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

208 Little Berry RESTORED: Property Showcase - Somerville, TX

 Hello all! I wanted to SHARE the beautiful restoration of 208 Little Berry in Somerville, Texas. We had previously marketed this property BEFORE the renovations. There was some interest, but after some thought and discussion - the seller's decided to go ahead and finish the project & boy did they!

I've had the honor of assisting them in buying and selling of several properties and their workmanship speaks for itself. 

As I move through this blog, showing you the BEFORE & AFTERS, I also plan to tell you stories about moving the home there, life, the area, and other interesting and exciting things. If at any point you know someone that could be interested in this property....PLEASE SHARE IT!!

We will START with the exterior...

This home was moved from Burton, TX. It was able to be moved in 1 piece, minus the roof & the garage. That means the ENTIRE ROOF is BRAND NEW. The garage had to stay behind. For those of you that may not be aware, moving a home is no small feat. Specialized equipment, skilled laborers, coordination with municipalities (traffic routes & power lines), route plans (which is likely why the roof could not come. For those of you looking to move old structures a good rule of thumb is each piece of a house moved is going to vary in price around the $20,000 mark. Some people have moved certain pieces separate. In this case the seller's likely had a choice to move the roof OR rebuild. In some cases moving a garage is not in option. If it is, you'd likely be looking at another $20,000 plus. 

Back to this little house. When they purchased it, they were told that the gentleman's grandparents built it in the 1920s and they deconstructed some of their older barns to have enough lumber for the house. This home was built through resourcefulness....

BEFORE: 

AFTER: 

 

Next up...is the KITCHEN transformation! The kitchen was gutted. Some water damage was found in the flooring, so they pulled it all out, put new subfloor & flooring. They converted a doorway that lead to the master bedroom from the kitchen, into a pantry.

BEFORE:

AFTER: 

Bathroom renovation is up next. Cleaned up quite nicely. They found water damage to the floor here also, so they built a new subfloor and flooring. They were able to clean up the tub, original to the house and use. 

BEFORE:

AFTER:

The living room was opened up. They did a great job of letting the light in. The renovation of the living room, dining room, and hallway can probably be better encompassed as one project. I remember when I first walked in the home, BEFORE renovations, It looked like a runway straight to the bathroom. The two walls forming the hallway. There were doors to all the rooms. Ultimately, they took all the walls down and added a support beam. The dining room, kitchen, and living room are all opened up to each other. The flooring in those areas is original. They sanded, sealed and used as much of the original wood as possible. 

BEFORE: 

AFTER: 

Hallway

BEFORE: 

AFTER:

They were able to clean up the walls of the bedrooms. They made the closets bigger. It's amazing what fresh paint can do!

BEFORE:

AFTER: 

The master bathroom was totally added on to the back of the house. 

As you can see, a lot of time, energy, and thought went into creating the spaces to make this home functional and comfortable. From the beginning, this house has been an example of resourcefulness. Approximately 100 years later, it still has that theme....that essence about it.  

This property is located right at the entrance of the Enchanted Oaks subdivision. You have small and medium - size trees and brush that provide some cover. EVERYTHING is new: roof, plumbing, AC, porch....all new to enhance the space and prepare it for the new owners. The couple selling this house is EXTREMELY resourceful. They have a knack for taking what is there and transforming it into something that can be used again, people can find comfort & retreat in, people can build a life in. 

Drone video and After Photos - Credit to Laura Lee Photography

This subdivision is located off of Park Road, which is a popular road in Somerville. There are boat ramps, marinas, stores, and eating/drinking establishments, very close. Somerville is a small lake town, with FANTASTIC fishing and boating....& camping areas. The town has gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants. The other plus is that it is UNDER 40 minutes to College Station, 32 miles to Texas A&M University, just a few more miles to the RELLIS campus, in Bryan, Texas. Other notable distances: Brenham (home of Blue Bell Creameries) - 28 miles, Caldwell - 16 miles, Houston - under 2 hours, Austin - under an hour and a half, Giddings - 27 miles, Bastrop - under an hour, Round Top - Warrenton Antiques Festival - 36 miles, Chappell Hill - 45 minutes. 

If this property checks any of your boxes please reach out to one of the following agents via text or call:

Heather Kaspar - 979.421.0325

Brenda Rose - 512.968.1848

Tim Dietz - 713.449.4440

This property will be offered via online auction, unless the seller accepts an offer during the pre-auction period. You can CLICK the links below to view and share the auction information & listings:

BUCK UP AUCTIONS

TXLS

HAR

ABOR

Lands.com

Here are just a few of the adventures my family has had on Somerville Lake:

 Buck Up! & share this blog, click on the links, give us a text or call. There are lots of adventures ready to be had! God bless!