HUGE Milestone!

In 1982 the house I was living in was sold so I had to find a new place to live. I was a single mother of 2 with a year old business. I only had a business because a friend introduced me to 2 men that were looking for a stable business for a building they owned. They believed in me and set up a beauty shop for me. That beauty shop was my only income. A girlfriend called to tell me she had seen a house for sale on a tree lined street I had daydreamed about living on. It was in a perfect location between the kids schools, the park where Kim played sports and the Boys Club where the kids spent a lot of their spare time.

I couldn't resist looking at the house and even though it was old and needed some work I fell in love with it. The owners were in a hurry to sell because they had 2 mortgages so the price was right. I saw the potential in this house that others did not see. I didn't look at another house.

I still had a huge hurdle to cross. Getting a mortgage was not easy because I only had one income and a new business. The bank turned me down. Another friend's father offered to buy the house and sell it to me on a land contract. The first night in our new house the dining room ceiling leaked when the kids took a shower! I still loved my house and I learned how to remove tile, put up greenboard and a tub surround!

In 1988 the building my shop was in was sold so I borrowed several thousand dollars to move my shop to my unfinished basement. I had a fire in my furnace in 1997 that caused damage to the beauty shop bathroom and smoke damage to the rest of the house. When my Mom passed away I sold my half of her house to my brother and redid my kitchen. I also turned a side porch into a bathroom and added my deck. Now I really love my house! I can live very comfortably on the first floor as long as I am able. I have refinanced a couple times to lower interest and consolidate the house and shop payments. I have learned to do a lot of work myself and have also learned to call a professional when necessary. I have added flower gardens all over that are a place for quiet work and extreme joy.

I've told my house story to say this,

I JUST SENT MY LAST PAYMENT TO THE BANK!!

Instead of burning my mortgage, I'm having a give away! You certainly deserve one if you read thru all of this post.

These are the prizes. A Home Sweet Home sign, A Happy Home Recipe plaque from the '70's and a cute screen door. All you have to do is leave a comment. Jerzie is spending the weekend with me and I will have her draw a name on Sunday the 17th so you must sign up by 7am sunday.