Today we’d like to introduce you to Alfred and Gwenita Ivery.
Alfred and Gwenita, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Our business started with a kitchen fire. We were placed into temporary housing by our insurance company. It was while we were living in that apartment complex the idea came to us that once our house is renovated to not go back but use that as temporary housing to earn extra income and to move to a better location. So we did just that. The transition went so well that we decided to open up a new short-term house.
We took funds from our 401k and opened a 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th house. We were doing so well that by word of mouth, our business got around and God favored us so that owners of other short-term houses asked us to manage their houses. We now manage a total of 40 houses including the 5 homes we own. Occupancy is never under 90%.
We believe in giving people decent housing. Houses that we would live in. Our motto is to treat people the way you would want to be treated. We believe this standard has brought us this far.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has not been smooth. One struggle has been financial difficulties but we never gave up and somehow someway the funds came. Another struggle was letting go of our 9 to 5 jobs knowing we depended on our salaries to get us over but by faith, we knew we were called to housing and helping people so we let our jobs go.
Still, ways are being made. One of the hardest struggles was dealing with difficult people. We learned through trial and error how to handle the most irate people in tough situations.
We’ve been impressed with Ivery Enterprises Corporation, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We are Alfred and Gwenita Ivery, husband, and wife team, co-owners of IVERY ENTERPRISES corporation. We have been running this business for seven years in the city of Memphis Tennessee, our hometown. We offer short-term housing for people who need an immediate place to stay without all of the hassle of qualifying.
We pride ourselves in treating people the way we would want to be treated by offering upscale Rooms For Rent, we offer elegancy at affordable prices. The difference between our rooms and others in the city of Memphis is that our houses are more like guest houses or Airbnb without the high price. People feel at home. We take pride in making sure that our houses are very nicely decorated, clean, comfortable, and affordable. We look for the quiet areas in the city, and we place people who are looking for somewhere comfortable and peaceful. Therefore, we look for hard-working people who appreciate a nice place to live.
We consider everyone already living in the house and therefore we don’t just place anybody among them. It’s not just about making a buck for us. We want them to feel safe as if they are in their own home until they get their place. So we select our tenants carefully. This procedure has proven quite a success for us.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Over the next five years, we see ourselves, managing single-family homes, hotels, and apartment complexes. We understand how hard it is to get decent places to live in decent areas especially if you have bad credit or bankruptcy, etc.
We plan to be a second chance housing industry. We believe people deserve second, third, and fourth chances to get their lives back on track but of course, we will make sure that the potential tenant qualifies as far as income and they will have to have a track record showing they are doing better than before.
Pricing:
- $125 weekly
- $160 weekly
- $176 weekly
- $225 weekly
- $325 weekly
Contact Info:
- Website: Iveryenterprises.com
- Facebook: Ivery Enterprises
Image Credits
Ivey Enterprises
