We had the good fortune of connecting with Melissa Dinas and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Melissa, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
As a young single mom of a child with severe disabilities I had to figure out a way to make an income to support us. I couldn’t do a “job” from 9-5 because I had no childcare who could care for my daughter’s intense needs. What I did instead – because I’ve always been an outside-of-the-box thinker – was, I started small businesses. – I became a free-lance hair designer and booked brides and bridal parties for their wedding-day hair & makeup looks.
– I cleaned houses & hired a couple of cleaners to help with the workload
– I hired a painter by trade and painted home interiors.

Somehow I always made it work which has been a blessing because it allowed me to support my daughter & I when it was literally just the two of us.
My daughter is 24 now and I’m married with a 10 yr old son (who also has a serious medical condition!) and I still have the “make it work” mentality.

In fact, it’s only gotten stronger. I started studying real estate in 2017, after my family moved to Georgia from New York. I’ve read blogs, articles & books; I listen to podcasts; I’ve attended seminars, local real estate meetups and virtual expos; I’ve purchased subscriptions to real-estate focused courses; I have Google alerts set up for key industry words and locations; I joined a weekly real estate mastermind group; I helped develop, and am currently director of, a real estate wealth mentoring club headed by a very experienced personal mentor…
I flipped a house at the end of 2019 and intended to continue into 2020 but Covid hit so I put a temporary pause on actively looking for properties but still continued my education. After about a year, I resumed actively looking for opportunities and currently own several rental properties.

My goal is of course to support my family with our special kinds of needs. But I see so many people struggling in similar situations as the one my daughter and I were in when she was young because they can’t find affordable, accessible housing and that’s where my heart is. Helping to create livable spaces for people who may not have the ability to create it for themselves through no fault of their own, whether it’s because of health issues or temporary financial struggles…that’s the legacy I hope to be able to create. Oh, and I’d love a house on a lake!

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I’m the owner of Apple Nests, LLC. I’m a real estate investor and I own several properties in Georgia. I look for single family and multifamily properties to buy, renovate and rent out.

My main mission is to provide safe, affordable & ACCESSIBLE private homes to families with people with disabilities (I’m not talking about group homes).

Another mission is to reduce homelessness of vulnerable populations like domestic violence victims, foster kids aging out of the system & homeless veterans.

Something I’m proud of: I just recently finished up a renovation on one of my properties and placed a family as new tenants. Their story of where they were living was heartbreaking. These parents of four children, aged 2 – 12, were living in a 3 bedroom house that was falling apart around them. The kitchen was in serious disrepair and seeing rats right outside their window ledges was not uncommon. The roof had several major leaks that have been going on for such a long time that one of the bedrooms had to be closed off because of the mold that was growing on the walls. They also had mold growing in the bathroom. The children were regularly sick and they believed it was due to the poor air quality. They had been searching for a new home to rent for 6 months when they found my property I had listed. It was a match made in heaven. They got a beautiful, newly-renovated home with 2 new bathrooms, 4 bedrooms, a new kitchen and new flooring and I got to provide a safe & comfortable environment to a good family.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Restaurants to check out: Barcelona Wine Bar
Eclipse di Luna
Palmer’s

We’d have to
Watch Atlanta United play at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Visit the Aquarium
Hang out on my backyard patio with my friends, listening to music, having some drinks and appetizers

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d definitely want to give a shout out to my husband who has been supportive in launching my real estate investing career. He is very risk-adverse so his support of turning my vision into a reality says a lot about his belief in my abilities.

One of my mentors and business partner has also had a huge impact in my tremendous growth. Shane Lehimagalei is a third generation real estate investor who has a passion for helping others. His guidance has been invaluable.

If it weren’t for my mom helping with the kids & home chores, there’s no way I’d be able to do what I’m doing. She deserves the best mom award for all the cooking and babysitting she does for our family!

Website: www.AppleNests.com

Instagram: @atl_melmel

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/apple-nests/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AppleNests/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0kBxs1tGa9NB27pvetZ-0Q

Other: Clubhouse: @atl_melmel

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