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2018 Highlights + Recap

It did not seem right to let 2018 fade away without taking a moment to recap and reflect on what has been such a monumental year for us. The latter half especially has…

It did not seem right to let 2018 fade away without taking a moment to recap and reflect on what has been such a monumental year for us. The latter half especially has been a bit of a whirlwind, so if you've lost track of things around here, I do not blame you! Even I have trouble remembering everything that is happened over the past 12 months.

Let us take a walk down memory lane, month by month, highlighting the noteworthy events of this rollercoaster ride of a year…

January

  • Moved from San Francisco, CA to Tampa, FL to embark on a new journey of real estate investing. Started a vlog to document our progress

February

  • Closed on our first property, and went under contract on a 5-unit Bungalow
  • Began offering E-Design Services
  • Began renovations on first property (dubbed the Heights House)

March

  • Still under contract for the Bungalow, waiting patiently as the seller delays escrow
  • Get a late night call from a future neighbor telling us our Heights house is on fire. More than half of the house is destroyed (cause was never determined by fire investigators)
  • After already committing to the One Room Challenge weeks prior, I decide to stick with it and instead makeover our apartment bedroom.

April

  • Shared a “Real Life Home Tour” Spring edition to memorialize our transient, termite-infested existence

May

  • More delays and challenges with the Bungalow contract
  • The burned Heights House sits vacant as we work with insurance and come up with a plan to rebuild

June

  • We make the decision to demolish the old Heights House and build new. It is a big commitment both financially and time-wise, but we know it will be the right move in the end
  • The Bungalow headache continues, with the seller requesting yet another 30 day extension. We feel helpless, frustrated and stuck. Until…
  • A new opportunity pops up out of nowhere and we jump on it: our third property. We go under contract as a lease to own, which means we can live in and renovate it over the next several months, and will purchase the property before the contracted date in April 2019
  • We decide to turn this property into a vacation rental (after we move out) named “The Riverside Retreat”, and put together a tropical earthy oasis design plan

July

  • I head north to work on a special client design project and document Part 1 (I know Part 2 is long overdue—there have been lots of delays out of my control with this one unfortunately! It is coming…)
  • We move into the Riverside Retreat and and tackle our bedroom first
  • After permitting delays, the old Heights House is finally demolished to make way for our new build
  • After nearly half a year, we FINALLY CLOSE ON BUNGALOW!

August

  • A difficult first month as landlords leaves us with a loss after having to evict one tenant, another fleeing the country, and the discovery of a major termite infestation requiring the tenting of both buildings
  • Renovations begin on the Riverside Retreat

September

  • We finally break ground on the new Heights House and I share all the plans
  • We also (literally) break ground on our tile floors at the Riverside Retreat and transform the house with new laminate floors
  • Bits and pieces of the Riverside Retreat come together, and our laundry room renovation is started and *almost* completed…
  • But first, we take a few days off to get married (photos by Adam Black Photography)

October

  • Exciting progress as the walls go up just weeks into construction of our Heights House:

Then the second floor a few weeks later:

  • Phase 1 of the Guest Bedroom makeover is completed

November

  • Interior walls and windows, followed shortly by electric, AC and plumbing are installed at the Heights House
  • Our Riverside Retreat Dining Room is complete, just in time to host Thanksgiving!

December

  • Took it slow with a break from DIY projects and easy holiday decor
  • Finally got our furniture and an arrangement down for the living room—just a couple projects left to tackle in here!

And that brings us to today, the very last day of 2018. Looking back at it all now, I can remember the heart-sinking moments, the days of frustration and doubt, the stress of juggling so many things at once. But I also feel a sense of progress and accomplishment, and peace knowing that even though we were not in control for so much of it… life always has a way of working itself out.

While 2019 is shaping up to be a year packed with even more projects and 'to-dos', there is certainly more stability now—and part of that is comforting to me. I have relished a lifestyle of change and unknowns over the past few years, but I think I am ready to settle down in one place for a little while. Traveling will always be a priority for us (even though it has been put on hold for the time being) but it feels good to have a home base somewhere. I think we made the right choice in choosing Tampa to be that place.

See you on the other side,

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