I know this isn’t the norm for rentals all the time, but apparently the rental market is super hot right now. We had another tenant give us his notice that he is moving out of state for a job and would be vacating the house at the end of the month.

I posted an ad for the place figuring we’d have a month to find a good tenant. We had such a huge amount of interest with great candidates/applicants that the vacancy was filled the first day! We already have a signed lease and all the paperwork done!

The house when we bought it

Not only did we again improve the lease language, but we even increased the rent and still had a huge turn-out of interest. Makes me think we probably could have asked for more, but we are happy with what we got. It’s times like these that make you think being a landlord is a breeze.  But it’s the other times when something breaks or you have difficulty collecting that you want to pull your hair out. It’s a balancing act for sure. I know that renting out property is not for everyone, but for me, I really enjoy it. Especially when things go so well.

The living room after we painted and had the wood floors redone

I really like houses in general -I like walking through them, imagining living in them, seeing their potential. Homes are so intimate and yet necessary. They are so much more than just “a roof over your head”. Where we live is where life is! I find it kind of cool that we provide a home for people- one of the most basic necessities in life.

Plus there is the ability to help the worn out, tossed out houses (like foreclosures) shine into warm, beautiful homes again. When we fill a vacancy- a vacant place- we fill a void with a soul again. And I like the makeover part just as much -even if it drives Britton crazy. 🙂 I am really excited about our Puerto Rico property for these very reasons. I’d love to turn the old dead throwaway property into something wonderful, vibrant, and useful again. I am ready to  fill that vacant space with life –our life, transplanet!