Making Time for Travel
Fund IV investors, Mark and Rhonda Greenway have always made time for travel, enjoying active vacations together (cycling, fishing, hiking, and spending time outdoors), as well as dozens of family getaways over the years with their two, now-adult children.
Residents of Fayetteville, Arkansas, they’ve recently built a second home in Eagle, Colorado and plan to split their time between the two. With a new vacation home, Mark’s recent retirement (after 36 years with J.B. Hunt), and the Equity Estates investment, the Greenways say they’re looking forward to exploring new places and revisiting a few favorites.
“I wouldn’t say we’ll travel more,” says Mark. “But our travel will be different. It will be more intentional instead of tacking days on to business trips. I think our trips will be longer now since I’ve retired — 15 days instead of five in some places — and more intentional. We’ll also do more tropical destinations and European cities.”
The Investment
Mark shared that he found Equity Estates through the SherpaReport. He had stumbled onto the concept of investment travel though another company — fractionals, shared ownership, etc. before looking more closely at Equity Estates. But they “didn’t want to be based in one place and other models seemed uncertain.” Eventually, they narrowed their options down to Equity Estates and one other similar company.
To make the decision, Mark and Rhonda spoke with three long-time Equity Estates investors to get first-hand feedback on their experiences with the company. That, along with everything they’d discovered through research and talking with Equity Estates team members, helped seal the deal.
“The Equity Estates homes were a step up from what we were seeing elsewhere, and the destinations were great,” they say. “We also appreciated that only investors would be using the homes; they wouldn’t be rented out. And that there’s a relatively date-certain exit plan since homes are sold around the 10-year mark, with the possibility of investment appreciation.”
Service, Destinations, and Homes
One thing Mark and Rhonda say they love about being part of Equity Estates is the service. They love the ease provided by the Destination Managers and Local Hosts. They like how easy it is to set up trips. And they love the special experiences and amenities that come with being investors.
They also appreciate the incredible homes and variety of destinations.
“We’ve had great experiences with the hosts,” says Mark. “They’ve been very helpful with making and changing reservations. We have access to amazing homes that we probably wouldn’t have found or stayed in without joining Equity Estates. And there’s no upkeep or responsibility beyond paying our fees.”
Favorite Trips and Experiences
Since joining in 2020, the Greenways have taken 14 trips with Equity Estates. Their first trip was to Snowmass, which they enjoyed thanks to the home’s location in the heart of Snowmass Base Village. But it was their second trip, to Cabo, that blew them away.
“The Cabo trip was spectacular,” says Rhonda.
Mark agrees. “The home was beautiful. And as soon as we saw the ocean views, we thought ‘this is crazy!’ It was breathtaking.”
They both share that one of the most amazing things about vacationing at the Equity Estates home in Cabo is being able to “sit outside on the patio and watch the whales.” January–March is peak whale season there, which is Mark and Rhonda’s favorite time to visit. They’ve now been to Cabo three times (and can’t wait to go back), and have seen pods of whales, including a mother whale and baby.
“Sometimes they’re closer to shore; sometimes they’re farther out,” they say. “But we’ve seen whales every single time we’ve been there.”
Following their first amazing trip to Cabo, they stayed in one of the Equity Estates properties in Big Sky, which both of them enjoyed.
“Brand new home, modern, great location,” Mark says. “And the amenities were incredible: clubhouse with pool and fitness center, SUP in the resort’s pond, and a country club that was one of the most gorgeous venues we’ve ever seen.”
For memorable experiences, Mark and Rhonda say the private chef’s dinner at the Cabo home, cooking classes at Flora Farms (also in Cabo), and all of the meals and outings during their stays in Napa and Russian River Valley are top of their list.
In Napa, “the house and pool are amazing. And the location is perfect for exploring wine country.” They also enjoyed dinner with friends at Bistro Don Giovanni and boutique wine tastings arranged by their Destination Manager.
“The Napa home overlooks a vineyard in the back, but it’s just a three-minute walk to downtown St. Helena, which is nice if you want to walk over to pick up coffee or have lunch,” Mark explains. “The RRV home is in the middle of a vineyard, nothing to see for miles but vineyards. But it’s still convenient to fantastic local wineries and restaurants. In fact, there’s a winery right next door.”
During their wine country vacations, they were able to revisit favorite wineries, such as Sequoia Grove; experience a small production tasting at Arcudi; and try two small boutique wineries, Square Peg and Wren Hop, that they now consider “must-do for anyone visiting Napa” — all arranged by the Equity Estates team.
“The Local Host in Napa was extremely helpful because she was so knowledgeable about the wineries,” the Greenways say. “When we told her what we liked, she was able to zero in on suggestions that were perfect for us.”
Future Destinations
Mark and Rhonda recently returned from a short trip to Steamboat Springs — their first time staying in the Equity Estates home there, but not their first time visiting the Colorado town. They’d last skied in Steamboat about eight years ago, but it had been 17 years since they’d been during summer. As they planned for the vacation, they were most looking forward to hiking, biking (always a “go-to activity” for the couple), kayaking, paddleboarding, and enjoying good food.
With over a dozen trips behind them and many more days of travel ahead, the Greenways say they are looking forward to visiting more Equity Estates homes in years to come.
Their next vacation will be another trip to Cabo in January for a little R & R (and more whale watching). Beyond that, they have a dream list of destinations they hope to travel to, with Tuscany, Florence, St. Croix, and Turks & Caicos—as well as a return visit to the Equity Estates home on Virgin Gorda—taking the top spots.
