"I'm so grateful to LiftFund for what the loan has helped me do. When I went to other funders, they told me [the amount I needed] was small, but for me, it's everything," said Callie Wheat.
The first time Callie visited Dahlonega, Georgia, in the early 2000s, she felt a sense of belonging. She knew she needed to be part of the community, preserve its history, and help others see its beauty. She began looking for houses there, and eventually came upon the Schoolhouse Cottage, a 19th-century former schoolhouse. Soon after, she acquired the property and excitedly began to fix it up. However, as her first visitors began to reserve the home, the downsides of an old building became apparent: the temperature would soar during the hot Georgia summers, the slightest storms would knock the old power systems out, and her utility bills were sky-high.
Callie knew she needed to make infrastructural improvements to the property, but was adamant about preserving the building's look and feel. She painstakingly researched to find a contractor who specialized in historic improvements and found someone who understood her vision. But this niche expertise came with a hefty price tag. As she tried to secure funding to keep her business going, the denials from potential funders became discouraging. That’s when she found LiftFund and the HEET program (High Energy Efficiency Transformation).
After working closely with her loan consultant, she was able to secure a low-interest loan and make the improvements she needed, including new windows for better insulation- the building still had its original windows- and a backup power system.
"I saw the impact of the upgrades immediately. The utility bills dropped significantly. The power no longer went out every time the wind blew. It would switch to the backup battery system, but it was so seamless that my guests didn't even realize it was happening," she said.
Callie emphasizes that she isn’t a typical short-term rental property owner. "I'm not in this to line my pockets. This is the only [rental] property I own, and it’s my full-time job. I really want to tell the story of Dahlonega. I’ve gotten to know and love the people here, the other business owners.”
To this end, Callie, a long-time artist herself, will be joining the Business of Creative Enterprises Master’s program that will formalize her storytelling skills. She wants to build the Dahlonega arts and historical community in a way that is accessible and inviting to visitors.
