallas businesswoman Cynthia Nevels – the last four years have led her on a very personal journey to seek both peace and simplicity without forgoing luxury and comfort. Just 18 months ago, she committed herself to researching and realizing an endeavor that has not been familiar to Black women – Tiny Homes.
While running and quickly growing her successful vegan food brands, Soulgood™ and Amebien™, along with being an active mother – Nevels was quietly researching and touring tiny home communities around the country in her RV. She wanted to learn more about minimalism, understand the tiny home market and understand where black women fit in the industry.
Today, Nevels is on the brink of launching her first luxury tiny home community in Fairfield, Texas - Tiny Renaissance Homes. The first of six units will be positioned on her two acres of rural land, and she will live in her luxury tiny home which will sit just a mere seven minutes from the highway but tucked away in a woodland paradise.
“You get the best of both worlds with Fairfield's proximity to three large cities with tranquil peace and quiet in the middle of the woods,” she explains.
The plans for Fairfield are the definition of “intentional” marrying health and wellness to nature and the minimalist lifestyle.
There will be a nature trail, a pond, a fire pit sitting area, a community garden to grow foods for the community to enjoy. The community is designed by women-owned engineering firms out of Fort Worth and Austin; and the interior for the custom luxury homes designed by a black-woman owned Houston-based design firm helps to ensure no detail is left unturned.
Residents will still be able to work remotely, as each of the tiny home units offer both theessential utilities and amenities, top-of-the-line appliances and luxury finishings.
“The goal is to stop feeling overwhelmed by life,” Nevels says. “I want a place where I’m happy to come home and not be burdened by the cost of a large mortgage or maintenance costs that make me have to work 18-hour days just to exist - that’s not living that’s servitude.”
Whether those interested in the tiny home community invest to live on the property or to market as short-term rentals, Nevels plans to make this rural community her full-time oasis.
Just the thought of transitioning from city life to the serenity offered in the country brings Nevels to an undeniable blush. The 53-year-old grew up in suburbia but spent her summers in the country with her grandmother and grandfather. She was comfortably grounded and accustomed to walking around without shoes.
“I am a little bit country, and I am a little bit rock and roll. I was a city girl who was always in my element in the country growing up,” she explains. “This is like a homecoming for me where the air smells like honeysuckle and the fireflies help you find your way in the dark.”
At one point, Nevels simultaneously ran her global management consulting firm, Integrality, three restaurants, her popular vegan food truck and a vegan catering business. To say she was busy would be the understatement of the decade. Like many entrepreneurs, Nevels enjoyed the downtown life that reflected her success. She raised her family in nice urban homes and communities that also came with hefty price tags.
“These homes were overpriced, and the high costs gave me anxiety as a single mom. I downsized my life during the height of the pandemic. I got rid of furniture and many excessive “material things,” Nevels shares. “There were things in my home that I would only use twice yearly. I started growing my food in an urban garden in the backyard and got so much joy in watching something as simple as a tomato grow. I just don’t like how dependent society has become on machines. I don’t want to live like that anymore.”
In seeking simplicity – Nevels found a more meaningful life.
“In 2023, I made the decision to close my food businesses and take a step back. This period coincided with the onset of perimenopause, which initially made me feel like I was losing my passion and sense of identity. However, I've come to realize that my journey as a chef is far from over. I'm an artist at heart, always seeing the beauty in everything, and I'm committed to staying true to that. I'm excited about the future and the opportunity to continue pursuing my culinary dreams in a way that aligns with my values and vision through community building in the heart of nature.”
With the tiny home community, Nevels plans to offer her expertise as a chef still. The goal is to host seasonal and meaningful farm-to-table style events to promote a positive communal atmosphere.
It is important to note that residents on the property are not purchasing their tiny home from Nevels. They will instead contract with their builder to build the tiny home of their dreams and then lease a lot from her corporation. The lease price will average $700 per month and includes several amenities and the ability to upgrade to concierge service. The additional service provides unit cleaning and property management should it serve as a short-term rental.
For those seeking an investment opportunity, Nevels and her team have made it possible for them never to need to be on site.
It is important to note that these tiny homes, while small – cut no corners where luxury is concerned. They are custom designed by a leading tiny home engineer and manufacturer that specializes in unique designs who optimize space and select high grade materials.
“These are not container homes. They are built with sustainable material and meet regulatory standards for safety,” Nevels explains. “These are upgraded custom park-mobile homes for a unique client base.”
“There are three different audiences we’re working with,” Nevels says. “There are female investors who may never live on the property. Some will live on property a portion of the year, perhaps for vacation or wellness retreats when they need to get away from their high-powered jobs, and then there are individuals like me who will pay cash for their tiny home without a mortgage and work remotely while prioritizing self-care.”
The idea of living debt-free, working as a contractor for companies like Goldman Sachs, and saving cash to afford simple luxuries has been at the forefront of her mind for more years than she cares to revisit. Today, Nevels is making her dream happen through true sacrifices and teaching her teen daughter valuable lessons about economics, real estate and finance.
“My oldest son is 30 and has a firm understanding of how to establish generational wealth,” Nevels says. “I’m teaching my 16-year-old daughter both finance and real estate. She doesn’t necessarily want to live in the country, so I’m hoping to teach her how to be mentally and physically strong, use her hands, be comfortable with dirt and identify ways to ground her in the future.”
In researching thriving tiny home communities around the country, Nevels stumbled on many dreams that came to fruition because of generational seed money and bank loans. She doesn’t come from a rich family, nor is she married with a second income in the household. She is financing her project herself through her savings and private investment.
“People can invest now, or they can invest later, but this community will be built come what may,” Nevels insists.
It’s that kind of persistence that has landed Nevels at tables that were never intended for Black women. Her determination has propelled her to the level of being financially advantageous while remaining economically sound.
Getting to this point, however, was no crystal stair.
“A lot of women my age are experiencing changes in their minds and bodies that they can’t explain and no one told them about it,” she says. “Am I losing it? Am I stressed? Am I sick? Why am I gaining weight? No, it’s the result of the rat race, the multitudes of responsibilities we carry often alone, and we just want things to slow down for a minute so we can get things together. Our grandmothers were so much better at this than we are and we have all the technology in the world and we still feel like we’re failing.”
The hustle of life in a big city can be challenging and expensive. As Nevels has proven time and time again – earning money doesn’t mean one should live a lifestyle to keep up with the Kardashians. She wants peace and a quiet place to thrive. She believes there are other women out there who want the same. She knows that the ills of high blood pressure, anxiety and depression stand less of chance if her environment cultivates a sense of balance and calmness.
“So many of us are trying to get a grip on life,” Nevels says. “You just can’t do that if you’re in the rat race. We are experiencing some sort of trauma from the pandemic, and it’s impacting women in more ways than we notice. If you were the sole parent, the breadwinner in your household during the shutdown – your whole world was upside down. Uncertainty and death really triggered us. In 2024, people are realizing that they were depressed. They want to go back to the simple life they had.
“I didn’t realize I was underpaid, overworked, over extended and under-loved until I sat still, got grounded, and started meditating and walking in a nature park every day. I cried so hard when I realized on my walk one day I’m not ok.”
Solidifying the infrastructure of the community has been the most time-consuming dynamic in this real estate project. There is the issue of water, the issue of electricity, the all-important task of clearing away tons of brush and laying cement for the roadways.
“Investment would truly help with concrete and asphalt for the roads and of course leveling the ground,” Nevels says. “Fortunately, I’ve been able to call on several independent contractors and use my resources to get things done. I even called on my cousin to serve as my project manager. He does an exceptional job of keeping track of our progress and contractors.”
The process of developing unimproved rural land would’ve resulted in a dream deferred for many, but for Nevels, the ability to use her artistic vision to see the finished product is more than enough to keep her going.
“Nothing gets my goat than a man calling me missy and telling me this is a tough project. In my head, I say hold my beer and watch me work. I’ve been through worse fella.”
Fairfield is only the beginning. In the spirit of investing in herself and encouraging health and wellness in the community – Nevels has purchased more rural land in Marshall, Texas. This space will allow her to build a second tiny home community – this one boasts 18 units, a community garden, a communal wellness center, and farm-to-table events.
“I only want what I deserve,” Nevels says. “I don’t need much. I wear the same clothes, I wear the same shoes, and I invest in assets. I’m excited to live a simple life, enjoy the fruits of my labor, and share the land and love with others who want the same.”
