A Business Grown Through Service & Skill - Impressed Upon the Next Generation

 In many ways, the growth of Mr. Kenny Ullrich's business reminds me of mine. 

He serviced a need and the sheer growth, in demand for his services. launched his business. The biggest difference is: Mr. Ullrich needed space; and so, he built one. He added on, added employees, added services and tackled jobs that very few people were even aware of. 

The intricacy of his work still astounds me. We are all blessed with certain skills and one of his was having the patience and the wisdom to fix things many others could not, and contribute to an ease of production in many settings. 

This is a reminder that the details matter. The functionality of so many things is in the details. I do identify with Mr. Kenny, in understanding this fact and the awareness that many people shy away from the details, don't take time to understand them, and truly need the service of those that do not shy away. 

Like in most cases, when a person holding his ability passes, certain traits are passed on to the next generation. In this case, this is seen in Wendy, Kenny's daughter, and those that had the pleasure of working closely with him, over the years. 

I've sat on writing this blog, waiting on The Holy Spirit to guide me. What keeps settling into my thoughts is the actual impression of his traits, left on those that were closest to him. 

His daughter sees value in the details, has a heart for service and meeting needs that are not necessarily the most sought after volunteer role, but the role of things that still need to get done. Wendy is project-minded, detail-focused, and has a deep respect for the work her father has done and for the work that will continue to be done in the next generation. Those that worked and apprenticed under him carry this quiet confidence and the same ability to fix and create things that many do not. They specialize, in a very specialized area. 

As we move towards the end of the liquidation of his personal property assets and "next chapters" get closer to those that Mr. Kenny Ullrich impressed things upon - it's important to remember the value those impressions hold, the value that these personal property items will serve new owners in their endeavors. The value, for those close to him, to hold onto the tools and impressions he instilled within them and release the rest. You have what you need and are equipped to move forward to what is next. Trust that. Buck Up Baby! 

Here is the link to the current online auction for the personal property of his business. We have one more that will be scheduled for a future date. CLICK HERE TO VIEW & BID

Bloom Where You are Planted: Leeroy Kramer's Commitment to His Work & His Passion

In just a few hours, an online auction featuring some of the cars from Mr. Leeroy Kramer's antique car collection will be closing. 

One of my favorite things about the estate auction business is learning about the person behind the items. Mr. Kramer was a Production Supervisor with Bluebell Creameries for 46 years. He also ran Kramer's Used Cars & Auto Parts. The phrase that keeps coming to mind is "Bloom Where You Are Planted." Mr. Kramer did just that. He was steadfast in his leadership and steadfast in his passion, which was restoring antique cars and bringing them back to life. 

With this level of care and perseverance, you can be certain, that while in his care - these cars were cared for to his best ability. Since his health decline and subsequent passing, the family has done their best to keep his collection sheltered. Now, the family is ready to let them pass into the ownership of capable hands that have an appreciation for these cars, like Leeroy did. 

Per his daughter, many brides and grooms left the church in one of her father's restored vehicles. They were also a favorite in local and area parades. He was eager to share his knowledge and collection with anyone that shared his interest and intrigue. The Houston TV show The Eyes of Texas did one of their series on his vehicle collection on 1-30-1993. The video is below. Be sure to turn the volume all the way up. 

(Maybe later I'll get the video up. Keeps kicking it back because of file size. :/)

Even in his late 80s, Mr. Kramer would keep his cars cleaned and shined up. While he was still with us, he shared his passion and now that he's left us, he is sharing and sending his hard work and dedication out to others that appreciate these vehicles and the enjoy putting time into them to maintain and honor them. 

He literally bloomed where he was planted. He put down roots, maintained a long career with Bluebell Creameries, started a business out of his passion, and worked joyfully and persistently on the things he loved and honored. May you all be blessed by this story and this life, like the crew and I have been. 

The online auction will START closing at 6pm TODAY - 3 lots per minute, with auto-extend. Below are SOME of the cars that will find new owners, this evening. 

HERE IS THE AUCTION LINK

CONSTANT CONTACT NEWSLETTER LINK

The Folds of Mourning

  I haven't taken to blog writing in a while, but we are working on the liquidation of an estate, and...it just feels....right.....and....even good to type my thoughts on the experiences I am witnessing. This is a story of a tight-knit family, that has recently lost their glue. 

A father, lost his son - that he spent just about everyday with. He influenced this son so, that he took up the same profession as a mechanic. He is missing him. He's missing his life, how it was before. He's being forced to face attachment and necessity of some of his possessions, much sooner than he wants to and...he is grasping, and struggling, and mourning. 

His brother is overwhelmed. More than capable, but....it's different. His sounding board is gone. His presence is missed and other loved ones need him...want him, how he has always been, but he is not the same. He can't even figure out how to be the same. He can't go back there and....he is feeling his way through life - without him. 

Children and nieces and nephews and loved ones, all have something that is missing. More than just the person....something that person added to their lives....something they had access to, but don't now. It leaves everyone a little funky. It's not intentional. It is not personal, except for the fact that they are personally doing their best....and everyone's "best" looks SO different than what they are used to from each other. 

Then there is his wife. She is meek and calm and quiet. Her best friend is gone and all he carried for her, she now carries. She not only carries it now, but she studies it, researches it, grabs at all the pieces to try and see what is what, knowing the responsibilities now, that others may not, and feels like she is losing her family, as she has known it, at the same time.....and, to some extent, she is. Every single one of them are a new and different person. Not better. Not worse, but different; so is she. She is in a space where she cares, and cares a lot...but there are only so many options she has. While some are still not ready to let go of some things, she must. She must out of necessity. She doesn't want to hurt others, but cannot allow herself to endure additional hardship, for the sake of feelings. 

 

I make no jokes about this. I KNOW this space....each one of their spaces. They are all in the middle of a "Buck Up" moment. 

I have used this analogy before, and it is truly the inspiration of this trajectory the Good Lord placed me on. When we were kids, 20+ years ago, my sister and I would periodically ride horses for people. Typically, they had been turned out. They were broke to ride, but hadn't been messed with for months and even years. 

One time we were tasked with the job of riding this Arabian cross mare. Would she buck? Yes. Hard? Not really. We could usually ride her through it. It was like it aggravated her, so she found a new trick. Anytime we would put our foot in the stirrup to get on, she would take off running. I can still remember the first time she did it. Daddy was so concerned about us making sure we got our foot out the stirrup fast enough, so she wouldn't drag us. 

If we were going to ride her and break her of her bad habit, we had to do something different. Lunging her and wearing her down, didn't really do it. 

The correct way to mount a horse is to put your left foot in the stirrup (horse facing forward, you looking back (so on your right) you would put your left leg in the stirrup and swing your right leg over to the other side. 

Sometimes "bucking up" is figuring out how to: win, survive, overcome, move forward, make progress. We got paid for progress, not problems so.....I climbed up on the other side of her. She wasn't expecting it. It ticked her off and she crow-hopped a little, but we made progress.

It was different. It was uncomfortable for both of us, but it was a way forward. I'd like to say we "broke" her of it right away, but we didn't. It took more time, more energy, more effort, more trial and error. 

This family lost a: son, brother, uncle, confidant, father, best friend, and husband. The community lost a friend and businessman....a helper...a fixer...a leader. 

It's not even close to an ornery horse, but they are moving through it the same way. Feeling their way through it.....figuring out what works. It's not just a horse and rider. It is an entire family, hitting licks and doing their best and it is not always pretty, and it's not always the outcome everyone wants, but everyone is doing their best. 

It's an honor to help them through the process. It is an honor to be there for this leg of the race. It's an honor to support them. We truly look at our estate work as a ministry. I've shared stories with people in the past. Each project is different, but I believe the Good Lord works through us. 

I don't know what He does exactly, or how He does it, but He does it through us. A healing happens. There are layers upon layers of healing that we will experience in our life. This is a time where humans need other humans. We get that. They will get to the other side of this mourning. They will always mourn, but they are FOREVER changed, and we will be there to help them navigate some of it. 

I lost my Dad a couple years ago. I know I am a forever-changed human. I know that the closer you are to a person, the more changed you are, when you lose them. I also know that God knows everything and loves us all. We were all strong enough to handle the loss, when the loss happened. It is the same here. We don't know the how, what, where, when, why of it all.....and probably don't want to. 

As this family mourns, and makes progress through mourning - into the next chapter - I pray JESUS walks every step of the way with them....uniquely to each one - in a way, where they know they are not alone. Buck Up Baby & love on people, as they make their way. Cheer them on and do what you can, with what you have. 

We will be conducting several auctions for the Avila family. Tools, equipment, machinery and land will be available in the upcoming weeks. In Jesus's name, we ask that He guides the entire process. Amen.

A link to the auction site will be posted at: bid.buckupauctions.com. 

Declutter & Make Money

 Two years ago, I signed up for a Declutter Challenge. It was truly overwhelming AND freeing at the same time. It was a 12 week challenge &, to make a long story short, it eased me into the psychology & process of decluttering. By the end of it, I had donated over 20 bags of items, several pieces of furniture & found a way to implement certain aspects of the challenge to daily life, PLUS my home was cleaner, more organized, & less cluttered.

What I found interesting were the very distinct “categories” my stuff fell into: 

• Trash
• Give Away
• Keep
• Sell

The Declutter challenge I did, had a solution for all of those categories, except “Sell,” so those items have been piling up in my storage building.

When COVID-19 disrupted our world we had a large influx of calls where people had under 30 items to sell. This is not our typical personal property client. As the calls kept coming, and the need was becoming more and more apparent, our wheels started turning.

We created the Buck Up Marketplace Online Auctions to meet the increased need. In that, I realized; we also created a solution for my 4th decluttering category- “Sell.”

Since the launch of Marketplace we have thinned out the clutter in our storage building AND have close to $1000 in our vacation fund.

I’ve talked to other sellers that have earmarked their earnings towards home updates & DIY projects.

Buck Up! Join us in the Buck Up Marketplace Online Auctions Facebook page. The Buck Up Crew is going to take part in a Declutter challenge & we will share our journey along the way! We are also, currently building auctions in the following areas: Carmine, Round Top, Lexington, & Waldeck. If you would like to become a seller in these areas or start one in YOUR area, reach out to us at marketplace@buckupauctions.com or text or call us at 979.451.8725. 

They are designed to allow people to move at their own pace. We will launch an auction once we reach 50 items or more, per area. If you don’t finish we can start building another!

The Villa Bay Motel

Every so often we get these unique gems that we get to work with in real estate. A good bunch of my auction properties are diamonds in the rough. Properties with potential. Properties with stories. Properties with history. Properties pregnant with opportunity.

The Villa Bay Motel is one of those properties. It's located in the heart of the Texas Coastal Bend, in Aransas Pass, Texas. Aransas Pass is located right in between Rockport, Port Aransas, Portland, & Ingleside.

The Coastal Bend is known for many things: fishing, refineries, vacationing, the beach...& SO...for properties like the Villa Bay Motel, it attracts a variety of customers. You may see contract workers, working on one of the projects in the gulf, a refinery worker, or any other industrial type worker that is looking for a place that offers weekly rates. You may also find fishermen and women, needing a place to lay their head before heading out the next morning. You may also meet some locals that have visitors coming in, that need a place to stay, tourists visiting the beach or attending one of the many festivals in the coastal bend, or someone just needing a shower from spending all day at the beach.

It is amazing how the Coastal Bend has bounced back from Hurricane Harvey. You can see the opportunity and potential as you make the drive.

One thing about The Villa Bay Motel, is it stood strong when many things around it did not. Hurricane Harvey was not it's first rodeo. In fact, it was even able to house some that were distraught and homeless from the aftermath.

There is something special about a property that has survived and thrived in hard times. If those walls could talk... they would have quite the story to tell.

This property is up for auction. The auction closes Thursday, June 18th at 6 PM. Here is the link to the auction.  Here is a link to the Terms & Conditions. 

Here is a link on how to log in: CLICK HERE!

Here is a link with all of the details. LINK TO DETAILS Be sure to click the "Documents" tab under the picture of the hotel. You will find everything from a survey to the property condition statement to the number of rooms & MORE.

Link to Loopnet Listing HERE!

Buck Up & Bid! BId! BID! This property has the potential to become your retirement investment, the boutique hotel you've always wanted, your opportunity at coastal living with income potential, OR anything else you want it to be.

We will be at the property tomorrow, if you would like to preview it, talk with us, or get additional information. You can also call or text me at: 979.421.0325 or email me at heather@buckupauctions.com.

Heather Schoenst Kaspar
Auctioneer TXL 17037, BAS, CAI
Realtor, GRI, SRES
Buck Up Auctions & Realty
My Real Estate Expert, LLC.
heather@buckupauctions.com
Call/Text 979.421.0325