Paddle boarding at lake avalon

One of the biggest draws of Bella Vista, AR, is the opportunity for outdoor activities. It was a huge part of what brought us to NWA in the first place, and Bella Vista has a lot to offer as far as activities and resources to enjoy. The town was originally developed as a retirement community, and my […]

the cost of mature trees

One of the things that give older homes some of their charm is the mature landscaping that is usually on the property. Big old trees provide a certain aesthetic, as well as shade, character, and a habitat for animals. I really love trees, as a rule, but I am also really tired of owning homes […]

Devil’s Den State Park

Good company, a cozy cabin, and rain that wasn’t constant. These were some of the ingredients that made for a lovely weekend staying at Devil’s Den State Park near West Fork, Arkansas. John and I hadn’t been camping since moving to AR a year ago, and this was the perfect way to ease back into […]

The cost of a bathroom

Galvanized pipes, leaky fixtures, seriously damaged tile (that was on both the floor and the walls), and barely enough room to use the toilet. Plus, just a general feeling of “eww.” These were the takeaways on my first walkthrough of the Tulsa investment property. As an out-of-state investor, I’d made the offer with a quick […]

mid-term rentals: The What & why

You know about rentals: maybe it’s an apartment, a single-family home, one side of a duplex, or your parents’ vacant trailer behind their house. Either way, almost everyone has had the experience of renting a place to live for a period of time. Typically, these one-year leases are referred to as long-term rentals. For real […]

My First float on the buffalo

I steered the canoe just fine. No one drowned, nothing was lost, we just got a little wet. Which is to be expected and is all just part of the experience, really. I saw about 30+ turtles (they were everywhere!), finally figured out where Steel Creek Campground is (people always seem to mention this one […]

5 Takeaways from Painting kitchen Cabinets

It wasn’t that I thought cabinet painting was easy. I’d talked to enough friends who’d tried it that I knew “easy” wasn’t the right descriptor. I was just confident that it would be easy for us. Also, I knew that time was running out and that this project needed to be finished by the time […]

Why move to arkansas?

When is the last time you remember taking a giant leap of faith, while also taking someone along for the ride? Mine was moving to Arkansas almost a year ago. I’d been in Colorado for 13 years, basically my whole “adult” life, and was terrified to make the leap. Yet, ready for a change and […]

welcome to your investment

I didn’t actually see the cockroach myself, but my mother would have no reason to lie about such a thing. My best hope was that it was a loner cockroach just out for an evening stroll on its own. I really didn’t feel like socializing with its friends that Friday night. We had our first […]

So you want to be a real estate investor….

Becoming a profitable real estate investor wasn’t going to happen overnight. I also longed to find a W2 job I was really passionate about. These two things didn’t need to be mutually exclusive. The main thing holding me back was that neither one was currently happening. Around October of 2021, my boyfriend got a copy […]