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
As a Professional Coach, Genea Browne has invested 15 years developing high-level leaders inside non-profits and corporations. She lives with her husband, two daughters and amazing pup in The Bay Area. She enjoys reading, and traveling. And let’s not forget her love for coffee!
Shari says, “I watched a fellow marketing rep/friend rise to high levels of success in the company we represented. When I asked her the secret, she sent me to her coach, Genea. I can honestly say having Genea’s love, support, and encouragement has been a beacon of light to me during some dark days as an entrepreneur. She is an inspiration and is committed to her own personal development, reading 35-50 books each year .”
Genea is is devoted to guiding others on a journey to discover, embrace and celebrate their identity and life purpose.
It’s officially spring and the Bluebonnets are in full bloom here in the beautiful Texas Hill Country! Spring is by far my favorite Texas season; the gorgeous flowers are out, the smell of spring and new growth is in the air, and the temperature is divine. It also means it’s time for spring cleaning and de-cluttering.
Living tiny means prioritizing and only keeping items that are truly essential. Here’s a quick 4 step process you can put into place in your current life to de-clutter and free up space:
Pick whatever space will serve as your starting point (closet, junk drawer, pantry, etc.) and completely empty it. Put the items on your counter, bedroom floor, or bed.
Sort through the items and determine whether you use them daily or not – place the items you use at least once a week in a pile and the rest in a separate pile.
Go through the less used pile and determine whether each item is crucial to your daily life – place items you feel are truly necessary in a 6-month box and donate/trash the rest.
Put everything back where it belongs and appreciate the feeling of accomplishment.
The idea behind the 6-month box is this: if you don’t search for any of the items in the box or even notice they’re no longer accessible then they should also be removed. They obviously aren’t important enough in your daily life that you’ve noticed their absence and are only taking up space.
This whole process is a small snapshot of some of the things we did when preparing to go tiny. We also had to weigh factors such as where precisely we’d put each item, how could we downsize and maybe find items that were space-saving. For example, we sold our furniture and instead purchased some smaller items as well as furniture that could be easily stored. Our table is a folding table – we simply pull it out when we’re ready to eat.
A client of ours was featured on Tiny House Nation April 17. “Two Turntables and a Tiny House”. Season 5, Episode 6. Follow them @Thetinybonnielou on Instagram.
We built this tiny house shell for a beautiful family of 4 during the summer of 2018 so that they could embrace tiny living and the freedom it brings. We met them during the Tiny House Jamboree in October 2017 where they toured our Vintage Retreat tiny home. In January of 2018, their family travelled from Dallas and rented the Vintage Retreat on Airbnb to try before they buy and confirm their decision. They loved it and within 6 weeks, placed their order for a shell. (By the way, when you rent one of our tiny houses, the amount you spent is issued as a refund when you place an order with HCTH). Their main goal was to live debt free, have the ability to travel, and to free themselves from material holds. They found that they were collecting too much stuff; stuff they didn’t need and didn’t use. The solution to their problem was simple: find a house that’s small and that you can travel with.
That’s where we come in. We worked with them to build a custom trailer, frame and shell that closely matched the design of The Bohemian Bungalow. It sits on a custom 32-foot gooseneck trailer with 2 slide-outs for a total of 385 square feet.
To save money, the Rosas decided to put the finishing touches on this home themselves. This left Todd to build the frame and the shell as well as put in the rough plumbing and electrical. Once that was finished we delivered it to the Rosas where they and Zack Griffin from Tiny House Nation finished it out. Tiny House Nation sought us out, asking what we were working on and we sent them to the Rosas to check out their build and the rest is history!
During their research process, the Rosas brought their 2 young sons with them to Kerrville to rent The Vintage Retreat tiny home on AirBnb to see if they really could ‘live tiny.’ One life-changing weekend later and they were ready to build their dream tiny home with us! It took several more months to finalize design plans and for them to downsize before we began the building process. They also received a full refund from their stay with in our tiny home as a thank you from us after they placed their order.
When our clients asked us if we’d like to receive credit, we told them to do whatever was best for them. There are a lot of rules that have to be followed when filming. When we filmed for HGTV, we weren’t allowed to have logos on our clothes or equipment and when Todd mentioned our company name in the interview, it didn’t make it in the final cut. If you noticed, our company wasn’t mentioned in the credits either, which was a great disappointment to us in the end but that’s show biz and we are extremely grateful for the opportunity!
If you liked the tile in our Bohemian Bungalow you’ll really love the tile in this tiny house. Watch the Rosas as they build out their dream tiny home near Dallas, TX. Tony is a DJ so it was important to incorporate some of those elements in the design-you’ll never believe where they stored his equipment and records. One of our favorite design pieces of this home was the inclusion of an indoor swing for their 2 young boys. That’s the brilliant Zach Griffin for ya!
Zack and John are in cowboy country as they set out to help a family of four who are preparing to move out of their large house near Dallas and into a tiny house. First-time homeowners Tony and Lori have two young sons who are growing fast, so John and Zack set out to maximize every square inch of space. But when they learn that the kids are home schooled, and that Tony has a sentimental record collection he just can’t part with, they’ll have to find new ways make this tiny house fit for this fun-loving family.
New documentary about tiny house village for homeless people had its world premiere in March at @SouthbySouthwest in Austin @austinfilmsociety. It’s a beautiful community of love they have created! We got to meet the Filmmaker, Layton Blaylock, huge shout out to him for devoting two years of his life to this project! Read more here.
It was the first documentary I’ve ever seen that changed me forever!!
The documentary Community First! will be open to the public soon! Layton wants to work with us on our TV series project! We are so blessed!
Todd and I just spent the most enjoyable afternoon with Perry Bigelow of www.bigelowhomes.com. He came to tour the tiny house we live in and shared a wealth of wisdom from his 40 year career as a developer of more than 2,000 homes in Aurora, ILL, San Marcos, TX and Kyle, TX.
Perry has received all kinds of national awards for sustainability, responsibility and eco friendly communities. He designs communities to foster relationships and raise healthy kids in a safe environment where the young engage with the old and children have safe park areas to play in with other children in the front courtyard space shared by the community instead of a high fenced back yard all alone. The children here actually prefer to play outside than to be indoors with their iphones and x boxes. Can you imagine?
We were blown away with the thoughtful design and psychology behind every detail in his communities. I think you will be too. Enjoy the video!
Excerpt from their website: “Imagine for a moment that you are in your new home. You step out your front door onto a large porch and look out to see children playing catch in a spacious green park or trying to climb one of the many beautiful trees. Your neighbors across the park wave hello from their porches while the scent of roses from the park drifts over to you in the breeze. Your friend next door steps out to walk her dog and you invite her to sit with you for a cup of coffee. You enjoy the friendly conversation while the sound of children laughing, chatter from other porches and the wind in the trees melds in the background.”
Tiny Homes popularity on Airbnb growing exponentially!
Tiny houses have become some of the most popular Airbnb properties. “Today, there are more than 14,000 tiny homes on Airbnb.” Between 2017 and 2018, the number of people staying in tiny homes more than doubled. “Three of the top five most popular Airbnbs in the world are tiny homes.”
“The beauty of tiny homes goes beyond the fact that every inch must be meticulously planned and designed,” Chesky says in the article. “These homes challenge our assumptions about how much space we need and open our eyes to what it means to leave a smaller footprint.”
Tiny homes have become one of the most affordable and lucrative investment opportunities. The maintenance required is minimal and they still hold curiosity and are a novelty for most.
At Hill Country Tiny Houses, we are leading the movement by providing turn-key Airbnb tiny homes for investors, developers and landowners. Todd and I have thoroughly enjoyed hosting families from all over in our tiny houses.
Don’t miss out!
Call Shari today at 830-285-5909 to discuss how you can profit from this movement!
Dive into the crystal-clear water of the world’s largest spring-fed swimming pool. Swim, scuba dive, or just relax under the trees at this historic park in arid West Texas.
Where do you take a 13 year old for vacation when he wants to be a Marine Biologist when he grows up? In Texas, this is a great option.
“Should I post or not?” This last week has been brutal. I have been so discouraged lately.
Some people can be so hurtful. We received yet another ugly letter from the same friend we welcomed into our family last year. We loved, we trusted, and we were betrayed. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the only betrayal in 2018. I am tempted to grab my suitcase, neatly pack my BIG dreams inside, and head to the tropics with my husband and son. We could live happily ever after in a tiny house we build and just forget about trying to change the world! I know I need to forgive and learn to love even my enemies. I thought I was making progress and then another letter appears… What would you do?
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?
Thirteen 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 left me feeling regret! Those relationships were not thriving and I felt guilty.
“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!
“Selah Oasis” will have tiny houses for tourists to come in and experience our wellness retreats.
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.
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…
October is a significant month for the Snyder family. October, 1995, Todd declared his love for me. October, 2008, we had the vision for what we now know as Tiny Town Texas. October, 2011, we moved our family to Texas. October, 2015, was our miraculous marriage makeover and second honeymoon (exciting story I’ll share with you one day). October, 2016, was The Big Reveal for the birth of Hill Country Tiny Houses. (see https://sharisnyder.com/) October 8, 2017, was the maiden voyage of the Vintage Retreat to Arlington, Texas, for the National Tiny House Jamboree October 20, 2018, REVEAL of the TV series coming soon called Tiny Town Texas
What surprises will October, 2019 hold for our family?
https://youtu.be/bhXJnC5c70M
Follow our journey on FB and IG for live videos and clues to guess what it is. We will send a free t-shirt to anyone who can guess our secret before it’s revealed.
Loving Jesus and Loving people is all that really matters!! I have learned it’s not about rules and religion, but about a relationship of love and friendship that has transformed me and given me a love for others, even those who hurt me. I have found peace and joy and freedom through my trials and pain. Loving Jesus and Loving people is all that really matters!!
We got to build the shell (ie. trailer, frame, rough in plumbing/electrical/heat) for a sweet Family of four near Dallas who finished it out with Zach Griffin of Tiny House Nation. The show airs tonight on A&E @ 9pm CST! Their episode is called “Two Turntables and a Tiny House” from Season 6, Episode 6
Follow them @thetinybonnielou on Instagram for more! Coming to Netflix in August!
