Step One...

So, my little option property is a little like an episode of flip this house right now. Well, maybe more like one of the curb appeal shows since all I'm doing is sprucing up the yard a bit.

This option is a little strange because I am going to do work on the property myself rather than have the owners do the work. Since there isn't a lot of equity to work with, I need to make the place as pretty as possible for my retail buyer.

Generally an investor will only buy an option on a property if it is a "pretty house" and doesn't need a lot of work. But for a few thousand dollars I'll tear up a ramp, cut up some tree limbs & rake the leaves. No problem.


Apparently, the city of Virginia Beach will hire a contractor to come out and build a wheelchair ramp for your house when you get old and can't walk anymore. This is how the ramp came to be in front of my option house. At least that is how it was explained to me by the executor. Get old, stop walking, get free ramp. Hmmm... I'll stay young & walk often. But I digress...

My oldest son & I had the great pleasure of doing some demo work on the ramp. It was a blast. Banging, ripping, tearing wood, pulling nails, awesome guy stuff. Hammers & crowbars were the tools of the day. I even got to use my chainsaw to cut up some of the support beams. We got the job done in about 2 1/2 hours.

I placed an ad on Craigslist.com for the 'Free Wood' left over from the demo and I got 13 responses in the next 2 hours. Nails & all. People love wood.