A US real estate investor has built a successful outdoor hospitality business on the outskirts of Houston, Texas, after buying a 10-acre residential property with an upfront payment of just $12,000 (£9,200).
Garrett Brown has a full-time job and also teaches through the property education platform BiggerPockets. He used a strategy he calls "land hacking" to build Cameron Ranch Glamping. According to an industry report published by Modern Campground, the business now earns more than $100,000 a year in gross revenue, without Brown having to leave his main job. By choosing residential property instead of undeveloped rural land, Brown avoided the long process of installing utilities and dealing with complex local planning rules.
These challenges often delay new outdoor accommodation projects.
To start the business, Brown bought a house on 10 acres of unrestricted land for $550,000. Instead of making a standard down payment, he negotiated concessions with the seller and secured the property with a down payment of just 2 per cent. The land already had utility connections, enough septic system capacity, and road access through the main house.
This meant he avoided spending years trying to get infrastructure and approvals in place for undeveloped land.
He added his first accommodation unit to the property, a geodome made by Pacific Domes, which cost about $13,000. After adding the costs of clearing the ground, connecting utilities, and building an access path, his total start-up costs came to around $32,000. In its second full year of operation, the single dome charged an average of $422 per night and had an 88 per cent occupancy rate.
According to figures shared by Modern Campground, the unit earned $95,000 in gross revenue and made $60,000 in net profit after the mortgage payments for the entire property were covered.
Expanding without upfront capital
After the first dome proved successful, Brown expanded the business through revenue-sharing deals. This allowed him to grow the site while reducing his financial risk. He reached an agreement with OOD, an Estonian modular construction company, to install a mirrored glass cabin worth $129,000 on the property.
OOD provided the cabin without requiring Brown to pay anything upfront. In return, the company receives 30 per cent of the gross revenue from bookings.
During its first year on the property, the mirrored cabin reached a 90 per cent occupancy rate and earned $115,000 in gross revenue. To attract guests, Brown avoided relying too much on third-party booking platforms such as Airbnb. Research by business platform Side Hustle Nation shows that around 80 per cent of Cameron Ranch Glamping's bookings now come directly through its own website.
This direct traffic mainly comes from targeted social media marketing. One short video featuring a galvanized "cowboy pool" on the property went viral and attracted more than 20 million views online.
Automated operations and staffing
Although Brown runs a busy glamping business while keeping his full-time job, he manages daily operations using automated property management software. The business uses Lodgify to manage reservations in one place, PriceLabs to change nightly rates automatically based on local demand, and Turno to organize cleaning schedules and staff changeovers.
According to Side Hustle Nation, Brown pays local cleaners more than the usual market rate.
They also handle maintenance tasks, such as replacing propane tanks for guest fire pits and outdoor heaters. Speaking on an episode of the industry podcast MC Fireside Chats, Brown explained that expert help was important when dealing with local regulations. He worked with a local architect and chose building designs that came with engineering documents already approved for use.
This helped him secure commercial permits in an area where officials were not familiar with glamping projects.
Named in memory
The property also has personal meaning for its founder. Brown named the business Cameron Ranch Glamping in memory of his late brother. The name reflects the brand's tagline, "disconnect to reconnect." Most guests are couples who book short weekend stays or visit to celebrate special occasions. They choose the site for its mix of private rural surroundings and high-end facilities. Brown has since shared his experience in a book called The Glamping Investor, published through BiggerPockets.
The book covers five years of business data and offers advice on financing for people who want to start their own outdoor hospitality businesses.