I am Heather and I am the owner, property manager, and your host. I am currently transitioning to my fourth career. My first career was with Marriott Management Services, as an Assistant Director and Regional Support Consultant in the service fields of Environmental Services, Maintenance, and Food Service departments in hospitals and other healthcare facilities, universities, and corporate settings. With this background, I truly understand how to provide clean, welcoming accommodations with an emphasis on functionality and comfort.
My second career was in Law Enforcement across Texas, Alabama, and Illinois. I pull from this experience how best to provide safe and secure residences for each guest.
My third career was with the U.S. Air Force and I retired in 2013. I am now a Commercial Pilot and will soon be a Certified Flight Instructor.
I have also volunteered with the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), U.S. Air Force Auxiliary since 2016.
“As a Total Force partner and auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, Civil Air Patrol is there to search for and find the lost, provide comfort in times of disaster and work to keep the homeland safe. Its more than 64,000 members selflessly devote their time, energy, and expertise toward the well-being of their communities while also promoting aviation and related fields through aerospace/STEM education and helping shape future leaders through CAP’s cadet program.” (Civil Air Patrol, 01 Feb 2024. See: https://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/about/who-we-are). If you are looking for a great volunteer opportunity where you can make a difference in your community, state, and nation, contact your local Squadron for more information. No matter your background, field, or area of expertise, you will find a wide range of ways you can contribute to the CAP Mission: ” Volunteers Serving America’s Communities, Saving Lives, and Shaping Futures”.
How it all got started
This property has been in my family since the late 1980s. My Father attempted to sell it to a couple that turned the two buildings into a daycare and after school program. But a handful of years into making payments, the couple voluntarily turned over the keys when they went out of business. Unfortunately, much of both of the buildings had been “renovated” (a/k/a destroyed) beyond use. Attempts to sell the property in such a state of disrepair proved impossible.
Pink Potatoes?
My son and I were visiting with my Dad and his wife; she had been facing a number of medical challenges during that time. When leaving, my Dad offered my son a package of instant potatoes, knowing he loved them. A day or two later I opened them up and was puzzled to be looking at pink flakes. I remember my first thought, “Do they make instant sweet potatoes?” Apparently not. One bite and the moment it touched my tongue I spit it out and informed the rest of the table not to eat them.
I called Dad to see where the potatoes had came from and to warn him if he had any left, “don’t eat them.” He said they had come from his food storage and I quickly discerned his food storage was way past it’s 25-year shelf life. That is when I learned, unbeknownst to the family, they were struggling to make ends meet with all the medical bills; even having mortgaged their home a second time.
I called my brother to ask about Dad’s two vacant buildings. All he knew was that they had been listed for years with no interested buyers. I made arrangements to go see the buildings and had, what I thought at the time, a bright idea. Mind you, I had no construction knowledge at that point, only a bit of (very minor) renovation experience; so I had no clue what I was about to embark upon when I began converting part of the building into a home for my Dad and his wife. I planned to keep the rest commercial, but after a walk-through and brief conversation with the building inspector, the decision was made to go all residential. Both buildings were gutted to load bearing studs and (most of) their foundations in order to effectuate the transformation.
Original renovations began in 2015. As I worked my way from one unit to the next, I put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into it. Yes… lots and lots of all three. Construction is not for the faint of heart. County building inspectors, two in particular, were a life-send. I was apologizing one day for always showing up at the office asking for advice, and they often dropped by to evaluate my progress and give me guidance along the way. Don’s kind reply was a relief; he said it was actually nice when people sought their knowledge and expertise. Sometimes that expertise was expensive, but often times they saved me money and time because they knew better products and a better way. The best part for me was knowing things were getting done right.
It was a slow process, often times just me and some construction-savvy friends from church working on it as I could afford; paycheck to paycheck, for four long years. As a unit neared completion and was livable, I would move in to finish off the finer details. This allowed for me to personally evaluate any issues… and stay up half the night installing hardware and trim, painting, and doing other finishing touches. The five units were finally complete in late 2019 with the property used mainly for family with the remainder units used as rentals.
Yet Another Transformation…
For Our Traveling Professionals
In 2023, a new phase of renovations and revitalization began after a friend shared with me the need for mid-term rental housing for nurses and other traveling professionals.
The duplex with one-bedroom, one-bath units were upgraded to hotel-style bathrooms with walk-in showers and spa-like “Delta In2ition” multi-function shower heads, and roomy, functional spaces throughout.
The 2/2 unit was reworked to open up the second bedroom into the second bath to create a spacious, private en suite on the opposite side of the unit from the original owner’s suite. During this process, every detail was considered to ensure we achieved the best floor plans and functionality for each space.
This too has taken time to ensure we were doing things right. Our first 1/1 duplex went live in December 2023, and our first 2/2 “Rent-A-Suite” launched in January 2024.
We still have more units to transition in the future. Until then, we welcome our soon-to-be-guests to the Gulf Coast and hope you will choose one of our residences to call home for your stay in Mobile, Alabama!
