I said in a post on March 26 that I had lost my mind, but only in the sense that I had bought another house that had gone up for sale by auction. The previous owner had died without a will and the local government auctioned it pretty much for settlement of back taxes and accumulated fees. (Trust me — a LOT of taxes and fees accumulated!)

I followed the spouse’s advice, and hired four hard-working local residents to remodel the house following my plans and directions. Now, in just five weeks…

…we are done.Above is the kitchen. I decided to use blue tile for the floor to add a punch of color.

As my spouse and I were finishing up with paint touch-ups and cleaning, there was a knock at the door. It was the neighbor from across the street who introduced me to a young couple — his brother and sister-in-law. My neighbor said, “I understand you will be renting this house.”

Yep. I explained that I have listed it in a special program operated by our county for its entry-level employees so they can have an affordable place to stay close to where they work.

My neighbor said, “well, perfect. My brother is a cop at the local district station, and my sister-in-law teaches at (xxx) Elementary School” (which is close by.)

Great! I showed them around. They were impressed.

* Newly upgraded electrical wiring throughout, including (for the first time for this house), air conditioning. Gas furnace is new, too.

* New appliances in the kitchen, including a range (stove, oven, with built-in microwave), refrigerator, dishwasher, and garbage disposal (before our renovations, there was no dishwasher or disposal.) Granite countertops and workspaces. New lighting and cabinets, too.

* Upgraded bath with new fixtures, shower, toilet, and double vanity.

* Enlarged master bedroom and walk-in closet (had to sacrifice a small bedroom for more room in the master bedroom, closet, and bath.)

* Finished basement rec room, bedroom, and utility room with new washer and dryer.

* New heat-resistant triple-pane windows and front and back doors & frames. (The old doors would open with a slight breeze.)

* Full insulation throughout — walls and attic space. Energy-savings will be great for lower utility bills.

* New roof and gutters with gutter guards.

* Refurbished landscaping — removed old, dead shrubs and rejuvenated the front gardens.

It is amazing what can be done with a wonderful old post-WWII house when you show it some lovin’ and TLC. It was in pretty good shape to begin with, and now has a great future, too.

My costs for the renovations were bang-on budget, too. Thanks to my very hard-working local crew and few “surprises.”

I interviewed the prospective new tenants and had them complete an initial rental application. The background check paperwork cleared this week. The new couple signed the lease, and they began moving in this past weekend.

I am really happy to have such a great couple in this new-to-me house. I hope they will be very happy in their new home.

Life is short: contribute to the community in employing local talent and providing affordable housing for local heroes.