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Category Archives: Events

The Travis 2 House Has New Owners

Our first closing in the conference room!

This has been a wonderful day. We have sold the Travis 2 house, the one Mandi lived in before she moved to the Rattlesnake House, to a young couple, Kayla and Matthew. They are both excited to be moving to Cameron to be a part of our town’s revitalization. Just like Lee and I were back in 2011, they are looking for space and small-town friendliness, which is what we’ve found here! They are exactly the kind of folks we were hoping to find for this property, so we could not be more pleased.

Even though Kayla’s a lawyer, she couldn’t contain her excitement at purchasing her first home. It took me back to my own first home purchase, which was so scary to me at the time, and all those things to sign were darned intimidating. I could also see Jennifer, who marketed the house for us and did all the hard real estate work, smiling at their joy. It’s really a big day when you buy your first home and start envisioning all the things you will do with it. Fencing! Vegetable gardens! More bathrooms!

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Business of the Month: We’re Making a Difference

Here are me, Mandi and Lee surrounded by Chamber members, including Judge Steve Young.

In a surprise turn of events, we found out that Hermits’ Rest Enterprises, our Cameron branch, was named Business of the Month by the Cameron, Texas Chamber of Commerce. It’s not up on their website yet, but when it is, you’ll find it here. I’ve always been impressed by the group in Cameron, because they make a big effort to support each other and to spread the word about hard-working businesses in the area. We were very happy to hear about the honor, and you know we were pleased, because we stood out in blazing heat for what seemed like forever to get our picture taken for the newsletter, website, and newspaper. Continue reading →

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Mandi’s Two Years Old!

In Hermit years that is! I always try to make it a point to act at least 10. I mostly succeed. I have learned a lot more even than when I made my 1 year post last year.

I’m glad I didn’t know when I interviewed with Lee at first what kind of role I would have. I think I would have run away. It just sort of happened one day, all this that I do.

I’ve also gone back to our community theater and done tech for the last two shows. It felt like going home. Oh, and yesterday I agreed to be on the board again. I am looking forward to that! Seriously, not sarcastically. I am already working on the tech design for the next children’s production of “Dorothy in Wonderland.” I have some really good ideas so far.

What else?…. Oh yeah! Like last year’s post, I will share pictures and some conversations that have happened instead of trying to explain what I do, or what I’ve learned. Here goes!

Me: *talking to person* Lee is a great boss!
Lee: *pulls out a $10 bill and hands it to me* We agreed on $10 for positive publicity, right?

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Mandi, Party Planner Extraordinaire!

A preview! More on this picture below.

What a busy couple of weeks it has been! I had the pleasure of putting together a rush wedding, and it turned out beautifully if I do say so myself. There was an illness in the family which necessitated the wedding to happen “right now” rather than having months to plan.

This isn’t the first time I have planned and carried out something like this, and I really enjoy it! It has brought up a totally new aspect of what I can bring to the table for The Hermit Haus. When our event center is up and running, my services may be available to those who don’t know what to do, or simply don’t have the time to do it.

I have found that being a theater major and the classes I took (before I changed to business) have really done a lot to help me know how to pull off an event. It is very much like a stage production. There are actually very few differences in the production of an event as opposed to a play. The business major in me helps with the business aspect of it, and the artsy, right brained side brings the whole thing to life. So that is something to consider once The Hermit Haus is up and running.

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An Interesting Closing on Russet Valley

It was dreary outside, but nice and warm inside the bank!

Yesterday we got the Russet Valley renovation financing all under control. We’d had a number of options for it, and just had to figure out which one would benefit all of our team the most.

The original plan was to sell the house to Hermit Haus Redevelopment and do the renovation as part of that company’s activities.

However, as Lee kept looking at the numbers, he realized it would benefit everyone more in the long run if he and I held on to the property, and refinanced it, so that we can get the funds for the renovation that way. Our business will benefit, because we’ll hire Carol to do project management and pay her a fee for that, which will probably be more than she’d have made off a sale.

It also frees up the money quickly, so she can start paying the new contractors we’re working with, Oscar and his team, right away.

We used our friends at Buckholts State Bank for the transaction, and we found it pretty interesting. There were all sorts of forms none of us had ever seen before that came from the other parties in the transaction (we were paying off a loan, too). So, we all looked much harder at the paperwork than normal, but I think between Lee and the bankers, we got it all straight. Even the notary had to prove who she was. It was funny how different this one was. But we’re professionals!

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