We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Susan Hough. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Susan below.
Hi Susan, thanks for joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
Midway through Covid the world was shutting down and the real estate market was full of unknowns. As a Chicago resident I saw a once bustling metropolis become eerily quiet. But there was an upside – many who dreamed of leaving the city for more space and nature started looking elsewhere. People were on the move, and Tennessee was the destination for thousands. It was at that time I knew my vision for a unique subdivision in the Smoky Mountains was essential. I would pursue my dream to provide a private neighborhood which offered serenity and a sense of connection for this new market .
While many hesitated, I saw an opportunity to create something meaningful – a unique neighborhood that blends intimacy, nature and community. My idea came from a business plan I developed several years earlier which carefully merged these elements. With East Tennessee as my beacon, I set out to acquire the land which is now Moody Moon Ridge. Finding the right parcel was not easy. I scoured multiple locations, analyzing topography, considering infrastructure challenges all the while keeping accessibility and top of mind. It wasn’t just about buying land – it was about finding the foundation for a dream.
Then, I found it – 118 acres of pristine land with breathtaking mountain views, natural clearings perfect for homesites, and a peaceful energy which made it clear – I found exactly what I had envisioned. Moody Moon Ridge had its home. It was then I would begin analyzing numbers, potential challenges and overcoming known obstacles.
Taking into account every risk and challenge is impossible to say the least, but, and that is a big BUT, I knew more than ever that I had to carefully evaluate every obstacle to avoid the many potential pitfalls. This development was a culmination of my life’s work as a builder and developer and I needed to make sure, with as much certainty as possible. Moody Moon Ridge would be a huge success.
Over the next several months I analyzed market trends, watching city dwellers from across the country move to Tennessee in droves for more space and retreat-style living. I was able to successfully determine the financial rewards Tennessee brought to its residents, and I recognized early on people were seeking refuge in nature and I made the necessary adjustments to my business model to meet the demand.
The supply-chain and labor shortages throughout the country were not as easy to predict. There were gaping holes in labor, and material availability stretched from weeks to months making scheduling problematic, to say the least. I had to build strong relationships with local suppliers to quell some of the material issues. The labor shortage just about had me ready to give up, when it occurred to me some of my trade-crews from Chicago may find this project appealing. After a few phone calls, the labor shortage was resolved. Although it would take adjusting timelines, sourcing new materials, being flexible and, at times, personally overseeing every detail to keep the development on track, I knew I could navigate these risks confidently.
The final, and most important, challenge was financing. Developing land meant heavy initial expenses; land acquisition, infrastructure, engineering and business start up expenses before a single home could be built. Banks and lenders tightened their requirements making financing a ground up rural development impossible. I had to structure my investment carefully. Working with a legal team I prepared for an equity raise. Reaching out to everyone I knew, relationships were forged in the private equity market. This part was the most challenging for me, but the capital was raised and I could begin one of the greatest adventures of my life.
Although the past three years have provided many obstacles, some driving me to my knees, I remain committed to my vision – and today, this wonderful emerging neighborhood stands as proof that taking smart risks can lead to the extraordinary.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a builder-developer and have been in the construction industry for 20+ years. I stopped counting at 20 mainly due to vanity – I like keeping my age quiet. I can’t say exactly the moment I fell in love with building homes and such, but I remember building towns complete with homes, hospitals, roads and every other carefully designed building by the age of six or seven. My younger brother and I would gather in our family room and collect every imaginable material from scrap pieces of lumber, Lincoln Logs, Tupperware bowls and Lego’s to create our masterpieces only to recreate them when our dog Molly came running through like a rogue tornado. Those will always be some of the greatest memories in my life.
Today – quite a few years later, I build beautiful custom homes. And for fun develop raw land. Which brings me to Moody Moon Ridge – it is my passion project. I created this wonderful ground-up development to offer its residents and guests a sanctuary in the Smoky Mountains. For them to be part of the majestic mountains while forming deep connections with those they love. I offer luxury Mountain Estates on 5+ acres homesites surrounded by amenities designed to bring out the best in each of us.
Moody Moon Ridge offers over 150 years, collectively, of construction/development experience. And that’s only our management team. I have done my very best to capture that deep well of experience to provide each client a very special building experience. It’s not just supplying the best materials and skilled crew members (although I do) I believe in holding hands with my clients. By providing resources designed to elevate the unknowns I strive everyday to to make the building process enjoyable – eliminating the fear and anxiety surrounding the building a home from the ground up. I start out by using the best client interactive project management software (Co-Construct) – it is a document depository, live schedule, secure selection and change order approval portal and a deep dive into the financial details. I provide a full design service, aiding my clients in bringing their dreams to reality. I also work closely with architects to assure every detail is delivered just as expected. In the end, Moody Moon Ridge delivers our clients a complete one of a kind custom turn-key product in the Smoky Mountains.
The future is bright to say the least. Everyday I am eternally grateful to continue on my life’s journey and do what I love! Developing new and better solutions, creating new spaces or going the extra mile to help clients brings joy to my life. I am delighted to be working on my upcoming model home; it is outrageously exciting! I am finalizing the plans for my next 2600 sf’ Mountain Estate on 5.1 acres with a full single lane gun range in the basement. One word…WOW!
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
The Wealthy Gardener, by John Soforic is the single greatest book on the market for personal and business growth, of course in my opinion. Our business and personal life are so intertwined, they cannot be separated. One should flow seamlessly into the other and this book provides the insight and wisdom to achieve this, all too often, elusive skill. Here is one of my favorite quotes; “It’s the one who lives with purpose and intention; who shows up each day and does the hard task; who seeks satisfaction over pleasure; who strives to make a difference, to make the world a better place; but who, when actions fail to product impact, will know that failure was never due to partial efforts.”
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
I grew up in Chicago to a blue collar Catholic middle-class family. My parents were Depression Era children and whose parents were immigrants. Although most of what they taught me in life was cherished and invaluable, their ideas surrounding money were limiting, to say the least. I grew up believing; it was greedy to have a lot of money, that money was the root of all evil, and it was noble to struggle and so on. Needless to say their money management skills ended at paying the bills and scrounging a bit to save every week.
These beliefs kept me living hand to mouth for much of my adult life. I was in my 40’s before I carefully and painfully unlearned most of these limiting ideals. I now understand the enormous value of money and it needs to be cared for and nurtured.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.moodymoonridge.com/
- Instagram: https://l.instagram.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.moodymoonridge.com%2Fso%2Fc2PEIYhOu%3FlanguageTag%3Den%26fbclid%3DPAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaZt73cXg7Qg3bcmR3oggRijpYvMHBQYDcNjVWbchClTmlshjDNqwWmvsrw_aem_99xYosbfuv9W0UhDBGUXNg&e=AT0C48LLNlA-q0JWjdlHj3ogC-KoGOzjwyZNTCIsV8RpusDSx5VMEF1jHqa15Mn13cpAlMjKm8Nj16LRu0cDPnkxk-cyrM9K2A1d9Aw
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561147567941
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moodymoonridge
Image Credits
I own the photography