Stepping Stones

Note: This is one in a series of posts I’m running on Wednesdays about the people and places who are inspiring me along my life journey. My goal is to spread the good Karma and express my appreciation for the bounty of people and organizations that are making a difference in the world. I hope you find the posts inspiring and uplifting. 

Last year, when the house next door went on the market, again, for the third time in three and a half years, I tried not to get my hopes up.  For years, I had been hoping that a handyman with vision would swoop down and rescue the house, providing it with the tender loving care it deserved. It was a good house with good bones; it just needed someone who could see the beauty beneath its imperfections. But no one seemingly could. So it sat empty, except for a brief time when it was rented.

The first time it was on the market, the price was too steep, given the fact that it needed some serious work, and the fact that there was a glut of other houses available. Back then, as the asking price continued to plummet, my husband and I began to worry about how low the price might go and who might settle next door.

In these dicey economic times, when it’s not uncommon for homes to go into foreclosure even in seemingly stable neighborhoods like ours, I caught a bad case of the what ifs. What if the house went into foreclosure? What if our neighborhood slipped into decline like others had in Cleveland Heights, a vibrant inner ring suburb of Cleveland, OH that we love for its community spirit, tree-lined streets, and artistic sensibility.

In my darkest moments, I feared the worst. In my most optimistic, I dreamt of the noble handyman with heart.

Then, at some point the house actually sold. But before we had the chance to celebrate, someone in our neighborhood told us that a contractor had purchased the house so he could “flip” it for a big juicy profit.

In spite of this latest piece of news, I tried to focus on the positive. Whoever this contractor was, he’d obviously seen something in this piece of property, regardless of whether he was going to “flip” the house or not.

What happened next took me by surprise. A team of workers swooped down in mid September and got busy, and a giant dumpster that took up residence in the driveway quickly became filled with materials discarded from inside the house. The house got new gutters and a new roof, as well as a new front porch and driveway. In addition, the garage, which was a serious eyesore, received a much-needed facelift.

While we weren’t sure what was happening inside, it was obvious that some serious renovation was taking place. One day, my husband, met the general contractor for the project, who told him that the house had been purchased by Frank Vale, an investor who had renovated a number of houses in our city that needed considerable work.

It seemed that Frank found it rewarding to restore the architectural detail to older homes, updating them with modern touches and high-quality materials like granite and marble, and making them more energy efficient.

Over the next two and a half months, we were amazed to see a team of workers working long days on the house, at least six days a week, sometimes seven. Since both my husband and I work out of our home, and are particularly sensitive to noise, we were grateful that the workers never played loud music and were always respectful.

 While we never got the chance to see the renovations close up, we were able to sneak a peak at the improvements on the Howard Hanna Realty website, once the house was on the market. The photos said it all. The house had been transformed into a home that anyone would be proud to call their own, with gleaming hardwood floors, a beautiful new kitchen with new appliances, a spacious master suite on the third floor, and updated bathrooms throughout.

Amazingly, my dream had come true! A generous soul had rescued the house next door. It would have been gratifying to see at any time. But given the wobbly state of our economy, it gave us a real boost. Though the newspaper headlines made it sound like the sky was falling, here was an investor in our city who was forging ahead, sinking his resources into our neighborhood and our community.

A few weeks ago, we learned that the house next door had finally sold. Needless to say I did the happy dance! I’ll forever be grateful to Frank Vale. Not only for rescuing a house that seemed destined for foreclosure. But for believing in our neighborhood and community during these uncertain economic times.

Who has inspired you, lately?

And how have your perspective and actions changed as a result of knowing this person (or people)?

I’d love to hear what you have to say. Please join in the conversation, by leaving a comment, here, on Stepping Stones.

Are you ready to embark on a Journey to reach your life potential? If so, I’d love to help out! Visit my website at http://www.wellnessjourneys.com to sign up for a coaching package that’s right for you or to schedule a complimentary session. Since most coaching sessions are conducted by phone, I can work with clients anywhere in the world!

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