The Little Blue House on Coyle Street

05/08/2023

For booking, please click on the following link

Little Blue House On Coyle Street

20/09/2022

Just wanted to say, "Thanks" for all the support I've received in getting the little blue house Airbnb off the ground. It's definitely a learning process. We have some dates available from October 30-Nov 14th if anyone has need of a place to stay!
You can find us on Airbnb

Entire home in Springhill, United States. Relax with the whole family at this peaceful place to stay. The spacious backyard is ready for a bbq and taking in the gentle afternoon breeze und...

19/08/2022

The story on how we came to buy this little blue house on Coyle Street....
Continued....
So I put the bid in and it was accepted! We weren't allowed to inspect the home with the utilities on so we couldn't be sure about the status of the AC/central heat, plumbing and electric but given the age of the home and what the inspector could note, I imagined that there was nothing earth shattering to worry about. The whole house needed paint and the upstairs needed flooring. Those were the main things and things I felt I could manage doing or have done. The family before owned quite a few kitties and also smoked in the house so it also had a unique smell after being closed up. Still, I had a really good feeling about this house. I knew that it would serve many more purposes than I could currently imagine. It would be a place for the kids to always come to once I'm gone. If they needed to start over in their lives due to depression, job loss, relationship failures or whatever bumps life would send, this could be the respite. It would be paid for and they could live there stress free. Even if they had to get a room are or something. I wanted it with all my heart.
But the hitch in the git along was the refi. It had been going perfectly but now they said my DTI was too high. It wasn't but because of silly rules they couldn't count over a third of my income. I had to think fast and creatively.
Solution to be continued....

17/08/2022

Discovery
We met early in the morning at a possible home in Serepta, LA. Meeting our realtor Stephanie in person was like meeting an old friend. We had 5 homes to look at that day. I had seen one that morning that wasn't on our list. It was on Coyle Street in Springhill. I asked Stephanie if we could see it. She checked and it has just popped up on the MLS that morning! It was a VA foreclosure and was starting the 4 day open bid process.
We headed over to Coyle street next. It was down a quiet street and we knew immediately which house it was. It was big and blue with a sharp metal roof. It looked nothing like the surrounding homes. But we kinda liked it already. We were able to go in and look around. Not a fan of the paint and the upstairs flooring but other than that, gosh it seemed to be in good shape. No appliances but that's ok. It had good energy. Big pretty backyard.
We liked it! Good thing because the rest of the homes paled in comparison.
By the end of the day we were ready to place a bid. It was offered at 62,500. But what to offer? I had the cash but didn't want to over or under bid and lose our or spend money from my budget I didn't need to. They'd review all the bids and would take the highest and best offer.
After some thought, I offered 68,000 and hoped for the best.
Waiting those 4 days and then for the decision was nerve wracking. But I just kept thinking that if it was meant to be, it would be ours.
And it was. Our bid was accepted. But now there was a hitch in the refi get along.
To be continued...

14/08/2022

The discovery trip.
Knowing we had Thanksgiving break, I packed up the truck and the kids with the intent of looking at the areas I was interested in. We went through Coleman and Marshall Texas as well as Wichita Falls and Lawton, Oklahoma. However the main area of interest was Northwest Louisiana. The area seemed pretty and homes were within my budget.
It took us 3 days to drive out. We stayed in Wilcox, Arizona, a KOA in Odessa, Texas and finally at a KOA in Shreveport.
We got a cabin in Shreveport after a couple uncomfortable nights on a cot due to us losing a bag with our electric blankets and my ailing rotator cuff.
One night in particular was brutal. It was late and cold when we got to the KOA in Texas and we were cranky. Had trouble finding the place and our site was not an intuitive find either. Finally got set up and made some small dinner on the campstove. We had lost a bag that flew out the back of the truck somewhere in New Mexico so I was down a jacket and electric blanket (my genius idea had been to use electric blankets in campsites with electric). We settled in and Parker kept getting up. Wanted more milk. Peed his bed. Got him changed and tucked in but he wanted to sleep next to me on the cot. I was already uncomfortable due to my torn rotator but he wasn't taking NO. He climbed in with me and my ass was hanging off the cot and I didn't get blankets. I was really not happy at that point. I got up and left him on the cot. I gathered up one flimsy blanket and a random towel and headed to the truck. I'd just spend the night in there. Freezing. With a bag of Chex mix. That stuff is addicting.
After eating the entire bag I fell into a restless sleep. Now, I'm not sure why but it seems to take forever for the sun to rise in Texas. I wanted it to be sunrise so we could pack up and leave. I was NOT going to stay in a tent again that next night. As soon as the next campground opened I was calling to see if we could get a cabin. We did and sure was glad because it poured buckets that next night in Shreveport!
To be continued...

06/08/2022

The most common question I'm asked is, "How in the world did you end up in Springhill, La?"
Great question.
Answer:
I was sitting in my living room in October 2021. A rare minute when I wasn't running around like crazy doing something. I had a moment to let my mind run instead. I had been thinking I should probably try to refinance since interest rates were so low. I'd also been chatting with my daughter Brooke a few days prior about her current thoughts about college. She'd been thinking North Texas University for awhile. We had even toured the campus. It's small and in a smallish town but has a great music program and also the other majors she's interested in. But she said she was nervous to leave me so far away. She does battle anxiety and so I thought, "Well, what if I had a little place near her? She'd feel better knowing I was closer and she could enjoy her time at school." I never went away to college. I stayed and went to UCSD because I didn't want to leave my folks. No regrets but I want Brooke to have as many enriching events in her life as possible.
So I called my re fi company and began checking into it. I'd hoped to pull out about 80-85,000.00 to purchase a home somewhere within a 250 mile radius of NTU. Basically Oklahoma, Texas and Louisiana. I set my Zillow search perimeters and began to look around while my refi was percolating.
I found a few homes and created a route. By this time I was waist deep into the refi and things were going well.
We decided to drive out to see the land, communities and the few houses I'd seen in my budget, which was now lower than expected. Not much available in Texas these days, but there was a few. The bulk seemed to be in the northwest corner of Louisiana. I called around and found a local realtor there, Stefanie Swinney https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068735840350 and she was super friendly and confident we could find something in my price range. By the way, I highly recommend Stefanie if you find yourself in the market in Northwest Louisiana. She will work really hard to advocate for you and she's a super nice person as well.
We set off for a 9 day 3500 mike journey with my teen Brooke, little guy Parker (4 years old at the time), my truck and some camping gear (cheaper to do a mix of hotels and camping along the way. November weather didn't seem too challenging).
Stay tuned for part two...The Journey

06/08/2022

Welcome to the Little Blue House.
We hope to chronical our journey with this house,
Provide history about this home and
Serve as a resource for house guests and the community as well.