(My Why) Wednesday
WHO: Meredith
WHAT: Looking for a home with 3 to 10 acres for her farming business with a top budget of $125,000 using an FHA Loan
WHERE: Greene, Barry, Lawrence or Dade Counties
WHEN: Started in 2020 and closed in 2022
WHY…..
Let me tell you a little bit about Meredith. She is a small dark haired woman with large blue/green eyes and a ready smile. She is ambitious and fearless when it comes to trying new things and she can outwork most men I know and she does on a daily basis. This all makes sense when you learn that she entered the military in 2007 and deployed to Iraq working as a technician on helicopters for the Army National Guard for the next two years. She also works with and trains German Sheperds for personal security and odor detection which includes finding cadavers and sniffing out drugs. On top of all this, she runs a farm.
I met Meredith while having my oil changed at a local dealership. While waiting, she and I started visiting. It didn’t take long to find out that she lived close to me and every time I drove Hwy 266, I passed by her folks farm. I recoginized the farm because it was the place with the goats. I told her that I sold real estate and she explained that her folks were thinking of selling their 40 acre farm and didn’t have an agent. This is how Meredith and I became friends. When I listed her parents' farm, she decided it was time to find a place of her own.
Over the course of several months she and I looked at several properties with a little acreage. One of the homes had insulation hanging out of the giant hole in the ceiling along with other signs of massive water damage. Another should have had “caution tape” wrapped around the home because of the treacherous porch and rotted flooring. After a year of searching, Meredith called me about a property in Dade county that had come on the market. It was a nearly 100 year old farmhouse with almost 4 acres. I will admit that when I first entered the house, I thought we should leave immediately. The house needed a LOT of work. It had been occupied by heavy smokers and the amount of nicotine that stained the ceiling and walls was a sight I hadn’t seen before. There was so much smoke and nicotine that the red velveteen curtains were crispy when I touched them. As I started to walk out the door, I looked back and Meredith had her feet planted firmly on the floor. “I think I can make this work.” she said. At that statement, I started to walk through the house again. It had a decent sized kitchen and all the rooms were fairly large. With a good cleaning and a lot of Kilz, among other things, the house had possibilities. It had a big garage/barn, a greenhouse (of sorts) and the amount of acreage that she needed for her animals. We decided to make an offer and we were thrilled when it was accepted. With the help of a great lender, and a lot of hard work on Meredith’s part, we closed in December.
Meredith’s Farm
Meredith has worked miracles on this farm and she has made it her own. She was willing to learn how to do plumbing, carpentry work, painting and floor refinishing, along with roofing and anything else that has been required. She has beautiful bright paint on the walls, new windows and gutters that she installed herself, and a place that she can call home.
Artisan Goat Soap
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Meredith’s goal is to provide a sustainable living from her farm which includes goats for breeding along with goat soap (fabulous!), goat milk and beauty products. Her chickens provide eggs and are a food source and she is raising organic, healthy food as well.
Meredith made her own success story and I couldn’t be happier for her.
You can contact Meredith for any of her farm products by emailing merholl1982@gmail.com.
If you are thinking of selling or buying your next home you can contact me at deborah@417theory.com or call me at 417-844-3122