NEST — October 2015

September 30, 2015 triad-city-beat.com

Dream a Little Dream • Specialty kitchens and baths DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen

425 West End Boulevard • Winston-Salem, NC 27101 336.722.3625 • dreammakernc.com • andersonmoore.com

• House-flipping made easy

Dream a Little Dream After years of living with dated cabinetry, old appliances and inefficient workspaces, many homeowners make the decision to renovate their existing baths and kitchens in order to update the look and feel of their homes.

Sometimes, a renovation is necessary in order to make a space more accessible and improve functionality and quality of life.

Erik Anderson and Tracy Moore of DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen have been business partners in Winston-Salem for almost 20 years, and together with their team they have been able to meet and exceed client expectations many times over.

After Before

Updated historic

Visit DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen’s website, www.dreammakernc.com, to see what is new and for more information about the services they offer. For a more hands-on experience, stop by their Design Center located at 425 West End Blvd. or call 336.722.3625 to schedule a complimentary consultation.

Before

After

The owners of a historic West End home in Winston-Salem were no exception. Their kitchen hadn’t been touched since the 1950s, and they were interested in an updated look that preserved the historic feel of their home. Avid home cooks, they also wanted a functional space that allowed them creative freedom in the kitchen. After the DreamMaker team met with the homeowners to go over their specific needs and define the scope of work, in-house designer Jennifer Cameron drew up the plans to turn their dream into a reality.

A major challenge in the kitchen was working around the three large windows within the original structure. The homeowners felt strongly about preserving the historic elements of their house, so the DreamMaker team had to customize and fine-tune the design in order to make cabinetry work within the original frame. They made it happen, with the slim margin of 5/8 of an inch between each windowframe and cabinet, meticulously calculated and executed.

The homeowners also opted for custom butcher-block countertops, a designated work area with prep sink and a chef-quality gas

stove and range. The beautiful heart-pine floors were added to match the original floors throughout the home. Thoughtful design and careful attention to the client’s needs made this challenging project a success, and the homeowners are now happily using their updated and fully realized kitchen.

Aesthetic accessibility

The team at DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen recently took on another project involving aging and accessibility. This Winston-Salem couple had lived in their home for more than 30 years and wished to remain there as they aged, but needed to update their small bathroom in order to make it comfortable. They didn’t want to trade form for function, but instead wanted a bathroom that was both beautiful and safe. Erik Anderson stated that this was the type of project that they really enjoyed, “something that makes you feel good” at the end in knowing that his team had helped improve the homeowner’s lives. They focused on universal design, and made a space that was aesthetically pleasing, but completely accessible for those with limited mobility.

The results are stunning. A zero-threshold shower with a dropframe allowed the tiled shower floor to be level with the rest of the bathroom — no risk of tripping over a step. Doorways and entry points were widened throughout the space. An accessible vanity with retractable cabinet doors was installed to allow for a wheelchair to pull all the way up the sink.

Marble countertops, high-end finishes and marble tub-surround accent the thoughtful design.

Walking in, one would never know it was an accessible bathroom. A focus on graceful aging and improving one couple’s quality of life drove the project, while the team at DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen navigated it home.

Who Wants to Be a House Flipper?

Next Greensboro Deal Maker Session 7-9 p.m. Tuesday, Oct 6 Wingate by Windham 3901 Sedgebrook St. (Off Highway 68), High Point 336.854.8000 Real estate house-flipping shows promote the glamorous aspects of investment real estate and lure many into believing anyone can flip houses to make a quick buck. But how easy is it really? Nest Editor Alex Klein met with two local real estate investors who explained (patiently) the process and how they came to the profession.

The right mix John and Corinne Tesh have been house-flippers since before it became en vogue. Corinne has her broker’s license, a degree in interior design and a background in project management. John was a commercial photographer with

After

previous rental property experience. They believed that together they had the right combination of skills to make this venture a success.

They were quick to discover, however, that finding the right properties and converting them into large profits is pretty difficult. One month they submitted more than 20 offers on houses without a single response.

John assured me it’s a lot harder than people think.

“This is a business where you better know what you’re doing. There are a lot of moving parts, there’s a lot of money involved and it’s difficult to get leads and do the necessary marketing.” So when Corinne received an email last September about a free real estate investor networking group — Greensboro Deal Maker Sessions — the couple decided to attend.

Expensive backpacks That evening they met a man who would change the course of their future: Jim Williams, who some may know as the We Buy Ugly Houses guy. The Teshs bought a house presented that very night (more on that later), and soon after Jim sat them down to discuss the HomeVestors franchise.

John and Corinne were dubious at first. They had already spent a tidy sum on other real estate investment seminars, bootcamps and gurus. Corinne found these helpful; John however describes them as “expensive backpacks” because all you walk away with is a lot of material to read and implement. Corinne credits these events with giving her a solid foundation, but both agreed that they needed more guidance and structure.

Since joining HomeVestors less than a year ago, John and Corinne have purchased and sold 14 houses through their company, Citygate Homes LLC, and they estimate that by the end of the year it will be 25. Next year, they plan on 40.

Corinne and John recently asked themselves, What would we be doing if we weren’t doing this? Really, what? According to the Teshs, attending Deal Maker Sessions and joining HomeVestors is the best thing they’ve ever done.

Abundance vs. scarcity Corinne credits HomeVestors with providing structure, coaching, marketing and lead generation, as well as making them part of a team. John and Corinne

Before

Before

After

now run the Greensboro Deal Maker Sessions, which were created by Jim to allow those involved in the business to network and share their deals. Everyone is welcome and the sessions are free to attend. The Teshs appreciate Jim’s “abundance mentality as opposed to a scarcity mentality — he really feels that there’s enough to go around, and everybody is better off when they share resources.”

‘The smell of money’ The home that John and Corinne purchased at their first Deal Maker Session happens to be their most dramatic rehab story. “It was a hoarder house! Our painter was gagging. We had to take turns going in and out of the house because it smelled so bad. The seller from JKK Properties was pregnant and couldn’t even go inside. We literally hauled 12 dump trucks’ worth of stuff out of that house. Our feet stuck to the carpet!” So they tore this house apart and even bleached the walls. “After that, the house started to sing,” said Corinne. It sold only a week after they completed the rehab. “This house is now famous in our circle. It’s been used in a PowerPoint presentation called ‘The Smell of Money.’ You literally had to breathe through your mouth.”

Have what it takes?

Although the difficulty of refurbishing and flipping houses is real, John and Corinne believe it’s a viable career option for the right candidate. “You actually don’t need a lot of money to do this job,” says John. “There are investors out there, hard-money lenders, plenty of ways to make it work.”

So what do you need? The entrepreneurial spirit, a strong work ethic and, of course, the ability to see potential in what may look like nothing more than a house full of trash.

Interested in investment properties and real estate? Join Nest Editor Alex Klein on Oct. 6 at the next Greensboro Deal Maker Session, where she’ll experience what its like networking with the real estate investing movers and shakers of the Triad.

Free to the public.

Read part 2 of the HomeVestors story in the next edition of Nest, Oct. 28.

Greensboro

“Deal Maker Sessions ” ™

Exclusive “First Look” at Discounted Wholesale Real Estate

Public/Investors – Looking for Rentals – Looking for your next Rehab Wholesalers – Present any properties you have for sale!

But, please, no properties listed on the MLS.

Real estate agents – Come find exclusive deals for your clients!

NO MLS Listings presented at Deal Maker Sessions™

Meets the 1st Tuesday of Every Month Public Welcome!

Our DMS promise: • deals are made • properties offered are located throughout the Triad • various types of properties are presented • no speakers • no guru’s • no submitting blinds offers or bids • no selling books, tapes, or training seminars • no fees to Join • Real Estate WILL be sold!

Next Meeting: October 6, 2015 - 7pm Location: Wingate by Wyndham 3901 Sedgebrook Street (Off Hwy. 68 near I-40) High Point, NC 27265

Sponsored by: CityGate Homes, LLC — John & Corinne Tesh JKK Property Investors — Jim Williams, Kiet Nguyen, Karen Rittenhouse Intella Investment Group, LLC — Samir Bhagat

Lendinghome.com

J & L Acquisitions LLC — Lee Essick Lucky Find Properties, LLC — Cheryl Dalton Sandbrook Enterprises LLC — Jason & Barbara Ewing Got You Floored

We look forward to seeing you there!

Questions: Call or email Karen 336-848-9035 karen@karensperspective.com

www.dealmakersessions.com