The Alpine House (BEFORE)

We’ve officially been home a week, what a whirlwind! Our 168 day road trip with our newest company Wander Camp took us all across the Western United States and it would be an understatement to say the ride has been both exhilarating and challenging. I documented the day to day of our adventure, but haven’t yet shared it here, however I plan to share those lessons learned and adventures had with you all soon!

Since being home we’ve taken a moment to relax and reconnect with friends and family. I organized a tea party with friends, picked fruit at my brother’s house, hosted my mom for the weekend, and put offers in on 2 reno properties — we weren’t expecting that!

Since 2020 we have acquired 250 tents, 5 camper / trailers, 3 parcels of raw land, and are currently under contract for 2 more “fixer upper” properties — and the BIG question at hand is, do we go through with them – Do we close on them or let them go?

The first fixer upper is what I call “The Alpine House”. This is a 1970s split level home, 3800 square feet on 1 acre of land and the base of the Wasatch Front (i.e. Northern Utah’s beautiful mountains that lie to the east, far from the noise of the freeway but close enough that you are easily able to access everything along I-15). The house is solid in frame (we always get an inspection before we purchase a property), but needs a major facelift to restore its character. Luckily, most of these changes are just cosmetic changes.

Most people see a dumpy house in a dead lot with too many pine trees. I see beautiful wooden beams, 12 foot ceilings with unobstructed views of the mountains, floor to ceiling windows, and cedar shakes / shingles that will be the focal points of the home and AN ENTIRE ACRE of land in one of Utah’s most desirable areas. We are under contract for $50k under asking price which talks to just how many people are interested in taking on this “project”.

What do I see? I see potential. Here are the BEFORE photos so you can see what we are working with.

The Alpine House BEFORE Photos:

Pros: 1 acre of land, horse property, open beams, big windows, Mountain View, cedar shake siding, new roofs, beautiful trees, tree house, location, fixer upper

Cons: Carpet upstairs, dead lawn, small master bath, detached garage, older home – 1970s, downstairs finished but lacks character

I’m sure you are thinking, this is risky — have you asked friends and family their opinion? Other investors? Have you done this before? The answer is yes, yes, and no – ultimately the numbers on this house make sense, and while it’s incredibly scary tackling something this big – it’s thrilling to see what we can build with or own two hands. We aren’t serial real estate investors, however a simple goal our first year of marriage to save enough money each year to put 20% down on an investment property, has allowed us to grow our portfolio to 10 properties in 6 years of marriage, all properties that cash flow each month and have appreciated in value.

Our portfolio is a mix of condos, townhomes, raw land, houses, and fixer-uppers. Most are in Utah, one in Arizona, and future ones definitely in other states — we are always looking in Tennessee, Idaho, Montana, and Tennessee for future investments. If you live in another state and have invested in property, let us know in the comments below!