Our first home we purchased for $110,000.00, being the most neglected house in the community at the time of purchase. I had no work permit at
that time, and I spent the time doing faux finishings on the walls, decorating, sewing draperies.... By the time we sold, similar size homes in our
community were selling for $150,000.00 - 165,000.00. Our home sold for $235,000.00, and after we closed, every house in the community raised their
prices starting $225,000.00.
The pictures below were taken in our second home. After seeing it on the market, I prayed asking God to let us know if it's the right house for us.
That night I dreamed that I was staying in the middle of the living room, cold and crying. All the walls were black and there was rain dripping
everywhere. In the morning, I shared the dream with my husband, telling him that we should not go for the house. His response was that he will get
the house no matter what. Even today, he blames himself for getting us both into what proved to be an overwhelming project, but I know I could have
been firmer and not agree to it under no circumstance.
We purchased it with 20% down from the profit we made selling our first home. Even though the mold had been detected by inspections performed
by three previous clients, it was not disclosed to us. About a month after closing, I began stripping the wallpaper off the walls. The result is evident in
the photos. Not only the mold tested toxic, but the house was fully infested with subterranean termites. The termites ate more than half of the
structure of one wall in particular, and it was barely holding.
At that time we had no other option but to split projects. I was to fix and redecorate the house, and my husband to handle our wood finishing shop.
We couldn't afford a team to do the repairs, and neither could we file for bankruptcy as it would have meant loosing all the profit we made with our
first home. The only other option would have been to sell the place, but nobody would have purchased the property in that condition, even at a much
lower price.
I hired a helper for as long as we afford him, especially for the heavy duty tasks where two people were needed. The house was beautifully finished
even if it was an exhausting project. Five years later I still have shortness of breath. Most people ask me how did I know how to perform all that
labor? God guided me step by step. That is the most accurate explanation.
As far as profit, we purchased the house for $315,000.00 with 20% down. By the time we sold, the market was declining but we still sold it for
$700,000.00. That enabled us to pay off all of our debts and to also pay off our next house in Lake City, FL. When I will have more spare time, I will try
to also create a page with before and after photos of the house in Lake City.
I scanned many other before and after photos for this page, once I will add them, I will remove this note. All pictures can be enlarged when clicked on.
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