CNBC.COM
In 2015, Chris Broomfield, a 50-year-old carpenter contractor with decades of experience, and his wife bought a five-acre property in Remsen, New York for $27,000.
Broomfield grew up not too far away and the land was close to a property his brother owns nearby.
Shortly after closing on the property, Broomfield says he started commuting from his family's home in Connecticut every weekend to work on an A-frame cabin he was building mostly by himself.
He hired outside help to drill a well, an electrician to wire the cabin and somebody to hang the sheetrock.
"I always knew it was going to be an Airbnb property. I knew I was going to put multiple cabins on it," he says. "I chose this property because it was close to the lake. It was very wooded, and it had rolling hills. I saw its potential with multiple cabins."
After three years, Broomfield finished building a one-bedroom, one-bathroom A-frame cabin for a total cost of about $90,000, he says.
When he opened the A-frame cabin for rentals via Airbnb, it went viral. It's one of Airbnb's "most-wishlisted" rentals the state of New York. It's also a guest-favorite listing and earned Broomfield the title of "superhost," according to an Airbnb representative.
"The process was amazing for me. I loved being up here. I loved being able to build anything that I wanted to build," Broomfield says. "Something that came from my mind and not a blueprint. The free rein was really enjoyable."
Seeing the impact that the A-frame cabin going viral had on his bookings inspired Broomfield to hire a team and start building a treehouse nearby. After 13 weeks, it was completed in November 2019 for a total cost of about $175,000.
The Treehouse has two bedrooms, one bathroom, a private pond with a small dock, a covered porch, and a fire pit. It's 1,200 square feet across two stories. The living room and primary bedroom also offer views of a waterfall.
"I wanted to get the treehouse done as quickly as possible, so I hired some help. I knew the model was there and it worked by doing the A-frame, renting it out. The response from the guests was overwhelming," he says. "I didn't want to miss the window of opportunity to continue this wave of guests and potential guests' interest."
What makes this cabin particularly special is that it sits 14 feet in the air. To reach it, renters must cross a suspension bridge on the property.
"I wanted to create something that would bring in young families."
In 2024, the treehouse cabin had a revenue of $151,966 and this year, Broomfield estimates that number will be $150,562, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It.
The treehouse is one of the top 10% of homes on Airbnb based on ratings, reviews, and reliability, according to an Airbnb representative.
The treehouse cabin was an instant success, Broomfield says. It inspired him to complete another rental on the property: Birch Falls Spa Cabin, a studio with a king-sized bed, kitchenette and spa room for a total cost $160,000.
The spa room has an 18-foot-long indoor waterfall, a massage bed, and a soaker jet tub. The cabin also has a private deck with a fire pit, BBQ and picnic area.
Broomfield uses dynamic pricing, so the rate ranges between $380 and $700 a night for each of the cabins on the property.
As of September 2025, Broomfield's business, Evergreen Cabins, has brought in $2.1 million since the very first property was listed for rent in 2018, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It.
Broomfield says that monthly costs for operating Evergreen Cabins come in at $700 a month in utilities, $8,000 for operations costs, including payroll, and about $18,000 a year in property taxes.
He says that today he brings in about $400,000 a year with revenue from the rental properties. The revenue from the cabin rentals allowed him to retire from contracting fulltime in 2021.
Now, Broomfield's day-to-day consists of overseeing his staff, designing new cabins, and developing future plans for the Evergreen Cabins.
"There's always going to be something that is going to be pushing me to do the next thing. I can't sit back and do nothing. My family is a huge part of my inspiration and my drive; eventually, they are going to be the ones owning this," he says.
"The legacy of Evergreen is, I don't really have a plan for it [but] I do know that it is going to inspire and help people. My kids are going to be a part of that."
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