We treat every property as we would our own — with exceptional detail, real care, and Christian love.
Perry and Edna Brown built this portfolio one home at a time, starting after Perry retired from driving a truck for Fleetguard. Today their daughter Cindy runs the day-to-day and their grandson Hayden works alongside her. There is no call center and no regional office — when something needs attention at St. James Place or St. James West, it's our family that handles it.
01
Maintained like our own
Every home is turned over to the same standard we'd want for our own family — because in our case, that isn't a figure of speech.
02
A landlord you can reach
One phone number, answered by the family that owns the property. No ticket queue, no automated routing, no runaround.
03
Neighbors, genuinely
Perry and Edna recently downsized and moved into St. James West themselves. Your landlords live where you live.
3
Generations Involved
2
St. James Communities
2011
Building Ever Since
For Residents
Everything you need, in one place.
Pay rent online
Pay through Avail and receive a $15 monthly discount on your rent for as long as you keep paying online.
We treat every property as we would our own — with exceptional detail, real care, and Christian love.
Perry — known to the family as Pa — grew up in Rickman, Tennessee, a rural community outside Cookeville, where his family traded cattle with the neighbors. Family lore has it that one of those neighbor kids was a young Al Gore. Edna grew up just down the road in Monterey, one of eleven children, and came up working — first in a nursing home kitchen, then a sewing factory — before she and Perry built a life and a family together, grounded in faith.
Perry spent most of his working life driving a truck for Fleetguard. When he retired in 2003 — the same year his grandson Hayden was born — he didn't slow down. He taught himself the rental business from scratch, buying his first properties around 2011 and building, one purchase at a time, into the portfolio that carries the family name today. He never stopped treating a rented townhome any differently than he'd treat the house he raised his own kids in.
The Trust has always been meant to stay in the family, and it has. Perry and Edna's daughter Cindy now runs the day-to-day as her parents have stepped back, with her son Hayden working alongside her — carrying forward the same standard of care, and the same faith, the whole way through. And in the kind of detail that says more than any mission statement could: Perry and Edna recently downsized and moved into St. James West themselves. Their landlords live where you live.
The Short Version
Rickman & Monterey
Perry and Edna grow up in the rural Upper Cumberland, in families that worked with their hands.
2003
Perry retires from driving a truck for Fleetguard — the same year his grandson Hayden is born — and starts over in real estate, self-taught.
2011
The first St. James properties are purchased, the start of the portfolio the Trust holds today.
Today
Daughter Cindy runs the day-to-day, grandson Hayden works alongside her, and Perry and Edna live right in St. James West.
What We Value
Every property maintained as if it were our own — no cut corners.
Exceptional attention to detail, from move-in to every maintenance call.
Rooted in faith — we try to treat every tenant with genuine, Christian love.
Hands-on, family management — three generations deep, not an anonymous company.
Self-taught and stubborn about doing it right — Perry built this from the ground up.
Neighbors, not just landlords — our family lives in St. James too.
The St. James Standard
What "cared for" actually means.
Anyone can say they maintain their properties well. So here is what we actually do between one resident moving out and the next moving in — the checklist we hold ourselves to on every single home.
Every Turnover
Locks and keys checked, with new keys issued at move-in.
Walls patched and repainted where needed, not touched up to hide wear.
HVAC checked and filters replaced before the first night.
Every appliance run and tested, not just visually inspected.
Plumbing fixtures checked for leaks, drainage, and water pressure.
Smoke detectors tested and batteries replaced.
Deep clean throughout — including the places nobody checks.
Final walkthrough by a member of the family before keys change hands.
If something in your home isn't right — at move-in or two years in — tell us. We would rather hear about a small problem early than find a large one later.
Want to be part of it?
Our homes fill quickly. Join the waitlist and we'll be in touch personally when one becomes available.
The Trust's homes sit in two townhouse communities in Cookeville: St. James Place and St. James West. Both are maintained by the same family, to the same standard, with the same people answering the phone.
Cookeville, TN
St. James Place
Townhomes held by the Trust since the earliest days of the portfolio. Quiet, established, and close to everything Cookeville has to offer.
Cookeville, TN
St. James West
Our second townhouse community — and the one Perry and Edna chose for themselves when they downsized. They live here now, among our residents.
For specific addresses, floor plans, or availability in either community, get in touch — we'll walk you through what's coming open.
New to the Area
Settling into Cookeville
Cookeville sits on the Highland Rim between Nashville and Knoxville, the largest town in Tennessee's Upper Cumberland region. If you're moving here for school or for work, a few things worth knowing:
The Basics
Tennessee Tech University anchors the town and much of its calendar.
Cookeville Regional Medical Center is the area's major hospital and a large employer.
WestSide and the historic depot district hold much of the local dining and nightlife.
Burgess Falls and Cummins Falls state parks are both a short drive out.
Nashville is roughly an hour and a half west on I-40; Knoxville about the same east.
Four real seasons, and winters mild enough that snow is an event, not a routine.
Moving from out of town and not sure which community suits you better? Call us — we've lived here our whole lives and we're happy to talk it through.
Tenant Resources
Paying Rent Online with Avail
We are excited to offer an online rent payment option through Avail. Paying online is quick, secure, and helps us streamline record-keeping. Once you set up online payments and make your first payment through Avail, you will begin receiving a $15 monthly discount on your rent for as long as you continue paying online.
How to Get Started
Create Your Avail Account
Go to avail.com and click Sign Up. Choose a secure password and complete your profile.
Link to Our Property
Once logged in, select "Connect to My Landlord." Enter our property information — we will provide you with the invite or property code if needed. You'll then see your rental unit and lease details in your account.
Set Up Your Payment Method ACH Bank Transfer (Recommended): Avail charges a flat fee of $2.50. Credit or Debit Card: Avail charges a 3.5% processing fee.
Make Payments
Choose one-time payments or set up automatic recurring payments so you never miss a due date. Each payment is confirmed by email, and you'll be able to view your full payment history in the portal.
CreditBoost
Avail offers an optional feature that reports your rent payments to TransUnion, helping you build your credit history just by paying rent on time.
Why Use Online Payments?
No more mailing or dropping off checks — or worrying about delays.
Secure system with payment confirmations sent by email.
$15 monthly rent discount for paying online.
Optional CreditBoost reporting to help improve your credit score.
Disclaimer: Avail is owned and operated by Realtor.com. All processing fees (including ACH and card fees) are set by Avail and are subject to change at any time. Our $15 monthly rent discount for using online payments is also subject to change or cancellation at any time.
Urgent Issues
If something goes seriously wrong.
Emergencies — call us, don't email
For anything involving active water, no heat in freezing weather, electrical hazards, gas odor, or a door or window that won't secure, call us directly. Do not wait on an email reply.
If there is fire, a gas leak, or any immediate danger to people, call 911 first — then call us.
For anything that isn't urgent — a slow drain, a sticking door, a question about your lease — email works best, and gives us a written record to follow up against.
Common Questions
Frequently asked
Email or call us directly — a real person handles it, not a ticket queue. For urgent problems (water, heat, electrical, security), always call rather than email. Our number is 931-267-2299.
You can pay online through Avail, and doing so earns you a $15 monthly discount on your rent for as long as you keep paying online. Full setup instructions are at the top of this page.
Pet policies depend on the individual property and your lease. Ask us before bringing a pet home so we can confirm what applies to your unit.
Utility arrangements vary between units. Your lease is the authority on what's included — and if anything in it is unclear, call us and we'll walk you through it line by line.
Call us at 931-267-2299. If you can't reach us and it's the middle of the night, a locksmith can let you in — call us afterward so we can make sure the lock and keys are still right.
Reach out to us well before your lease end date and we'll walk you through renewal or move-out. Giving us early notice helps both of us — and makes the move-out inspection straightforward.
Availability changes often, and homes don't sit empty long. Join our waitlist and we'll contact you personally when something opens up.
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Availability
Nothing move-in ready right now — join the waitlist.
A few homes in St. James Place and St. James West are vacant but currently under maintenance, not yet ready to rent. Join our waitlist and we'll reach out personally as soon as one is ready.
Prefer to reach a person directly? Call 931-267-2299 or send us an email. We don't share your information with anyone.
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Waitlist
Thank you — we've got your information.
A member of our family will reach out personally when a home is ready. If something is time-sensitive, call us at 931-267-2299.
The Perry and Edna Brown Trust is a family-owned and operated rental property portfolio in Cookeville, Tennessee. We take pride in providing well-maintained townhouses and responsive management for our tenants.
For rental inquiries, maintenance requests, or payment questions, please reach out via email and we will respond as promptly as possible.
Urgent problems — water, heat, electrical, or security — should always come by phone rather than email.
