Tom Johnston, REALTOR® Smoky Mountain Cabin Advisor

Tom Johnston, REALTOR® Smoky Mountain Cabin AdvisorTom Johnston, REALTOR® Smoky Mountain Cabin AdvisorTom Johnston, REALTOR® Smoky Mountain Cabin Advisor

Tom Johnston, REALTOR® Smoky Mountain Cabin Advisor

Tom Johnston, REALTOR® Smoky Mountain Cabin AdvisorTom Johnston, REALTOR® Smoky Mountain Cabin AdvisorTom Johnston, REALTOR® Smoky Mountain Cabin Advisor
  • Home
  • ROI Estimator
  • Buyer Guide
  • About Tom
  • Request a Review
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    • Home
    • ROI Estimator
    • Buyer Guide
    • About Tom
    • Request a Review
Use ROI Estimator Tool
  • Home
  • ROI Estimator
  • Buyer Guide
  • About Tom
  • Request a Review
Use ROI Estimator Tool

Thinking About Buying a Smoky Mountain Cabin? Start with the Numbers.

Thinking About Buying a Smoky Mountain Cabin? Start with the Numbers. Thinking About Buying a Smoky Mountain Cabin? Start with the Numbers. Thinking About Buying a Smoky Mountain Cabin? Start with the Numbers.
ROI Estimator

A Beautiful Cabin Still Needs a Realistic Plan

Many new buyers enter the Smoky Mountain short-term-rental market focused on the view, the furniture, the hot tub, or the projected gross revenue.


Those things matter — but they are only part of the story.


A cabin is also an operating business. Before writing an offer, buyers should understand occupancy, average daily rate, cleaning costs, management fees, utilities, insurance, repairs, reserves, financing, local rules, and break-even risk. Whether a part-time family vacation home with rental income or a full-time rental, a realistic projection of the numbers is imperative to your decision. 


My role is to help you slow the process down just enough to make a more informed decision.

Learn How the ROI Review Works

Experience That Helps You Evaluate the Whole Picture

STR Experience

Investor Perspective

Licensed in TN & OH

Experienced in the short-term-rental (STR) business, not just real estate sales.

Licensed in TN & OH

Investor Perspective

Licensed in TN & OH

 Helpful for Ohio and out-of-state buyers entering the Tennessee Smoky Mountain market. 

Investor Perspective

Investor Perspective

Investor Perspective

 Real estate investor with holdings across Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. 

Numbers + Lifestyle

Investor Perspective

Investor Perspective

 Guidance that balances income potential, guest experience, expenses, and risk. 

What Makes a Cabin Purchase Work

Lifestyle Fit

Local Considerations

Investment Numbers

The right cabin should match the kind of guest experience you want to create — location, access, views, amenities, privacy, and long-term ownership goals.

Learn More

Investment Numbers

Local Considerations

Investment Numbers

We look beyond gross revenue and evaluate cash flow, reserves, financing, occupancy assumptions, management fees, and potential return.

Use the Estimator

Local Considerations

Local Considerations

Local Considerations

Jurisdiction, permits, taxes, HOA rules, insurance, utilities, access, and property condition can all affect whether a cabin makes sense.

Request a Review

The Smoky Mountain Cabin ROI Estimator

A practical starting point for evaluating short-term-rental cabin assumptions.


I created the Smoky Mountain Cabin ROI Estimator to help buyers organize the major numbers behind a potential cabin purchase. The tool is designed to estimate income, expenses, financing, cash needed, break-even occupancy, DSCR, cash-on-cash return, cap rate, and other key considerations.


It is not a guarantee of performance. It is a decision-support tool that helps you ask better questions before moving forward.

Open the ROI Estimator

Real Estate Guidance with an Owner’s Mindset

 I’m Tom Johnston, REALTOR®, an Affiliate Broker with Smoky Mountain Real Estate Corp. in Sevierville, Tennessee. I'm licensed in both Tennessee and Ohio.


I help East Tennessee buyers evaluate Smoky Mountain short-term-rental cabins by combining real estate guidance with real-life STR business experience. My background includes more than 30 years in senior leadership in the aviation industry, with experience across operations, business development, sales and marketing, manufacturing management, supplier development, and facilities management.


That business background shapes how I help buyers think through cabin ownership: the property, the numbers, the guest experience, the risks, and the long-term plan.

Meet Tom Johnston

Have a Cabin in Mind? Let’s Look at the Numbers Before You Make an Offer.

Whether you are just starting your search or already looking at a specific property, I can help you evaluate the income potential, expenses, assumptions, and practical ownership considerations behind a Smoky Mountain short-term-rental cabin.  

Request a review

Smoky Mountain Cabin Advisor
STR cabin guidance for buyers who want the lifestyle and the numbers to make sense.

Thomas Johnston, REALTOR®, AHWD, C2EX
Affiliate Broker | Smoky Mountain Real Estate Corp.
Licensed in Tennessee & Ohio
Cell: 865-803-0749
Brokerage Phone: 865-277-8115
Website: smrec.com

Information on this website is provided for general educational purposes only and is not a guarantee of revenue, occupancy, cash flow, return, property value, financing approval, tax treatment, legal compliance, or investment performance. Buyers and sellers should verify all information and consult appropriate legal, tax, financial, lending, insurance, inspection, property-management, and real estate professionals before making decisions.

This website is maintained by Thomas Johnston,  Affiliate Broker with Smoky Mountain Real Estate Corp. Content is provided for general educational purposes and is subject to broker review and applicable advertising requirements.

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