Mother of Six Takes on Pickwick Villas, Creating a Luxury Lake Experience
The Local Tourist
Mary Beard Grodsky
Cassie DiMento, new co-owner of Pickwick Villas, knows a thing or two about taking on challenges and managing chaos. A mother of six, Cassie decided to jump back into the work force when in 2019 she and her childhood friend, an established and experienced real estate investor out of California looking to diversify his portfolio, decided to partner and create Matrix Real Estate. They set their sights on rental homes in the Memphis area. They soon acquired over 10 properties, with as many as 30 at one point between Memphis and Oxford.
Last June, a listing for the River Walk Villas at Pickwick sparked her interest as an opportunity to offer something unique at Pickwick Lake. Cassie and her family have been coming to Pickwick Lake since 2009 when she was introduced by friends and has loved it ever since. Cassie saw buying the River Walk Villas as a good business venture and as an opportunity to help more people get to Pickwick by offering short term rentals and differentiating in the luxury space . She and her partner decided to take on a few more partners to help with funding while she remained front and center for property management and day-to-day activities.
While Pickwick is mostly known as being a casual place to vacation, there remained an opportunity to create a luxury experience on the water. The Villas location, in the heart of Counce, along with amenities like a boat slip, pool, balconies with fire pit tables and grills, trailer parking, gourmet kitchens (to name a few), made this the perfect place to invest and create a new high-end experience. These six properties are perfectly located on the lake with sweeping views of the water. The Villas offer a different experience than generally available because they are so beautiful, highly perched over the water, with direct access to a boat slip from each condo, allowing guests to get on and off the water with ease. That’s a luxury most rentals do not offer.
In partnership with the local Happy Hippie, the Villas also provide concierge service to its guests. Brian Riley (Happy Hippie) has been offering these services for quite some time, but his expertise takes the luxury stay to a new level. The Happy Hippie will stock refrigerators for guests, pack coolers and have them waiting on your boat, order a masseuse for you right there at the Villas, or drive you to/from dinner or any other location you choose.
Between the six units, the accommodations can sleep up to 38 people. This makes it ideal for groups or families looking to stay at Pickwick and have the space to do so. The onsite pool is a favorite for families with kids looking to take a break from the lake activities. They focus on providing guests with a unique experience, making sure guests are happy, offering contactless check in and check out, and ensuring exceptional cleanliness and attention to detail. The Villas are now almost fully booked, with one unit that is undergoing renovations to include more bunk space for those looking to house more people. New ideas are underway to differentiate the properties further. Plans for a canopy, communal fire pit, lights, games, and a possible boat rental service are all being discussed. Word has spread quickly with advertising online along with a billboard directing guests to the accommodations. Having set themselves up as the white glove experience with competitive pricing at Pickwick Lake, this will be a stay you won’t want to miss at the Villas.
