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Topic: Dawginfla looking to open B and B, in Douglasville, Ga< Next Oldest | Next Newest >
dawginfla Offline
Brian




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Posted: Oct. 29, 2009, 4:44 pm Quote
Thought I might let you guys in on my (mis-)adventures of trying to open a bed and breakfast in my old hometown of Douglasville, GA. I've been researching this for about 6 months or so now and I've gotten to a very critical turning point.

    As some of you know I currently work for Chrysler, which isn't doing too well at the moment. They are offering a "buyout" to lower their workforce numbers. This involves getting a lump sum payment to leave the company. I have to make a final decision by November 13th and would be leaving the company sometime between then and Dec. 31st of this year.
    I've been talking with some officials in my hometown of Douglasville, Ga which is about 25 minutes or so west of Atlanta on I-20. They have a historic district with homes that were built from 1880 to about 1920. The downtown area saw it's bad times but it has, like many small towns, revitalized itself with restaurants, a small bakery and eclectic and antique shops. They also have a conference center housed in an old shop from around 1890. The one thing they are missing is a bed and breakfast in the downtown area.
    I'm actually driving up with the family tomorrow (Friday October 30th) to meet with officials from the town. If I can find a property we love, resolve some zoning issues, and get a good feeling about a loan (in these times, that's not a given) I'll be taking the buyout and moving back to get started. If we can't I'll stay where we are for the time being and hope another package comes along later. Luckily my parents, aunt, uncle, and cousins live in this town. My wife's father and some of her cousins live there as well, so we'll have plenty of support.
    As things progress I'll try to keep you updated.


    If we decide to move, we'll definitely miss being in WDW's backyard but it will be nice to be closer to the family.

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Assistant Scoutmaster Troop 263 Lake Mary, FL
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RichKoster Offline
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Posted: Oct. 29, 2009, 6:46 pm Quote
Good luck, Brian!

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Amy




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Posted: Oct. 29, 2009, 8:24 pm Quote
Sounds like it would be an exciting change!  I hope it all works out for you.  Good luck!  Keep us updated!

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Posted: Oct. 31, 2009, 12:46 am Quote
I lost both my parents to congestive heart failure after Rich and I moved out of state from them.  Let me tell you:  To be near family as they age:  Priceless!  The opportunity to be an entrepreneur, also priceless.  Go for it!  The only thing I'd caution you:  Watch on TLC and DIY and other networks all their shows about house flipping, also "This Old House" on PBS.  Old houses have "surprises" that can increase your estimates for fixing up and renovating quite a bit.  It's what got some people in trouble with the real estate market in recent years.  Go for any tax incentives and tax breaks for fixing up historic-era properties.  And study the B & B business, make sure your neighbors are OK with the idea.

I've heard that people who get laid off from some jobs in some industries look back later and see it as a blessing in disguise.  The chance to be an entreprenuer in a small town represents less pressure, more time with family, and charting your own course.  

I think this is a win-win idea for you, Dawg, and I wish you happiness and success with this new venture!   :thumbsup:  :thumbsup:  :pixiedust:  :pixiedust:
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dawginfla Offline
Brian




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Posted: Nov. 01, 2009, 8:26 pm Quote
Thanks for all the support, guys.

We found a house that would suit our needs almost perfectly. It's the right size, 4200 sq. ft. and the right location, only about 3 blocks from the main street with shops and restaurants. Only problem, it's not officially for sale. It's currently a commercial property with a consignment shop in part of the upstairs and empty "office suites" in the rest. My government contact thinks they might want to sell considering they can't seem to get tenants for the office space. I called them and left a message with the husband, he had been up late and had just gotten out of bed, who said he would talk to his wife, but I haven't heard back from them yet.

If this works out now, great, if not I'll give it another shot next year if another buyout/severance package comes along. My wife is a big believer that things come along when you really need then, so we'll see.

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Posted: Nov. 02, 2009, 11:09 am Quote
Good luck Brian with the B&B idea!  It sounds like a great opportunity for that community and you!

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Melissa




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Posted: Nov. 02, 2009, 4:24 pm Quote
How wonderful Brian - what a great goal to have! This is something I've always had the desire to do. I think I have too many dogs though!  :D  I wish you the best of luck!!

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dawginfla Offline
Brian




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Posted: Nov. 08, 2009, 4:38 pm Quote
Well the house we wanted was not to be. The fair market value was $321,000, the couple who own it were asking $690,000 for it.  :uhoh: Not gonna happen. I like the way my wife looks at it: That house just wasn't meant to be, the right one will come along. We'll see.

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dawginfla Offline
Brian




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Posted: Nov. 14, 2009, 6:50 am Quote
Well I missed this voluntary severance package at work. You had to have your paperwork in by Friday, November 13th. I didn't want to leave not having a house that we could start working on. Luckily we should have another voluntary severance package sometime next year and hopefully I can take it then.

I have two real estate agents, an official with the city of Douglasville, and numerous relatives all on the lookout for any houses coming available. This will just give me more time to study marketing, accounting, practice my cooking, and the million other things I need to learn to be a successful innkeeper.

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Posted: Nov. 14, 2009, 5:07 pm Quote
Good luck on the hunt. With the added time you now have more time to prepare yourselves. So what kind of things are you loking to make for them. LOL can you tell I love food?

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It's been a long time getting from here to there. It's been a long time, but my time is finally near.
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