Hi! We're Dave & Jess!

We're a husband and wife duo based in Southwest Florida. Dave works in restoration contracting and Jess has been in the design-build industry for over a decade. When we’re not juggling work or managing the daily demands of our real bosses - two rescue pups named Tank & Rosa, we love escaping the Florida hustle and vacationing in the mountains - particularly, Red Lodge!

Maybe it's the vastness, cooler air, or the sense of adventure only steep terrain, no signal, and grizzlies can provide - but Montana's always felt magical and offered a place we could go to recenter and ground ourselves. Plus, woo-woo transcendence aside, it's super fun to visit! Skiing, hiking, four-wheeling, biking, wildlife sightings, dining, shopping, local arts, and the occasional northern lights...Montana's got it all! Something for everyone and a place that truly inspires awe.

Listening to Our Hearts...

Dave first started coming out to Red Lodge over 30 years ago, introduced by longtime work friends who have property in the area. He was hooked early on, and after meeting Jess, it didn't take long before she loved Red Lodge just as much. It quickly became a place close to both our hearts. It wasn't hard to imagine a future together with a lot more Montana in it, but like most people, we had real life to contend with, and figuring out the right time to put dreams in motion always seemed to get pushed.

Then, about four years ago, life threw us a curveball. Dave, who was in great shape and barely into his 50s, had a heart attack out of nowhere. To make matters worse, it happened at the same age Jess's dad had died of one. It rattled us, big time, and totally rewired our perspective. We understood then that the "perfect time" to do anything didn't exist - only excuses. If we were going to make Montana happen, it had to be now, or maybe never.

Big changes followed.

Finding the Right Moment

Initially we bought land near Red Lodge with plans to build soon, but that timing proved difficult too. Work obligations, conflicting schedules, the dogs, an ever-changing economic outlook...general uncertainty made it hard to commit to breaking ground.

Determination didn't falter though, and Dave took up Zillow-sleuthing like his unofficial side gig. Fast forward to the summer of 2025: we came out for vacay and by chance, Jess - who'd mainly left the Zillow searching to Dave - happened to pop online and see a listing that sparked something. It was a little rough around the edges, but she had vision and it had potential. Driving through the neighborhood for the first time, we saw deer casually lounging in yards. It felt like a good omen. One walkthrough later, a "what if" offer, and a surprise acceptance - the timing was finally right and that place is now Beartooth Bungalow.

Distance, Design, and LOTS of Driving

With an aversion to anything cookie-cutter, Jess spent months space planning, designing, and curating (AKA, accumulating) pieces to make it stylish, cozy, and completely original. With too much to ship and two neurotic furballs who wouldn’t let her out of their sight, she packed up the car and drove cross-country to Montana (anxious dogs and all), to bring the vision to life.

Like all big projects, not everything went as planned, but Beartooth Bungalow came together with a lot of love, hope, and hustle. Even though it’s a rental, it feels like years of dreaming finally materialized into something real. While we still plan to build one day, the Bungalow is our new little happy place, and we're excited to now share it with others.

Our 'Firsts' Era

Launching Beartooth Bungalow has brought a lot of firsts: Our first short-term rental, our first joint business venture, Jess diving headfirst into her own design & styling business, Posh Philosophy (serving both Red Lodge and SWFL), and our first major decision that wasn’t perfectly planned, but just felt right. Maybe we waited for the right moment, or maybe we created it? Either way - we're here. We're doing it. We're happy. We're grateful. And so far, we wouldn't change a thing.

We hope when you stay at Beartooth Bungalow, you feel all the good energy that went into its creation. A place to chill out, slow down, have fun, and soak up a little Montana magic. We’re honored to share our journey with you and hope Red Lodge becomes a happy chapter in your story too.

Wishing you lots of good juju! And for your "right moment"...

Dave & Jess