Author: Shari Snyder

I am a self-proclaimed avacado-holic, cherished wife of Todd Snyder almost 23 years. Inside of Tiny Town, I’m the Chief Traffic Director and Hope Giver. “I dream it, he builds it and then I share it with the world!” We make a fantastic team! We build tiny homes and communities for families to thrive in for years to come. Our motto is, “Shrink your house, not your dreams”. We are blessed with three amazing kids: Elisabeth, 21, is studying nursing and getting married in June. Christianna, 20, is studying business and graphic design, living with family in Michigan. Andrew, 13, lives in the tiny house with us and when he’s not in school, he’s building tiny houses with his dad. Community info @ www.tinytowntexas.com. My life mission is to dare people to believe the impossible is NOTHING with God! I’ve got some Big dreams I’ve been working on for twelve years. Watch them unfold in our blog. My vision To be a part of a community of likeminded people working towards a common goal of creating and sustaining meaningful relationships that rock the world around you Life motto  He is my God; I trust Him Favorite dreams quote “Your dreams should be so vivid that when you actually achieve them, you’ll feel as if you’ve already lived them.” Favorite note “I can win with any hand I’m dealt” -God Favorite songs I know my Redeemer Lives and Legacy Life verse “To know Him and the power of His resurrection and to share in His sufferings, being made like Him” Phil. 3:14 My top values Leaving a legacy of Faith, Lots of intimacy with my husband, speaking life into my kids, spiritual and physical health, and friendships

OUR VISION: What motivates us?

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The PROBLEM gives birth to the DREAM…

Fourteen years ago, I was a burned out entrepreneur, a stressed out mommy, and struggling with my health. Although I achieved a high level of success in my company and attained a yearly income less than 5% of Americans ever earn, I felt empty and dissatisfied. I represented a wellness company and yet my body was showing the results of neglect and imbalance as I rarely took time for healthy meals, proper exercise, rest, and play. Climbing to the top and looking around at my marriage, my 3 children, and my other family relationships did not produce more JOY! Those relationships were not thriving and I felt guilty.

My Saving Grace…

My saving grace came in February, 2006, at a business conference, where the speaker was totally reading my mail. She had been in my shoes and found a better way. My whole life was turned upside down as the revelation of the life I really wanted flashed in front of me. I humbled myself, forgave all those who had hurt me in the past; I forgave myself and finally, I forgave God. It was the beginning of a whole new life of freedom, peace and joy, emotionally and spiritually, and I wanted everyone to experience it.   Shortly after that, our company flew Todd and I to San Antonio, TX, for a leadership retreat and training with the top income earners. They had hired a caricaturist to draw our dream at the end of the three days. Somehow I knew this was my chance to ask BIG!  I had achieved all the dreams on my vision board and quit dreaming. This was my chance to breathe life into my future. What did I want to do for the rest of my life if I could do anything and KNEW I could not fail?

“I want to create a healing center and wellness retreat where people can experience the kind of love You’ve shown me and I want miraculous healings and transformations to occur so people all across the globe will hear of Your power and goodness.”

Our JOURNEY…

What I now call “Selah Oasis” was birthed out of that.  Fast forward to 2016, when we sold the “big dream home” our family had spent the last 3 years tearing apart and remodeling together.  People couldn’t understand why we would make that sacrifice that to move in to a tiny home. I wanted something more than that Big Dream House; I wanted my Big Dreams to come True! Having absolutely NO MORTGAGE was our reward and the freedom we gained was worth it!

Our VISION…

Our vision is to create a flourishing, joy-filled wellness community that attracts the attention of the world to duplicate this model.  We define a wellness community as “a group of individuals working toward a common goal of nurturing our bodies and our relationships to bring joy, a sense of belonging, and purpose through meaningful contribution”. We believe an authentic community of wellness offers almost everything our heart has been asking for all along.  At the core of our being is a longing to belong and contribute our unique value to the greater good. Without “holistic wholeness” in body, soul and spirit, we cannot accomplish this.  The goal is to make wellness and a simplistic luxury lifestyle affordable. Our core values are: freedom, wellness, simplicity, and sustainability.

A Tiny House Wellness Village…

We’d like to offer agri-tourism for guests, featuring unique tiny enterprises all run from a tiny house and focused on wellness.  “Selah Oasis” will have tiny houses for tourists to come in and experience our wellness retreats. This could be duplicated all over the state and then into other states and even worldwide.

WHY US…

We’re willing to do the hard work, work long hours, live in the village, and serve every day. Our faith, passion, and “get’er done” track record make us qualified to tackle this project and see it to completion.  We are a Texas family owned business in the hill country. We have just got to pursue this, step out on a limb, give it our best shot and trust GOD to fill in where we lack.  And so the journey begins…

Cottgage tiny home community Georgia

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The Cottages On Vaughan, partnered  with Citizen Trust Bank and financed the infrastructure of their development and just pre qualified 10 potential buyers of the tiny homes. The Cottages On Vaughan is a tiny home development of 8 homes in a pocket neighborhood in Clarkston, Georgia.

The Citizens Trust Bank-MicroLife Institute partnership brings together a like-missioned focus on building wealth through home ownership. In support of the minimalist lifestyle, MicroLife Institute is the parent company of the Tiny House Atlanta Project. We are proud to partner and bring home ownership in a creative and socially conscious way.

The Cottages On Vaughan

Program Guidelines And Requirements

Minimum 680 credit score

  • 90% loan to value
  • 6-9 month construction term
  • Current perm take out rate is around 4% but can change based on borrower scenario. Locks can be good for 180 days, 270 days and up to 365 days, as needed
  • Owner occupied or second home only allowed
  • Income must be documented with 2017 & 2018 W’2’s and tax returns along with 30 days’ supply of paystubs

(Employment verification must cover the last 2 yrs.- Full time students during any of this period can be acceptable)

  • Assets-  Last 2 months bank statements to document cash needed for closing. ( checking, savings, and 401K withdrawal documentation )
  • There may be no history of any 30-day late mortgage or rental payments within the last 12 months

The below items are needed to complete the credit and income preapproval:

  • 2 year W’2’s & Tax returns
  • 2 months of bank statements( checking & savings)
  • 30 day supply of paystubs
  • authorization to pull credit ..click here  Home buyers Worksheet 

 Note:

When reviewing the cost worksheet, you will notice the 10% down payment and all fees are rolled into the total acquisition cost.  As this is a preliminary estimate, we estimated the total cost to be higher to make sure we can evaluate at worst case scenario for the borrower until we confirm all fees.

FIRST TIME HOME BUYER SPECIALS: San Antonio

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FIRST TIME HOME BUYER SPECIALS: www.lisc.org/san-antonio

TINY Homes qualify for this. You find the land; we provide the tiny home (not on a trailer, but on a foundation).

LISC is an affordable housing down payment assistance: Neighborhood Housing Services

Loans & Investments


LISC San Antonio lends and invests in efforts that raise standards of living for thousands of families, seniors and people with special needs, like homeless veterans.

Data and experience make the case: community investments create broadly shared economic opportunity. Decent, affordable homes, for instance, improve the financial outlook for residents, while also correlating closely with better health and safer streets. Flourishing businesses add jobs and vibrancy, making sure residents can access the goods and services they need in their community, while also attracting visitors and shoppers who contribute to the local economy. Community facilities support a wide range of interests and aspirations, from good schools, to recreational programs to job training sites, arts centers and healthy parks.

$23 million

invested in San Antonio

Together, our efforts contribute to strong neighborhoods filled with opportunities for residents.

Affordable Housing

LISC supports housing in San Antonio by partnering with community-based organizations, policymakers and developers to build affordable apartments, promote homeownership and expand opportunities for vulnerable populations.

Shari Snyder Resume

On By Shari SnyderIn Tiny Living, Tiny Town TexasLeave a comment

Profile

  • My Core Value is high-performance teams through collaboration, focusing on three key things:  Strengths, Unity, and Humility
  • This kind of culture gives birth to unstoppable teams that are more productive, more fulfilled, and more loyal to the company’s mission
  • I  thrive on the challenge to accomplish more with less so everyone wins
  • My ideal position is to grow with a mission-based company that is product-focused, contributing my expertise and talents, and advancing my career based on results 

Experience

Hill Country Tiny Houses

Director of Marketing And Public Relations · 2017 to present · Kerrville, Texas

  • “Besides HGTV and the DIY Network, I facilitated the company being featured in Daily Mail, The Sun, New Atlas, multiple YouTube Channels, as well as local newspapers and magazines without any advertising dollars”
  • “I recruit and develop high-performance teams by connecting and empowering people”
  • “My team grew the social following to 35,000+ loyal fans in 12 months on a very meager budget”

Selah OasisChief Hope Giver · 2013 to present · Boerne, Texas

Nonprofit Hill Country Healing Retreat and Ministry

  • “As a volunteer, I wear many hats, but my favorite is Hope Giver, sharing from my heart the miracles I’ve experienced”
  • “The mission to help broken hurting people discover healing and freedom for body, soul, and spirit, drives me to continue to give back to my community”

The Wellness CompanyTalent Acquisition Leader · January 2003 to present · Boerne, TX

  • “When I joined the company, it was half a billion in sales.  Today, it’s five times that, an unprecedented growth”
  • “By recruiting and developing leaders to grow brand awareness and duplication through word of mouth and online marketing, my team and I quickly advanced, propelling me to the top 10% in the nation”
  • “My sales team of forty leaders consistently produces an annual revenue for the parent company of more than one million dollars, with a customer base of nearly 1400 monthly shoppers, and a 97% reorder rate.
  • “My sales team has earned 1.7 million dollars in profits for their families.”

Skills

  • “I excel at developing leaders, making keynote presentations, building relationships and teams, word of mouth and appreciation marketing, media interviews and appearances, social media marketing, MailChimp, YouTube, and Blogging”
  • My team and I created a simple online marketing system using ‘Storybranding’
  • Customer acquisition and retention through relationship marketing
  • Recruit and build high-performance teams through collaboration using Strengths, Unity, and Humility
  • Top 5 Strengths:  Focus, Command, Restorative, Significance, Futuristic

Covid prevention tips

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What can you do to make your immune system stronger?

  1. Nutrition. Diet. Supplements.
  2. Colloidal silver
  3. Armor Essential Oil from Melaleuca  
  4. Solu guard botanical disinfectant from Melaleuca
  5. Wash your hands often 20 seconds with foaming soap
  6. PH balance in your body using baking soda and/or alkalized water and alkaline diet. avoid acidic foods and drinks.
Prevention One flu-prevention tip is lots of thorough hand washing and regularly disinfecting frequently touched surfaces. Another simple tip to avoid germs is to wear your gloves when shopping or running errands.   Clean Frequently Touched Areas  Sol-U-Guard Botanical Hand Wash and Sol-U-Guard Disinfectant both contain thyme oil and citric acid. Both ingredients are necessary because some germs are vulnerable to thyme oil, and others are vulnerable to citric acid. Science Daily reports that when the antimicrobial power of eight essential oils was tested, thyme oil was found to be the most effective.   Made entirely of food-grade ingredients, Sol-U-Guard Botanical is safe to use around pets and children, and can be used on surfaces where food is prepared. Sol-U-Guard Botanical not only is an EPA-registered disinfectant, but it kills common household germs using natural ingredients. The Melaleuca Wellness Guide recommends the use of Sol-U-Guard Botanical on hard, non-porous surfaces including: faucets, sinks, door knobs, countertops, high chairs, changing tables, toys and any hard surface where big or little fingers repeatedly touch.   Herbs and Antioxidants Traditionally some herbs and supplements are taken to help prevent colds and shorten their duration. Vitamin C and zinc are important for the maintenance of good health. Two double-blind, placebo-controlled trials tested a combination of 1000mg of vitamin C plus 10 mg of zinc in patients with the common cold. In both studies relief was faster with vitamin C and zinc than with the placebo.   Vitamin C, zinc with Oligo, Aronia, which is black chokeberry, and Astragalus can be found in both Activate formulas. Orange flavored Activate-C Immune Complex comes in individual powder sticks that can be mixed with hot or cold water. It does not contain Echinacea, but contains1200 mg of vitamin C.   Activate Immune Complex capsules do contain Echinacea and 550 mg of vitamin C. It is recommended to take Activate Immune Complex at the first hint of a cold, or for up to three weeks at a time.   Vitamin D – Perfect Helpmate to Vitamin C  According to Dr. Mark Sircus, founder of Natural Allopathic Medicine, vitamin D reduces the risk of dying from a viral infection. Researchers from Winthrop University Hospital in Mineola, New York found that giving supplements of vitamin D to a group of volunteers reduced episodes of infection with colds and flu by 70% over three years. The researchers said that vitamin D stimulates “innate immunity” to viruses and bacteria. Very few have any idea that Vitamin D can be taken in high dosages like Vitamin C can.”   Viruses Are pH-Sensitive Although this section isn’t particularly Melaleuca related, when I discovered the following information it gave me a lot of hope and confidence, so I wanted to share it with you.
Our body chemistry is either acidic, alkaline, or neutral. This can be measured on a scale called the pH scale. The pH scale is numbered from 1 to 14, one being highly acidic and 14 being highly alkaline. Seven is neutral. pH can be easily measured using pH strips or paper dipped in your urine or saliva. The strips or paper change color based on the pH of your body chemistry. According to Dr. Sircus, whom I’ve already quoted above, your body pH affects many, many bodily functions.   And here’s the most hopeful news that I wanted to share with you: With regard to virus infections, the coronavirus cannot attach itself to your cells if your body pH is above 6.0 on the pH scale. Normal pH of blood is 7.35 – 7.45, but most of us have systemic pH levels that are more acidic. But you can easily change your body pH with your diet and a little baking soda taken twice a day.   Here’s a quote from the first article (below) by Dr. Sircus:  “Data suggests that the coronavirus IBV employs a direct, low-pH-dependent virus-cell fusion activation reaction. Fusion of the coronavirus IBV with host cells does not occur at neutral pH and that fusion activation is a low-pH-dependent process, with a half-maximal rate of fusion at pH 5.5. Little or no fusion occurred above a pH of 6.0.” In laymen’s terms, you aren’t likely to catch the virus if your pH is above 6. The same goes for influenza. Also, if you do catch it, quickly raising your pH will help you to fight it.   This last statement is what you need to know. While taking the proper supplements and using the appropriate disinfecting measures are essential, maintaining healthy systemic pH levels should also be a part of your prevention or treatment protocol for both COVID-19 or influenza.

How baking soda water taken daily saved a family In The 1918 flu pandemic!

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100 year old Edna’s story…she lived to be 104 years old, a native of Alabama.

The following is a video of Mrs. Edna Boone, who lived through the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918. Her family was the only family in town that did not get the flu. She attributes this to the fact that her mother gave everyone in the family a half teaspoon of baking soda every day. She talks about this at around 4:30 in the video.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7k20VFZeLKY&feature=youtu.be

How we Fortify against Covid-19!

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Ten things our family’s doing to fortify our home and body against the virus. (Most are free or nearly free)

  1. Air our home out daily.
  2. Add 1 -2 tsp baking soda to water. Drinking a PH balanced alkalinized water helps too. (The virus can’t live in alkaline; only acidic!)
  3. Diffuse essential oil blend, Armor (thieves replacement-every bit as good but half the price).
  4. Soluguard Sanitizer spray that is botanical and EPA approved to kill the virus on contact.
    (Please don’t use bleach or Lysol as this lowers your immune system. These two should be outlawed for Household use!)
  5. Hand sanitizer that is 97% plant based.
  6. Vitamins:
    4,000-5,000 mg vitamin C (increase dose til you fart and your bowels tell you “enough!”)
  7. We use an immune complex too
    multi vitamin (please don’t buy centrum or most of the grocery store shelf brands; you need quality food grade science backed vitamins)
    D3
    (I’d like to add zinc but can’t find any.)
  8. Colloidal silver 3 doses daily. This is a natural antibiotic. (Carrot patch in Kerville makes their own for a reasonable price.)
  9. Exercise in the sunlight daily.
  10. Sleep more than before.
  11. Gargle with salt water daily. (The virus starts In the throat and if you kill it here by swallowing it in to your gastric juices it will die!)

Also looking at detoxing heavy metals again. Going to start the lemonade fast shortly.

Testimonials from Pocket Neighborhood Homeowners

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What homeowners say about Bigelow Neighborhoods and Homes…

“We really love our home and the neighborhood. There is a very warm feeling when you enter the subdivision. Our lot is perfect. Even our friends have commented that there is a good feeling in the neighborhood.”

– Michael & Verna B.

“We love our house. It is above and beyond our expectations. The quality of the construction is better than the homes twice the price across the street. Thank you Bigelow Homes!”

– F. Mulligan

“I believe that the HomeTown subdivision is one of the best I’ve seen. It is so inviting to everyone that visits me. They always ask, “are they still building and can I see a model?” The neighborhood is beautifully arranged with landscaping, the pond, the ducks, and the friendly atmosphere.”

– J. Club

Beautiful, built extremely well from slab up, and I feel blessed to have an energy efficient, quality home in a unique spot for a great price!

– Gwendolyn K.

We are extremely pleased with Bigelow Homes. We’ve been recommending you to friends and family and even blogged about your great work. The home is beautiful and as we expected.

– Eugene E.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

On By Shari SnyderIn Family, Lifestyle, Tiny Living, Wellness1 Comment

In February 2011, we were living in Michigan. After a brutal winter, I wanted sunshine! Todd was reluctant to leave. After 3 months, he came to me and said, “Okay, baby, I’m up for any adventure with you!”
Within one month, we were touring The great state of Texas and four months later, we moved in to our first house in Kerrville, Texas. Fast forward six years when I asked Todd if he would build me a tiny house to live in full-time. He waited six months to concede because he wanted to make sure it was what I really wanted. And so began our romantic Tiny House adventure. As they say, the rest is history… #tinyhouses #tinyhouse #tinyhome #tinyhouseonwheels #tinyhousemovement #tinyhousenation #tinyhouseliving #tinyhouselife #tinyhomes #tinyhouselove #tinyhousebuild #tinyhousedesign #tinyliving #tinyhousebigliving #tinyhousecommunity #tinyhomeonwheels #cabinlife #tinyhouseideas #travel #tinyhouseproject #tinyhouseblog #houses #tinyhouseswoon #livingtiny #tinyhousedesigns #tinyspaces #tinyhousetalk #tinyhousebuilder #hgtv #bhfyp

We’re Moving! Hill Country Tiny Houses

On By Shari SnyderIn Design, hgtv, Tiny Houses, Tiny Living, Tiny Town Texas, ToursLeave a comment

We’ve been stationed in Boerne the last 20 months. Our intention was to be there just a few months. We moved to Kerrville 8.5 years ago from Michigan. We miss being closer in proximity to the beautiful supportive community and network we built in Kerrville socially, spiritually, and professionally. So we are happy to announce after much searching, we have found a prime location where we can park our tiny house, our tiny office, and set up manufacturing with visibility on a major highway. Due to a current zoning issue, we can not put up a sign, but you will find us working at 3105 Memorial Blvd. Kerrville, TX 78028, right on the Guadalupe River! Text Shari to set an appointment for a tour. 830-285-5909.

Hiring Assistant Builders

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We are looking for assistant builders to apprentice and work alongside Todd Snyder, the owner, and his son, Andrew, as they build tiny houses in Kerrville, TX. If you have skilled trades, it would be by contract. For those looking for a job, we pay hourly and it’s a flexible schedule. We start interns at $10 and up to $20 an hour with experience. Workdays include Monday through Saturday 9-5. Choose at least three days that work best for you. These tiny houses are built on trailers that Todd engineers and transports across Texas. Job includes learning all the trades, including welding, plumbing, electrical, carpentry, roofing, siding, tiling, windows/doors/floors/cabinets install, etc. For example, a Dr from Houston has commissioned us to build a veterinary clinic/tiny home.
About us:
We build beautiful inspiring tiny homes in the Kerrville area and deliver them all across Texas. Our homes have been featured on HGTV, DIY, Netflix, global magazines like Daily Mail, New Atlas, and local magazines like Hill Country Culture.

Email shari@hillcountrytinyhouses.com

We’re Hiring!

On By Shari SnyderIn Design, Tiny Houses, Tiny Living1 Comment

Independent Sales Representative

This is a commission-based position where you will follow up on leads we collect (not cold calling- phew!). Interns accepted. A passion for people and being able to explain the benefits of ‘tiny living’ are celebrated attributes. While the part-time position affords the opportunity to work from anywhere in the US, there’s a possibility for a full-time position in the future that would require being located or re-located to the Kerrville, TX area.
About us: We build beautiful inspiring tiny homes in the Kerrville area and deliver them all across Texas. Our homes have been featured on HGTV, DIY, Netflix, global magazines like Daily Mail, New Atlas, and local magazines like Hill Country Culture.

Email resume to shari@hillcountrytinyhouses.com