Hello friends,
Welcome to Volume 2 of Stories From The Field.
Most people only see the finished renovation — the fresh paint, new kitchens, and the “after” photos.
But the real work of real estate investing happens long before the remodel begins.
Every week we’re out in the field meeting homeowners, working through complicated property situations, and helping people find solutions when traditional options don’t work.
We thought we’d start sharing a few of those stories with you.
The Story that Numbers Couldn’t Capture
There are houses you walk into and immediately start running numbers. And then there are houses like this one. The kind where the numbers don’t show up right away—because something else hits you first.
When Paul and I pulled up to the property, it sat in one of those neighborhoods you find just blocks from a small downtown—tree-lined streets, a mix of homes from different eras, each one a little different from the next. The kind of area that feels steady, lived-in, and full of history.
Before we even made it to the door, we met him. Eighty-nine years old, standing in the driveway, talking with a neighbor. Sharp. Present. Fully aware of what was going on.
He wasn’t confused. He wasn’t checked out. He was exactly who you’d expect—a man who had spent a lifetime providing, solving problems, and taking care of his family.
And now, he was trying to do that one more time. Figure out the best path forward. But you could see it—the moment behind his eyes. The one we see more often than people realize. The look that says: I don’t know what to do.
The home had been in the family for decades. Two generations under one roof. The kind of place that didn’t just hold people—it held time. When we stepped inside, we were immediately told his wife had dementia. Within moments, she looked at us and asked:
“Are you the landlord?” She believed they were renting the home.
That’s where everything shifts for us. Because at that point, this is no longer just a real estate conversation. Its about people. We slow things down. We start asking different questions.
Not about the house—but about who’s helping them make decisions, who needs to be part of the conversation, and whether everyone truly understands what’s going on.
- Who in the family can help support decisions?
- Who else needs to be part of the conversation?
And if something feels off, we don’t push forward. We pause. We make sure the right people are brought in—family, someone they trust, sometimes even a third party—so that no one is trying to navigate a decision like this on their own.
Because we will not move forward with any type of transaction of this magnitude without the right people involved. That’s how we run our business.
As we walked through the home, every wall told a story.
Photos layered on top of photos. Milestones. Holidays. Generations of life captured and held in place.
The house hadn’t been updated in years—maybe decades. But that wasn’t what stood out. What stood out was that nothing had been erased.
This is where our work gets complicated. Because while most people see an outdated house…we see two things at once. Paul walks a property like this and sees the life that’s been lived there—and the life that could be lived there next.
The potential. A refreshed home. A new family. A new cycle beginning.
That’s the work we believe in. But it only works when it works for everyone.
The plan they had was simple—and deeply meaningful. Sell the home. Purchase a tiny home. Place it on their daughter’s property here in the Treasure Valley area. Their daughter didn’t live with them—she had her own home, with land and space to bring them in.
The goal wasn’t financial gain. It was proximity. Safety. Independence. Being close to family. Being part of their grandkids’ lives. Finishing this next chapter surrounded by the people who matter most.
The challenge? There was a reverse mortgage on the property. And the number they needed to make that plan work…didn’t align with what the house could realistically support.
We explored everything.
We looked at purchasing it ourselves.
We ran it through our investor network.
We tried to structure creative solutions.
Nothing aligned. We stepped back and looked at the open market. Even there—with listing, exposure, and time—the outcome still didn’t get them where they needed to go.
This is the part of the business people don’t talk about enough.
Walking away.
Not because we don’t want to help—but because forcing a solution that doesn’t actually solve the problem isn’t helping. It’s one of the hardest decisions we make.
Because standing in that home, surrounded by a lifetime of memories, you don’t want to be the one saying :“This doesn’t work.” But honesty matters more than a deal. Every time.
The truth is—this isn’t rare. We see versions of this every week. Families trying to do the right thing. Aging parents navigating complicated financial situations. Homes full of life…meeting the realities of today’s market.
No one buys a home thinking they’ll one day have to solve a problem like this. There is always a story behind that moment. Always.
We don’t have a perfect answer for situations like this. We’re not sure anyone does. But we do believe these conversations matter.
Because the more people understand the realities—reverse mortgages, equity positions, and planning ahead—the better decisions they can make before they get here.
So we’ll ask you the same question we walked away with: What do you think the options are for families in this position?
—Paul & Tanice Myers
Road Warrior Investors