The Future is Bright for The Hamiltons

I’m always blessed by the perspective I get to have - a glimpse into a family's life at a time when their work and prayers begin to come to life. Although I play my role taming the particulars of it all, somehow I'm still the fortunate one. The excitement, the plans and pivots, their hopes morphing into reality - I get a front row seat.

When I met Deana and David Hamilton, they were ready for change. Their dreams became bigger than their fears, and they decided to bet on themselves and take then next step toward becoming real estate investors.  Their vision for Given and Reign Properties became clearer.

As current homeowners, they had to decide whether they'd keep their house or sell. Opting to keep their home that they invested so much time in, they set out to find themselves a new family home with their two little girls in tow. They got creative and made big plans to convert their new house into an investment property. The ultimate goal was to find something that was income-producing to help them offset their mortgage. We explored a range of ideas - turnkey properties with space to build an ADU or a fun, experiential Airbnb, to houses needing full renovations. 

When asked what home means to her, Deana said:

"Home is somewhere I can breathe, relax and retreat to. It’s where I can be me the most and welcome others into an inviting, intentional space of peace and a non-judgment zone. It’s my safe space and haven."

We hit the pavement - many places missing the mark in terms of what worked for their family. Then a house hit the market… not any old house, but a turnkey, recently renovated home in an amazing neighborhood with proximity to so many things for their family. As a lagniappe, the large, level, corner lot was laden with fruit trees - mature grape vines, peach and pear trees, blueberries and raspberries. The yard is also adorned with Japanese maples, crepe myrtles, roses, and more. A DREAM!

The best part -  it was being sold with a finished basement that was currently an established Airbnb. We were able to negotiate the furniture in the sale, so they could begin offsetting their mortgage day one! (And they're already booked and busy!) Their journey hasn't been easy, but they've overcome so much on their path to financial freedom and generational wealth.

All photos on this post are by Sophia Denard.