The Appraiser's Wife: August 2007

Monday, August 13, 2007

4 thing i bet you didn't know about the houck's

1.) Ashley is a walking advertisement for a cleaning product called Grease lighting, you can only get it at lowes, its the BEST. http://www.glblast.com/products/Default.aspx

2.) Ryan doesn't like ice in his pop. he'd rather have it VERY cold from the fridge

3.) since purchasing our two rental properties we disagree about 95% of the time, but don't make any decision unless the other is on board 100%

4.) we are obsessed with the Lion King soundtrack. it has to be playing for us to clean.

Don’t pray for a lighter load. Pray for a stronger back

Monday, August 6, 2007

life after august 1 2007

To say the past year has been tough would be an understatement. Trying to get two businesses up and running (Appraising and property management) to a point where it’s making money is not easy, nor should it be. Nothing easy doesn’t come with a lot of work, a lot of prayer and a lot more work! Ryan & I joked a lot this past year how we’re living our dream and nightmare at the same time. Last July we bought 628/630 garnet. We lived in one side and completely remodeled the upstairs. I don’t think anything was the original when we moved out. It took us 11 months to complete with putting in 85 plus hours (between our jobs and the duplex) for the last month and a half. Including an all-nighter the night before the new tenants moved in. We certainly couldn’t have done it without our family & friends who REALLY stepped up to the plate and helped us out when we needed it the most. There were many times Ryan & I questioned our sanity in doing this. Then this June we purchased another duplex located right behind the east Hy-Vee here in Ames. So, that’s where were at right now. We’ve learned so much this past year about ourselves, God’s grace, love, and working hard for your dream. Was it worth it? All the late night hours, time and commitment? Absolutely.