T E X A R K A N A M A G A Z I N E
his girlfriend along, this meant we needed separate rooms,” Jason said. “So, we started looking at Airbnb and VRBO houses in the cities we were traveling to. We stayed in one similar to this, and I just thought ‘That’s what we ought to do with the house across the street.’” As a result, Jason and Kerry shifted gears a little and focused on not only highlighting the historical qualities of the home but also creating something guests could enjoy as a rental. “We really are surprised. We didn’t know how well it would do, but it turns out that Texarkana is a middle ground for a lot of people. We’ve had a lot of [renters] that were in town for a wedding or a family reunion. We’ve had a few families here for funerals. During the week, most of our tenants are business travelers. Some of them are even repeats. For example, we’ve had doctors that come to our area for, say the first week of every month, to work at St. Michael’s or Wadley, and they’ll just go ahead and have us put
them on the calendar as a repeat guest,” Kerry elaborated. “In the spring and summer, we get a lot of families on the weekends that are here for baseball tournaments.” Jason thinks part of the draw to this property is its age. “People always comment, ‘Wow! This is a 100-year-old home that was saved; it’s really cool.’ I think the fact that this is a 1927 bungalow in the historic area on a red brick street just has a vibe to it,” Jason said. Kerry added, “It is a little different, and it’s a really quiet neighborhood. They can come in, sit on the front porch and get a little bit of that old-time feel. Plus, we’re really close to Downtown, Ed Worrell Park, and the fairgrounds. It’s a great location.” You might be surprised to learn that it is not just travelers from the surrounding areas coming to visit. In fact, the Beech Street Bungalow has hosted people from all over the United States and even international travelers. “We’ve had several families from Florida, guests from Hawaii and even a
British family,” who Kerry explained, “had young children and jobs that allowed them to work remotely, so they decided they wanted to show their kids the U.S. and that they wanted to make their way across the country staying at Airbnbs. They found us randomly but stayed here an entire week. They loved being in the historic district and sitting outside on the porch just taking in the neighborhood.” It is really no surprise that people would be drawn to this beautiful bungalow given its friendly feel and welcoming charm. Kerry and daughter, Erin, worked together on decorating the house in a spirit reminiscent of the 1920s, deciding that Americana would suit the delightful navy exterior and open gray and white interior. With its deep, shaded front porch, fun pops of color and historical nods throughout, I am sure this home, and Texarkana, will continue to draw visitors from near and far.
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