We Left San Francisco Jobs And Turned An Abandoned Inn Into A Desert Oasis | Unlocked

Sara Combs, 36, and Rich Combs, 37, quit full-time jobs as web designers to start The Joshua Tree House, a hospitality company, in 2015. Three years later, they purchased an abandoned inn in Tucson, AZ for $615,000. The couple took out a hard money loan and renovated the entire property into a luxurious desert getaway. Today, the six-suite inn is available to rent year-round and offers views of Saguaro National Park. The couple also owns three other commercial properties located in Joshua Tree, CA.
Unlocked is a home tour series focused on how much people across the globe spend on their housing, what they get for the money and what they had to sacrifice to make it happen.
Produced by: Ernestine Siu
Managing Producer: Beatriz Bajuelos
Supervising Producer: Jessica Leibowitz
Camera: Lucas Mullikin
Editor: Nic Golden Henry
Animator: Elham Ataeiazar
Reporter: Celia Fernandez
Additional Footage: Rich and Sara Combs, Getty Images
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We Left San Francisco Jobs And Turned An Abandoned Inn Into A Desert Oasis | Unlocked

[@dm96177]

I’m an AZ native and have loved following their renovations and properties for years! Love their work and appreciation of the desert landscapes! 😊

[@genevank]

Oh my gosh this is so neat! I have known the owners Sara and Rich for many years now- I remember how scary the transition from freelance to being self employed was for them and it’s been amazing seeing all their hard work pay off. (Despite what other commenters have guessed, it is not family money funding their endeavors). I have gotten to see firsthand the work & love they poured (and continues to pour) into the Tucson place. It’s been amazing watching it transform from an abandoned building to a thriving oasis in the desert. Their story is incredibly inspiring, thank you for sharing it!

[@KJSvitko]

Every home and business should install a rain water collection and storage system along with solar panels. Even in areas where rain is infrequent it is crazy to waste the little rain that does fall and waste it. We need to stop planting green lawns and switch to local native plantings around homes. It is crazy to plant lawns and build golf courses in dry desert areas. We waste too much water and electricity.

[@kingbush9328]

Jobs will pay your bills business will make you rich but investment makes and you keep you wealthy the future is inevitable, I pray everyone here becomes successful

[@thomasdooley3702]

Having a job doesn't mean security rather having different investments is the real deal

[@lindapoplin7150]

Last year I was working full time budgeting groceries, unable to afford date nights, and missing time with my kids. Now I learn how to make money online. Now I'm a SAHM, homeschooling and making profits every week.

[@madiezancanellatl9205]

Be a goal achiever Always aim high so your dreams can come to reality Use your job to finance your goals✅ You can't be an employee forever! Consistent efforts in trading/investment will put you in a position where success will find you

[@samanthadonaldson2246]

I advice everyone to start investing and never rely on just salary. No billionaire made it through salary

[@michaelandrenio993]

I'm looking for something to venture into on a short term basis, I have about $6k sitting in my savings

[@cherylmoller6248]

I’ve stayed here and 2 of their properties in Joshua tree. The spaces are beautifully curated. I can’t wait to go back!

[@ngocdiepduongtruong4669]

They should also advertise the place as a wedding venue for small weddings or elopements.

[@JoseHernandez-tc1to]

I miss Tucson some of the best sunsets you will ever see. Congratulations on this place.

[@User-pu3lc]

They bought the place in 2018. Had to max out all lines of personal credit and borrow from friends and family to renovate the place in the course of 1 year. So in the course of a year they repaid all lines of credit and family before the pandemic hit and no one was renting inns? How did they navigate the pandemic that followed immediately after this? And then accumulate 3 additional properties?

[@r.3559]

Lol they prob come from money.

[@joshspiker]

They probably made up most of the backstory. You're right...none of what they said adds up. This is basically free advertising for their inn. That being said, they did a nice job renovating the place.

[@David.D3]

Prob took out PPP loans during the pandemic and got it forgiven.

[@grainofsalt2113]

@@joshspiker why do you people always default to negativity? jeez maybe learn something instead of being skeptical about everything

[@candyjamaican]

@@grainofsalt2113open your eyes. Which friends and family have half a million dollars to lend in or out of a pandemic? Don’t be stupid

[@carolinam4301]

It’s not passive! Finally someone honest!

[@Danybella]

Why did it cost so much if it was abandoned? Or, does that include the renovation cost? How were they approved for a loan AFTER they quite their jobs?

[@jasonlee-os1qi]

Incredible - love this story!!

[@grantbos5967]

A little bare bones for me. These folks are gamblers in essence and they won, the opposite just as easily could have happened. Well done.

[@markhirstwood4190]

Wow, love it. I like the idea of using the grid as a backup too, hope you get self-sufficient.

[@Eileen49654]

I"m glad they mentioned that despite what people believe what their doing is not passive income. They said it was a lot of tremendous work. I can agree and attest to that as well. My husband and I put the house we lived in for 16 years on Airbnb/Vrbo. We purchased an abandoned, dilapidated house from the city for 2,,500 and lived in it to be able to put our house on Airbnb. We had no running water, electricity, heat. Everything was stripped out of the house so we had to rough it til we got it fixed. The Airbnb is hard work. We do not make enough nightly in the area were in to hire a cleaner or a maintenance crew. We have to do all the work ourselves. We made really good money from 2017-2021 but then things took a turn due to over saturation in the Airbnb market and many other things like inflation,. Now in 2023 we are barely able to make a profit so were selling our house. I will be forever grateful to airbnb for the money it made us and set us on a better path that we were on before.

[@highdeserthoney]

I've followed this entire renovation and I am so impressed with the vision and hard work it has taken to bring this into fruition. It is truly a desert oasis.

[@glorymanheretosleep]

The best way to support it is to go visit it. Have you been?

[@highdeserthoney]

Honey, if I could afford to I would. It’s on my list. 😊

[@OHANA-Beach-Suites]

Very inspiring! We feel the same! Only do what you love and are passionate about! We are building our Beach Hotel in the Philippines called Ohana Beach Suites, no loans all hard work. Dreams come true! We open next year! 🎉🎉🎉

[@kgal1298]

i think the only passive a that exists is for people with enough money they either have a huge dividend portfolio or they happen to be investing in businesses that have to give them a return at some point, but don't manage the day to day. Other than that I haven't seen anything truly passive.

[@ayobamiajayidaniels3789]

How long does it take till they really, become profitable

[@luvtoyscollector3373]

I love the spa & the pool 🫶

[@RebeccaDLouis]

Amazing ❤

[@Vincitrice]

This place looks incredible!

[@yvonnebirch6026]

Beautiful place !! 💕🌷

[@meshap.8713]

The design and interiors are stunning!!!

[@1bwash]

Doesn't feel that transparent to say that they maxed out credit cards and had help from friends/family to cover the renovations. Most credit cards don't allow you to go over a couple tens of thousands at max and come with astronomical interest rates. If they were already borrowing from friends/family, it doesn't make sense that they would max out their cards. That just sounds like a lie they made to be more down to earth.

[@yenveliz4279]

Beautiful your Oasis!!!! 😍 I like it! Saludos desde Cuba.

[@petertwining5729]

Such a beautiful place to stay, has a wonderful feel and serenity about it. Two people that have vision and went for it wishing them all the success and happiness. Thanks for the share CNBC make it. :)

[@ForAncientKingAndElvishLord]

What people forget is that most of these videos are advertisements and don't add up and sometimes they're not even valuable. Like that one with the illegal immigrant who got rich in the US

[@Swimfit998]

Looks great but your variables need to stay consistent like high room occupancy , keeping a low repayment interest rate and not sure what your tax costs are there. At least you have a great view whilst pondering.

[@noelleguinn7744]

Stunning hotel. Wow.

[@kristinalowe9819]

Gorgeous!

[@tacobelle69]

Wow so beautiful, I would def want to stay there. The decor and renovations are picture perfect. I wouldn’t even have known where to start. And yea very risky move but that’s what bankruptcy is there for 😅

[@JRspeaking]

No, that's not what bankruptcy is there for.

[@JonesJr876]

Lovely

[@d.cynthia6307]

I'd love to go, I think it's too expensive though.... It looks nice.... I truly hope they do a very well there 😘🌟👍🙏❤️❤️💫💫🌷😚

[@sarahhudleston832]

I would definitely want to stay there.

[@beachgal2023]

They failed to mention the rattlesnake visitors.

[@jones2277]

And the javelinas, scorpios and bobcats

[@JCizzleSoCal]

And the 110+ degree blistering heat!

[@grainofsalt2113]

yikes

[@Wheelztotheworld]

🔥🔥🔥

[@lailiattai814]

absolutely gorgeous

[@jenniferdonnell4356]

I love CNBC make it! Such an inspiring channel with original stories for aspiring entrepreneurs. Always look forward to your new videos. Keep up the good work! ❤

[@Outcome_Agent]

I love the nature of the content. No politics, no controversy, right VS wrong. Just original and interesting human interest stories

[@zorymory]

I follow them on Instagram. I love seeing the beautiful interiors, nature around the property and their day to day! So inspiring

[@williamv680]

This is amazing! Great job you two.

[@thinkplanetearth2946]

The place and the surrounds are stunning. They have excellent taste. I always admire people that are such risk takers like that. The idea of taking out loans and maxing out credit cards to cover some expenses would not let me sleep at night. Good for them.

[@jkozelj714]

This makes me think of @offtheranch and what Matt's doing with the abandoned Guadalupe River resort

[@sugargold4126]

Beautiful property! Agree, excellent bones!

[@charlesberkeley6429]

Give us some financial information about this investment, please. All I heard was the girl blathering about something like 'It impacted my ability to sense serenity more acutely while allowing me to connect more deeply with Gaia on an elemental basis' when discussing the property. I learned almost nothing.

[@averybaker1185]

I know these guys. Was there when it got off the ground, and my friends helped managing it. I miss Tucson and my nights out here. They really did a beautiful job with the old place; shame it's not more of a local spot and it's pretty far out there.

[@inglishhomeandgarden8386]

So tastefully done. I love the colour scheme. The rock pool is amazing.

[@nancyw6348]

I think the Inn is beautifully designed and laid out. I'm glad they were transparent with the costs to purchase and renovate the property. I would like to know what are the cost of operations and how much "passive income" are they getting from this venture.

[@bbintheclouds]

Hello neighbors! Hey you are down the road from us!!🌵🌵🌵🌵

[@fiftyseventh]

Great video! The climate issues were surprising to hear.

[@rainbowpandasays8851]

Wonder how it went with the rains.

[@DAVID-uc5lr]

every professional hippy wears that type of hat

[@Cardude369]

Where does the water come from

[@tthamby]

I'm not a fan of Desert. But must say, this one looks beautiful!! 😍

[@rebellion6331]

cool but gives me white lotus vibes lol

[@jones2277]

😂

[@TT-jg8ju]

Why did it cost so much abandonded in the desert? 650k. U did a great job with it. Maybe better if it was a hostel also?

[@TT-jg8ju]

Since only 6 rooms

[@grainofsalt2113]

i think the price seems fair for the land and size of property

[@TT-jg8ju]

@@grainofsalt2113 its in the middle of a desert and small/run down.

[@DJSrotterdam]

Where do they get food? Their in the dessert😮

[@emilybenziger8758]

such a beautiful inn! they did such an amazing job 👏

[@cxkelley]

They only asked for a copy of your book because you overpaid, they were blown away you opened negotiations the way you did

[@daveariz]

Very risky move, but wishing they get a good ROI

[@batmanbtch958]

Very risky only when its not studied with no financial education. Numbers doesn't lie

[@nattydelights6381]

So true! Numbers doesn’t lie!

[@nwinburn]

@@batmanbtch958 even professional investors lose from time to time. Numbers don't lie, true, but there is ALWAYS a risk, otherwise the return would be minimal and not even worth their time.

[@4n74r4y]

@@batmanbtch958you can calculate as much as you like and that won’t mitigate unforeseen risks

[@mahaalbalushi6751]

With that price tag and investment amount would probably require 50 years to break even. They took a hard loan and the house was empty for decade and ended up being swooped by them

[@styledosage784]

What’re the songs used in this vid? 💯

[@jennazhang4927]

Step 1, born rich. 😅

[@cxkelley]

EXACTLY, it’s literally true

[@buenavidaestates-livingthe6333]

I was here in Tucson while I think they had just finished work on the property. Wow. That canyon pool is incredible! I moved on to Mexico and never did get to see it but fun to see the final result! Well done guys! ;)

[@andreamiller6200]

So glad KZbin fed this to me, the inn is absolutely beautiful. I am a Tucsonan and have friends and family who come to town, it could be such a treat for them to be staying at the inn. Do you host tours?

[@JRspeaking]

What do you mean you "saw the place online"? Where does one go to look for a property like this online??

[@jj-if6it]

probably the same as for houses?

[@sammyp9514]

The inn is beautiful, but is tourism in Tucson that big of an industry? They sound like they got into quite a bit of debt taking this on

[@rosaphx]

Yes in winter

[@Starfish2145]

Tourism in Tucson is HUGE

[@stargazer5073]

Great job but you could have gotten donations from businesses and set up a web page where guests could buy the furnishings, plates, cookware, bedding, towels, art, etc, for themselves.

[@devengudinas1649]

Nice place. To bad it’s in Tucson.

[@naya4607]

beautiful place, but they weren’t poor or middle class, let’s make that very clear here lmaooo

[@naya4607]

And this is obviously a commercial for the property which is smart marketing

[@MtuckerGoBlue]

When I see videos like this, I realize I'm living the wrong life.

[@mramaretto114]

Such a beautiful transformation, however i think its sad that financing of projects like this is such a hustle. No one should bet with their own credit cards like this if there is a vision and a true business plan, banks and investors should be more supportive

[@dxnydxny]

Totally love the vocal fry.

[@klamer99]

I can't get past how much I hate that hat

[@sammyp9514]

It’s a distracting hat

[@ziwer1]

brings back memories... eh?

[@Anonymoose66G]

The fact their not bankrupt is miracle 😂. Who is that crazy?

[@youtubeyerr]

gotta hate because they have a beautiful home thats making money?

[@Anonymoose66G]

@@youtubeyerr I'm not haying at all... Your the one who seems to want a confrontation for your innate desire. The truth is the chances of them ever succeeding and not going broke with such a reckless act is astonishingly low. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder however obviously the majority is recognized as a primary viewpoint. How do you know their making money? They could loose money on that property, the amount of high interest loans they've accumulated will take years to pay off and then the value of their property will decrease due to the real estate bubble that'll implode in a decades or two. I just hope that they hire a personal accountant and financial advisor and they aren't taking out more loans to finance other projects like this.

[@nganguyen-id7pp]

This is a lucky fine

[@Brokeloco]

Whoa whoa whoa she definitely wears the pants in the relationship

[@cxkelley]

Yeah he’s a doormat….easy to tell

[@HoneyDooDoo]

And used his funds for her interior design project.

[@saddamzohidov8471]

Start

[@albertocampos4857]

There wasn't any income info. They obviously didn't wanna talk numbers

[@KJSvitko]

Need to add a vegetable garden and some fruit trees if any will grow in the desert. Anything to help reduce the shopping trips. Drip irrigation of harvested rain water would be great.

[@esterhudson5104]

Kinda done.

[@NSP70]

"I'm Sarah Combs and I specialize in uptalk so that I sound as pretentious as possible and fry my voice when I finish sentences"

[@alexarihani2902]

Yes her voice is awful

[@envygreen8188]

That was probably one of the most painful voices I’ve ever heard. Bless that man for sticking around.

[@donaldkasper8346]

Great to live in the weeds and kibbutz with nature until middle age and you have some medical problems.

[@cxkelley]

Privileged come from money people posing as everyday people who “took a risk”…nice try You got my view and a comment so you win but these are trust fund young adults and that’s not bad until you try to portray otherwise….

[@HerAeolianHarp]

They did a beautiful job. I don't know their SF back story, but so many tech workers (who screwed up SF irrevocably in the last 15-20 years by not giving back) then had money for their far-flung businesses and passion projects. The rest of us middle class professionals found ourselves priced out and washed up in lesser cities, ugly exurbs, or drab suburbs that were affordable. I am happy that they could realize their dream, but all too often this channel presents young and wealthy professionals who are smart and interesting, but not as relatable to me. I am Gen X. We have kids in college and aging parents at the same time while we scramble to care for our own health and retirement. I enjoyed watching this promotional profile for their good design sense, but it is hard to relate financially here. I am glad they could fund their dream. Everyone should have that kind of opportunity.

[@EldePHX]

I’m sure their parents are rich lol.

[@candyjamaican]

This episode is so bogus. It’s just a longgggg ad from people with daddies mammies money

[@tomsimpson5317]

Makes me sick should be me

[@jones2277]

Why was it so expensive? It was practically ruins

[@Starfish2145]

It’s a stunning property on a large amount of acreage. It wasn’t in “ruins”. It was simply run down.

[@TornacenseDeFuturo]

Too much for such a place…

[@jones2277]

It’s lovely but you need a massage and acupuncture space. And in addition to yoga, add some Thai chi. It could be a really restorative getaway

[@jj-if6it]

This is really cool. Sounds stressful though. You should take hats off indoors Sara!

[@AbirHasnat95]

Ay the end of every videos, its all about Buzz Natch, not passion

[@monsterpig3270]

Sorry but down the road they are going to have serious financial problems. Good luck to them.

[@azsunburns]

Lived in that exact area for almost 15 years & never heard of it.

[@dwimusudem7943]

Useless place

[@farzana6676]

Why would an abandoned building in the middle of the desert cost you 615k. Your negotiation skills need to be improved.

[@bobbyb2725]

Her voice is unbearable

[@willlloyd638]

“It was a hard time” They used daddy’s money……

[@cxkelley]

Yep

[@candyjamaican]

They? Or she? You can see who’s bo$$ here

[@uwewinkler2820]

quite funny some jelous comments and often from people never accomplished nothing.

[@moonsun3866]

It's no longer a story that the world is experiencing a global economy downturn, I'm so happy that I've been receiving $41,000 from my $13,000 investment every 10 days

[@janemark696]

Wow that's awesome news

[@janemark696]

Sophia all the way

[@Michael-xe7xo]

13th wining thanks to Mrs Sophia She's really the best, I've made a lot

[@himedft]

The truth is with this recent economy Everyone needs more than there salary to be financially stable. The the best thing to do with your money is to Invest it rightly because money left for saving always end up used with no returns.... 3

[@Mavistyio]

Mrs Sophia guidance or strategy, your profit rate is 98 percent guaranteed and the minimum risk percentage is just 2 percent which is a rare happening in a long while now. I have been benefiting from her services for a year and half now.

[@leonnoble8164]

Everyone need more than their salary to be financially stable. The best thing to do with your money is invest it rightly because money left for saving alway end up used with no return.

[@guerro327]

These are the type of people who are ruining Arizona.