The Story Behind Moira
Moira means serendipity, and I strongly believe she was meant to be. I’ve had a love affair with real estate since I graduated from college. Knowing I wanted to live in a community where I could raise my Babes was my first priority—even though I lived in my first home for five years without kids. That sweet, little Cape Cod with a postage stamp lot was a great first investment. Making only minor cosmetic changes with elbow grease and a lot of paint, there was a good amount of profit for the next property.
Walleye Bill actually spotted the next home—a sprawling Cape Cod, in the same community, but this time there was an extra bedroom, bath, and a 3/4 acre lot. I was in heaven, and the football field flat backyard and cul-de-sac street was perfect for four growing Babes. As a bonus, it was a bank foreclosure, so it was purchased for only a tad bit more than the first home. The plan was to fix it up—it needed a total kitchen/bathrooms renovation—and then sell within two years to find a home the Babes would live in until graduation. But I loved that little street and our neighbors so much, I just couldn’t find any home I loved more, so it was seven glorious years in house #2.
Because finding a new home in our community just wasn’t happening, I decided to find a second home near dear friends on a lake that was 45 minutes away. We were struggling to get to my childhood lake home because of the Babes’ sports, so because of a down turn in the market, second homes became very affordable. I was able to find a three bedroom lake home for a steal; the house needed mostly cosmetic updates, and those could be done on a smaller budget. It was a total joy because the Babes were only three houses down from childhood friends, and we didn’t have to live through the renovation.
But as timing had it, a foreclosure property came on the market in our community, just as renovations were gearing up at the lake, and the property on top of the hill was just too good to pass up. It was a home the Babes could fill with friends and life and so much ordinary goodness. So after negotiating the price over a full year, with several rejected bids, and ultimately a flooded basement, the bank finally sold her for barely over what our second home sold for.
Our happy house on the hill needed literally everything remodeled, from top to bottom—cosmetic, reconfiguring of spaces, windows, HVAC, plumbing, roof, exterior paint, 30 plus trees to take down. She was going to be a project done in two phases. For the first phase, we lived with Saint Ann and Walleye Bill for 4 months—many say this is one of the reasons for her sainthood. And the second phase, we lived mostly at the lake, which I believe was meant to be as well.
And our happy house on the hill turned out to be the biggest blessing of all. A safe haven for me and the Babes when our whole lives were turned upside down by divorce. We made this home completely ours, a place to heal and grow. She became the refuge where we hunkered down, closed ranks, and figured it all out…together. But, in the back of my mind, I was still dreaming of taking my personal knowledge/experience and applying it to investment properties. I had learned so much along the way, and I just knew I wanted to try my hand at flipping residential homes.
Enter Maaaattttt: after working with him on his lake house, and sharing my bigger real estate dreams, he knew he could help me bring my ideas to life. So, like every good partner who sees potential, he’s been guiding me through the construction side of Moira. Showing me how to plan the timeline, source a budget, and secure experienced crews, he is helping me get Moira to the “white box” stage, as he calls it. Once drywall is in, I’ll spring into action—I am giddy with excitement over the fixtures, cabinetry, and cosmetic details. Plus, nobody likes to work a budget more than me.
Every day I think about Moira, I’m still giddy. Each and every experience in my life has led me to the point where my passion can be breathed into life. I know how to make a house a home and have the experience to do it on a budget…Matt brings the much needed construction expertise. And I can’t think of anything more rewarding than creating a home for the just right family to move into. Because while Moira is a long time dream come true for me, she’s gonna be the future dream for a family who will surely love her well. And all of that, Pals, is ordinary goodness with a hefty side of serendipity.