Bringing Family and Friends Together
With two daughters grown and out of the house, Equity Estates investors Jerome (a real estate developer) and Amy (a retired pharmacist) have found that regular vacations are an ideal way to not only enjoy their down time, but to also bring their family and closest friends together.
They are frequent travelers, taking 7–8 trips a year in support of their daughter, Avery, who plays on her university’s women’s golf team and another 4–5 relaxing getaways with Jerome’s business partner (and fellow Equity Estates investor), Farrukh Azim, and his family.
“It’s a lot of travel,” admits Jerome, “but we are blessed to be able to vacation and get that time off from work.”
The Hills say their favorite things to do on vacation are to explore the city they’re in, lie on a great beach, or just enjoy being with each other and their friends—all things they’ve been able to do with Equity Estates.
Since investing, they’ve taken over a dozen unforgettable trips, some with their daughters joining them and some without, but often traveling with the Azims. Their most recent vacations in South Florida with their friends (where they all loved the house!), a summer stay in Big Sky’s beautiful Lone Mountain residence, and time in gorgeous Lake Tahoe have only made them more excited for new getaways in 2024.
“The wonderful thing about the Equity Estates homes is that they’re usually big enough for both families,” says Amy, “so it’s easy to vacation together.”
The Investment
When asked, Jerome says their main reason for investing with Equity Estates was that they wanted “a higher-level experience with the possibility of recouping most of their investment at the end.”
He first discovered the company while researching other vacation clubs, but after comparing all the options, felt certain that Equity Estates would be the right fit.
“We liked the idea that we’d have the potential to get our money back, while traveling to some great destinations in the meantime. It’s more of an investment than an expense.”
The Equity Estates Experience
Two things the Hills say they like best about Equity Estates are the spacious homes and the personalized service. Their first Equity Estates trip was to the Spanish-style Playa Palmilla villa in Cabo, an experience that set the stage for other incredible vacations to follow.
“We were blown away by the Playa Palmilla home and loved the fact that in February, we could see the whales from the porch while having coffee,” Amy says. “It was pretty cool.”
“We love the privacy of the Equity Estates homes,” adds Jerome. “We’re at the point where we no longer want to hang out at a hotel pool.”
“All of the trips have been special,” he continues, “spending time with family and friends. And we love the fact that we know the level of house and experience we will get before booking, regardless of where we’re going.”
Part of that quality experience, the Hills say, comes from the VIP attention provided by the Equity Estates team. From the Account Managers to Travel Concierges to the Local Hosts, they both agree “everyone we’ve worked with has been really helpful.”
Looking Forward
With fourteen amazing trips behind them, Amy and Jerome are looking forward to more traveling in 2024 and beyond. They recently purchased 15 additional nights and already have plans to go back to Big Sky (this time to one of the Moonlight Basin homes) and to the Playa Palmilla home in Cabo again this year.
“Playa Palmilla is our favorite house so far,” says Jerome. “We’re excited to stay there again, for the third time. Our last summer trip to Big Sky was also amazing, so we’re looking forward to vacationing there again too.”
While they haven’t yet used any of their Equity Estates trips for milestone celebrations, it is something they say they’d consider planning for in the future. They’re also working on bringing their bucket list trip to Italy to life.
“We need to explore that more,” says Amy. “We haven’t looked into Equity Estates reciprocal properties there yet, but we will. Italy would be a dream vacation.”
