Dear Friends and Family,

Krista and I want to begin by saying thank you — truly — for joining us on this remarkable journey of building community at Spirit Mountain. Whether you’ve been with us since the early days (back when Manabao didn’t even have electricity!) or you’ve recently joined us, we are deeply honored by your trust, friendship, and shared belief in what we’re creating together.

As we near the end of 2025, we wanted to take a few moments to fill everyone in on what’s been happening — because it’s been quite a year!

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Roads, Progress, and a Few Muddy Boots

With permits in hand, 2025 started with a lot of energy — and some very determined bulldozers. Road work began this summer, and while the fall weather has been less than cooperative (we’re convinced the rain was sent just to test our patience), progress continues steadily. Our goal is still to complete the majority of the new road network before year-end.

For those who have been with us for two decades or more — this is a huge milestone. The vision we dreamed of back when access to the farm required a machete and a prayer is finally becoming reality. We can’t help but smile when we see real roads where once there were muddy trails!

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Introducing the “HIVES” — A New Way to Think About Community

Our first HIVE — yes, that’s what we’re calling our clusters of A-Frame homes — is completely sold out! Construction is underway on the first two models: one at 128 m² and the smaller at 73 m². These cozy, sustainable retreats are intentionally designed to be the opposite of oversized mountain homes — simple, efficient, and deeply connected to nature.

The idea for “HIVES” came one evening while Krista and I were talking about the beauty and complexity of bee colonies. She said, “Why not call our small clusters of homes HIVES? That’s what we’re creating — little colonies within the larger Estancia ecosystem.” And just like that, the name stuck.

HIVE 2 is already half reserved, and construction on the third A-Frame is slated to begin this fall.

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Infrastructure and Engineering Feats

We’ve also started installing our potable water system, which should be fully operational by the end of November. Several spring taps will feed a 20,000-gallon cistern, topped with a solar array to power the electric pump. From there, fresh spring water will be pumped up to tanks at the summit of Spirit Mountain — gravity-fed to every home.

This project has been years in the making — part engineering challenge, part love story. We’ve dreamed of this system for so long, and seeing it come to life is deeply rewarding.

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Welcoming New Owners — and Honoring Longtime Friends

We’re thrilled to welcome Carlos Sánchez and Paola Tineo and their family as part of the Estancia Natura ownership group. Over the next few years, they will be acquiring the shares of our longtime friends Jeff and Colleen Loftsgaarden.

Jeff and Colleen believed in Spirit Mountain before we even had access to the property — before the paved road to Manabao, before electricity, before comfort was even a word in our vocabulary. They’ve been with us since the days of sleeping bags and cold showers (which, come to think of it, builds character!). Thank you, Jeff and Colleen — you’ll always have a home and a hammock waiting here.

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Our Team — Turning Vision Into Reality

We are incredibly blessed to have such a capable, passionate team:

• Fernando Cantisano, our architect, is not only designing but learning the art and chaos of construction — which, as it turns out, is far more exciting (and stressful) than drawing.
• Yeisson Ramírez, our civil engineer, continues to oversee road construction and infrastructure installation with precision and patience.
• Franklin, who helped me build our first home above Jarabacoa back in 2003, is once again bringing craftsmanship, wisdom, and humor to the job site.

And we definitely cannot forget our core team, who have been working tirelessly alongside Krista and me to develop and refine this dream day after day: Delvie, Julio, Rosa, and Rodelvie. Their dedication, loyalty, and sheer endurance have been the heartbeat of this project. Nothing — absolutely nothing — would move forward without them.

To all of them — and the countless hands making this dream tangible — thank you.

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What’s Next

By January 1st, we plan to have the first draft of the new HOA Agreement ready — a living document that will evolve as our community grows.

Meanwhile, Andrés Ceja and the CHJ Legal team in Santo Domingo are guiding us through the CONFOTUR certification process, while Ana Fernández, our steadfast local attorney, continues to navigate the maze of Dominican paperwork (which we’re convinced requires both a law degree and divine patience).

Our family will be spending Thanksgiving at the farm this year, and we’re crossing our fingers that the first A-Frames will be ready — or at least habitable!

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In Closing

Krista and I want to end by saying — from the bottom of our hearts — thank you for your support, your faith, and your friendship.

Spirit Mountain has always been more than a place. It’s a vision of what community can look like when people come together with shared purpose and love for both the land and one another.

We look forward to welcoming you back soon — to new roads, new homes, and new stories yet to be written.