Mother-Daughter Partnership Brings Business & Property Renovation to Palestine

Sloan Shuffler, Lisa Priest and Kat Graser weren't born in Palestine, but they got here as fast as they could and have made it their true hometown. Sloan Shuffler fell in love with the beauty and inviting nature of Palestine, when visiting from Plano in 1996.  She and her husband quickly purchased a weekend home in the area and commuted every week to enjoy the beauty and relaxing pace of East Texas. Quickly, they decided to make the move permanent and live in Palestine full time. “People were friendly, the environment was gorgeous, and I got here as fast as possible,” said Sloan.

Ladies in Business

Sloan started her CPA business in Plano in 1978. In 1997, she relocated her CPA firm to Palestine.  Her firm works with businesses to improve their business models and stay on the “straight and narrow” when it comes to various governmental regulations and entities.  During tax season, she also files tax returns for individuals, trusts and other businesses.

Sloan’s daughters, Lisa Priest and Kat Graser have also chosen to call Palestine home. After going to college, they each moved to Palestine. Lisa is the Broker/Owner of Picket Fence Realty, Inc, where Kat is also a REALTOR®.  Picket Fence Realty works with home buyers and sellers throughout Anderson County, as well as offering property management services.

A Family Partnership

In addition to their companies, the ladies have a partnership entity that rehabs and flips residential properties and focuses on residential rental properties.  Currently they have two commercial projects underway in downtown Palestine.

First, with help from a PEDC grant, they are remodeling the exterior of an old car dealership’s shop building to reflect a hip historic downtown vibe.  Once complete, they will relocate the CPA and Real Estate offices to the building. Their second project will be to put in small, upscale loft-inspired apartments.  “Working with the City of Palestine has been wonderful. They are very supportive and have been behind us 100 percent! Their “can do” attitude really makes all the difference in wanting to do a project downtown.  They understand the necessity of the projects and want to help get them done,” said Sloan.

There are opportunities for businesses and investors to grow downtown Palestine.

These ladies have a vision for downtown Palestine that is shared by the many amazing businesses who call it home. Palestine is incredibly beautiful, vibrant and full of charm. With additional grants available, there are ample opportunities for businesses and real estate investors who want to be part of the growth taking place downtown. The community can participate as well.

Palestine has the bones for a beautiful downtown area.  A lot of work has been done already, but more is needed.  We need more visionaries to take on projects downtown to turn large empty buildings into attractive places to live and work.

Palestine is beautiful, vibrant, strong and growing. To learn more about the opportunities available here, contact Gayle Cooper at eddirector@palestine-tx.org.