Striving to create a better life for everyone by sustainably solving real estate problems

(512) 807-8777

Category Archives: Our Team

How This Business Drove Lee to Start Another Business

We plan to move Hearts Homes and Hands into this house, which we are buying because the owner had to go to assisted living.

As we buy houses around Texas, we run into similar scenarios over and over. One of them is that we buy a house from a family because they’ve had to move an elderly relative into assisted living or a nursing home. Often the houses are in rough shape, because the owner hasn’t been able to keep things up for years.

We even had a similar scenario happen in our own family. As Lee’s dad’s health deteriorated, he became less and less able to keep his trailer home in good shape. He didn’t even realize the back bedroom was covered in mold, because he ever went in there. We eventually had to buy him another home and put it on his property.

One of Lee’s dad’s beloved black cows.

All Lee’s dad wanted to do was live on his farm, where he could see his beloved cows and the house he grew up in, which was on the next property. He wanted to see the last corn crop he planted as it grew, so he hated it when we had to send him to the local nursing home when he was recovering from procedures.

While Lee’s nephew, Chris, lived on the property, he worked in the oil fields and could not be there every day. And although Lee’s dad had someone “cleaning” his house, and people checking in on him, he kept forgetting to drink water (or not wanting to drink it, so he wouldn’t pee), getting dehydrated, becoming delirious, and having to go to the hospital.

This nice new home still allowed Lee’s dad to see the cows.

The family finally came up with a way to allow him to spend his final months at home. They hired a personal assistance service to come in and feed him, keep him clean, and keep the house in good shape. The people were very conscientious and personable. We were touched when they all came to his funeral, too.

Continue reading →

Hermann says please like and share!
1Shares

The Importance of Being Insured (Photos Included)

I pay my insurance so that I can concentrate on the great things in life! Like being a volunteer technical designer and director, and seeing my second-to-oldest son perform as Lion in Dorothy in Wonderland this past weekend.

Who loves paying their insurance premiums? Wow. Not only did no one raise their hand, they all left the room while mumbling about stupid questions. That’s the thing though. None of us like to pay our insurance.

Not paying it, though, can really have some horrible consequences. Life altering and life shattering consequences. I know of someone who was uninsured, ran off of the highway, and hit a parked car in the owner’s driveway. That person was found liable in a court of law to pay off the car because the owner’s car insurance would not cover it. Not having insurance = serious consequences!

Some History

This was our first brand new car. It was right around six  months old when this happened on June 25th, 2015.

In 2015, I was the passenger in a really bad rollover. Lots of mechanical failure that day. We all survived, and our insurance came through for us. Medical was covered as well as paying off the car, which was only six months old.

Earlier this year Lady Rattlesnake had damage caused in part to a storm, and now is suffering from plumbing issues stemming from replacing the siding, rotten decking around the windows, and reinstalling and trimming out the windows to be properly sealed to keep the new decking from rotting again.

Continue reading →

Hermann says please like and share!
0Shares

Planning for the Nash Renovation

Lee and Jennifer are ready to work!

Now that we’re officially working on the Nash house, it’s time to start making a plan. It always helps to have another set of eyes to look at a potential renovation, and a real estate specialist familiar with the local market is a really good choice, because they know what sells in the area and what renovations that might work in one place won’t be so great where you are.

So, our first thought was to get in touch with Jennifer Young, who is doing such a great job with our Washington house, and who has managed to find the perfect new owners for Travis 1. I enjoyed working with her on Washington, and it was so great to have an on-site project manager to check on things and manage issues as they come up.

She was delighted to come meet with us and bounce ideas around with us for the Nash house, and has agreed to do the project management again, in addition to getting a sales commission when we eventually sell.

But first

Before we can resell a house, we have to renovate it. We had lots of ideas for what we can do, but those ideas have to allow us to make a profit. Here’s some of what we are thinking, with photos of a lot of the “before” areas:

Continue reading →

Hermann says please like and share!
0Shares

New Siding at Lady Rattlesnake and New Doorknobs at the Office!

Hey everybody out there in blog land! Boy howdy, have I been super busy lately! We open Dorothy in Wonderland this Friday at Milam Community Theater as our summer youth production. I’m the technical director and designer on that, and man it has been a blast!

Sue Ann has come with me and gotten pictures of us trying to figure out where to put the set. We have some great kids in the cast and helping me on tech and a great team of volunteers to tie the ends! Plus there’s my day job, which has really picked up the pace, but it has been a whole lot easier to keep up with since the installation of our new planning and scheduling system. With anything new, it takes some time to get used to it, and to learn about it, but as the days go on I see that I am more and more thankful for it! It is so much easier to keep up with what’s going on when I can look at it in an online planner rather than calling Lee, Sue Ann, or someone else 30 times to get reminders on what we were working on and my role in it.

Which Brings us to Siding!

Check out that big lift! It’s a very tall house! The lift I use at the theater is only about half that size. Kudos to them going up in that thing! I sure wouldn’t do it!

See? Water is just destructive! Bad old rotten wood!

Siding repairs are having to be done out there at my little piece of Texas, The Lady Rattlesnake. We had a bad storm that came through several months ago and it really did a number on the siding. When the adjuster came out, we found out that the siding had not been secured properly around the windows, so the wind just grabbed it and ripped it almost completely off. One side of the house’s siding would just flap in the breeze. Thanks to our insurance agent, Cody, and his Choice Builders crew, my Lady Rattlesnake is getting a much needed face-lift!

And Oh! Ain’t she lovely! Once the old siding was pulled off, Cody found a lot of rotten wood from where the siding had been loose enough around the windows to let rain in. That made us really sad, but that is getting fixed as well. I am very happy with the progress and this side will be finished today or tomorrow. They are sure working hard on getting it done. I really appreciate that!

Continue reading →

Hermann says please like and share!
0Shares

On Being Paternal

Sending appreciation to my fatherly teammates.

I just wanted to take a break from hyper focus on real estate to salute Russell, the only member of our team who’s a biological father, and to Lee, who has helped raise three stepsons. I’ve learned a lot watching the two of them over the past decade-plus, as Sierra Mangum, my two sons, and Lee’s adult stepson have grown into having adult issues and moved out into the world. Talking to Russell about his daughter has always been a joy to me; he wants the best for her and will do anything to be there for her. Lee has encouraged both of my boys in their passions, especially the musician, with whom he has that passion in common.

Will these guys stop being paternal? Nope. But, none of us (even non-fathers) stop being paternal, I think. Those new investors we mentor, the prospective home sellers we counsel,  and all the people who turn to  us for wisdom and advice benefit from “fatherly” impulses within us.

The cover photo to Lees upcoming book, which isnt written yet.

While I certainly do think of Lee’s and my late fathers as the primary father figures in my life, I think back on others who’ve shaped me by listening, providing advice, but then giving me the chance to go out and prove myself. They hold a special place in my heart and mind.

An organization I used to work for focused on mothers, and maternal acts of love and service, but maintained that the father’s role is equally important. I think they had a good point, though I’ve seen many different kinds of relatives, friends, and acquaintances in this “fatherly” role.

Russell, thinking about his next book topic.

Whether it’s in your role as a real estate redeveloper, or in some other part of your life, treasure those who shape you and encourage you to test your wings in the big, wide world. And thank them, today or any day! Shoot, thank them every day if  you want to. It won’t hurt one bit.

Hermann says please like and share!
0Shares