About
The idea behind Ikoi.
It started with a word — and the feeling Yuri wanted every home to give.
憩ikoi · [ee-koh-ee] — breath · self · heart
In Japanese, the character holds three things inside it: breath, self, and heart.
It is the word for rest — but a particular kind. The permission to stop. To exhale. To be still, together.
It's an idea rooted in Yuri's connection to Nagano, Japan — the standard she's carried into every home she manages. Ikoi Homes is where it meets a house: homes that feel like a soft landing, run with the same care you'd give your own.
The same pine-and-snow stillness — carried from Nagano, found again here.
憩 came from Yuri's connection to Nagano, in the Japanese Alps. Big Bear's San Bernardino alpine — the pines, the granite, the snow, the long alpenglow on the ridgelines — answers it in the same key. The idea wasn't imported here. It was recognized.
San Bernardino alpine
What we're building
Mission
We create calm, well-run homes where guests rest deeply and owners build something lasting.
Vision
A small, growing collection of homes that feel like a soft landing — rooted in integrity, thoughtful design, and genuinely human hospitality.
What we stand for
Core values
The standards behind every home we manage — the same care, every stay.
Intentional Comfort
Every detail is chosen on purpose: layout, lighting, bedding, instructions.
Honest Stewardship
We treat each property, dollar, and relationship as something entrusted to us.
Calm & Clarity
Spaces feel calm; so do our systems. Clear communication, clear numbers, no drama.
Meaningful Connection
We design for connection: families, couples, friends, and long-term partners.
Continuous Refinement
We are always iterating on design, pricing, operations, and technology.
“I manage every home the way I'd want my own cared for — with honest numbers, real attention, and pride in the stay.”
Yuri You · Founder
Founder
Yuri You
Big Bear Lake, CA · Nagano, Japan
Yuri has been in real estate since 2004 and short-term rentals since 2006. A licensed agent and business broker, she has owned three vacation-rental companies, a franchise real-estate brokerage, and businesses in photography and wedding florals; she holds a master's in Child and Family Development and homeschooled her four children. She owns a Big Bear rental herself, and also owns Transworld Business Advisors San Diego East County. Big Bear carries a deep personal connection to her home in Nagano, Japan — the culture that gave Ikoi its name.
A note from the founder
I own a home up here, and I've spent twenty years around real estate and short-term rentals — long enough to watch too many homes get treated like inventory, and too many owners end up working for the house instead of the other way around. Every booking, cleaner, repair, and late checkout becomes one more thing you carry, until the place you were proud of starts to feel like a second job.
I started Ikoi — 憩, an idea I carry from Nagano: rest that meets connection — to be the opposite of that. I run your home the way I run my own: clear numbers, calm operations, nothing hidden, and a portfolio kept small on purpose, because that kind of care doesn't scale by cramming. So your home stays something you're proud of, earns the way it should, and stays unmistakably yours.
Yuri You
Founder, Ikoi Homes
憩Partner with us
Tell us about your home.
Yuri reads every inquiry personally — expect a real reply, not an autoresponder.
yuri@ikoihomes.com