I WALK THE WALK

WELCOME

Happy New Year! I hope everyone rang it in exactly the way they wanted to, whether that was a big night out, or a big night in with Anderson and Andy.

Now the good news is, I’m going to get real used to writing the “2026” date on checks real quick (yes, I still write checks). In fact, I’m about to start writing a whole lot of them. So, today’s topic is about how I don’t just offer real estate advice, but I also follow it. I always tell everyone to buy Grandma’s house, and that’s exactly what I just did. GLENNDA BOUGHT GRANDMA’S HOUSE will be an ongoing series as I work to bring online what will be a rental house. I’ll be talking everyone through it every step of the way because I want y’all to grasp easily and tightly to how easy this is.

Grab your hardhat and sledgehammer, because we’re about to build some wealth!

STORYTIME WITH GLENNDA

They’re Not Making Any More Land

I get asked all the time why I love what I call a “grandma house.” Why not new construction, Glennda? Why not something shiny and Instagram-ready? Why not invest in a perfect flip that already looks like a magazine spread? My answer is always the same. And that is because generational wealth isn’t built by buying what everyone else wants. You build that wealth by buying what other people overlook, improving it with intention, and holding it while time does the heavy lifting.

Let me be real clear here: a grandma house is not sexy on day one. Generally, it’s the opposite of sexy. The house might smell like cigarettes. (More on that in a minute.) That house might have carpet that has seen things. Grandma’s house might have appliances from the Clinton administration—if you’re lucky.

The Rationale

Here is what a grandma house almost always has: good bones, because Grandma didn’t buy a McMansion with vinyl siding that will blow over the first time it rains too hard. Grandma bought back when houses were meant to last. Grandma comes from an age when quality was king. Plus, Grandma understands that the critical systems need to be maintained, so Grandma has a solid roof. Her floor plan made sense when it was built and still makes sense today. Grandma did not live without plentiful hot water and heat. Yes, she may have been fine with worn out cabinets and wallpaper that makes you twitch, but the fundamentals are there.

Fundamentals are what matter when you’re building a portfolio that lasts.

This is why I always tell people not to be afraid of the house that needs some TLC and a Pinterest page. The details are the fun parts to fix up! You can replace carpet, paint over nicotine, and update light fixtures. These are checks you don’t mind writing. (The check to replace a roof hurts, I promise y’all that.)

What you cannot easily replace is location, lot, layout, and land. They’re not making any more of those things. When you buy a tired house in a great area, you’re making an investment in something that time will reward. You’re buying tomorrow’s desirability at yesterday’s price.

So when I say I bought a grandma house (and I just did), I’m not being cute. I am being strategic.

The Details

I paid $262,500 for a four bedroom, two bath split level in East Cobb, Marietta. Oh, my stars, this is such a desirable area. The house is on a corner lot… with a pool and a party deck! Plus, it sits nextdoor to another house I already own, which means I now control contiguous land in a location I already believe in. Replacement cost on this house is roughly $433,000, so let me be clear that I did not buy a problem. No, ma’am. I bought a spread.

What you may not have guessed is that I financed it. Yes, even though I could have paid cash, I’m not afraid of a 6.5% interest rate. What does scare me is the notion of tying up all my liquidity because I’m fiscally conservative. I know what lean times feel like. God forbid I don’t sell a house in a given year. But if that happens, I want cash reserves. My motto is to pray for the best and plan for the worst, as that’s how you stay in the game long term.

The house came to me in a way that almost feels like fate, but is actually just preparation meeting opportunity. The agent who was going to list it looked at the tax records, saw my name on the place next door, and he walked into my office. He said, “I’m about to list a house you might want.”

Let me be clear. Everyone says that to me (and I am flattered). But then he added, “It’s next door to one you already own.” That got my attention. I went to see it at lunch and by dinnertime, I’d already written a contract on it.

People always ask how I decide so quickly. The truth is, I do enough research that by the time I walk in the door, I already know the numbers. Then I listen to my gut. While it sounds a little woo-woo, I pay attention to the energy of a house. I’ve passed on plenty that looked good on paper but felt wrong in person. This one did not.

Full disclosure: Grandma’s house needs work. There was heavy smoking in the house. No lie, Grandma smoked three packs a day for thirty years. That alone will scare off most buyers. However, years ago, I was married to a paint contractor. I’d listed a place in Austin Lake and I was so worried about all the smoke there, but he assured me it could be eradicated. While he may have been wrong about a lot of stuff (that’s a whole other story), he was spot on about the smoke. Two coats of the right primer on every surface and it is gone! (I bought that one, too.)

This house has a lot going for it, in that there’s no structural damage, nor is it in a flood plain. At no point will I ever need a canoe to reach the front door. (I wish this weren’t a true story about another property.) There’s nothing that compromises the integrity of the house. All its problems are cosmetic, so this is manageable. If there’s a problem, dated and smoky are the kinds that I can easily solve.

The Math

My principal and interest payment is about $1,250 a month. With taxes and insurance, I’m budgeting an all-in payment of around $1,650. When it’s finished, I’ll rent it for approximately $3,000 a month—and I already know the exact avatar of the family who’s going to want to rent it. But back to the math. That is a positive cash flow of roughly $1,300 to $1,400 per month. Over time, my renovations get paid back, someone else is paying down my mortgage, and the property is appreciating in a market that has proven itself over decades.

Could I flip it? Absolutely. If I went in, cleaned it up, and sold it quickly, I could probably make $50,000 to $75,000. Which sounds pretty damn good, right? But here’s the truth most people don’t want to hear. Deals like this don’t come around every day. This was the deal of the year. A four bedroom, two bath in East Cobb on a corner lot with a pool for $262,500 is not something I can easily duplicate every day and twice on Sunday. So I’m not giving that up for a one time payday when the long term return is so much more powerful.

This is where patience becomes a real asset. My last purchase was about a year ago. In that time, there were other houses I could have bought. Instead, I left funds in a high yield savings account earning about 4% and I waited. When this opportunity appeared, I was ready. Ready with capital, ready with vendors, and ready with a plan of attack. That’s less about luck and more about discipline.

The Project

Right now, I’m gathering estimates in anticipation of writing “2026” on a whole bunch of checks. I have one contractor quote and I’m getting another. Some of the work I’ll farm out to individual trades I trust. I already have a painter I love, and I have a deck guy whose house I sold. I believe in doing business with people who do business with me. The basement needs more involved work because of some water damage and a wall that has to be rebuilt, so I want the right person on that. I have no doubt I’ll find them.

Under normal circumstances, I’d have had all pricing locked before closing. In this case, the seller was mentally overwhelmed and it was difficult to get people in and out, so I concentrated on helping her get to assisted living. My point is, the deal itself was so strong that I moved forward anyway. I closed on January 2, which also allowed me to keep the seller’s senior tax exemption through 2026. Instead of property taxes being about $5,000 a year, they are $871. That is not a detail; that is real cash money.

Work will start within the next couple of weeks. I expect the renovation to take about 60 days, but I’m not rushing it to market. Even if it were ready in February, I’d likely wait. Why? Because presentation matters. By March and April, the grass will be green, the pool will be inviting, and families will be thinking about summer. When your product looks great, you attract a great tenant. When your product looks like a piece of junk, you attract problems. I’m building a rental that I’d be proud to live in.

So, I’m taking y’all with me through every step. I’ll show you the estimates. I’ll show you how I sequence the work. I’ll ask everyone to vote on things like whether we keep the cabinets or paint them. I’ll get everyone’s feedback on what light fixtures belong in each room. I’ll use AI to speed up design decisions, as I’ll upload photos of each room and ask for ideas on finishes, layouts, and fixtures. Why not save time and money while getting clarity?

The Most Important Part

I’m not documenting this to show off. I’m documenting it to prove that I walk the walk. I’m not selling theory. Instead, I’m showing reality. I want Logan in Lawrenceville, who’s 28 years old, to see this and think, Whoa. I could do that. I want Susie in Sarasota to realize that with a low down payment loan, a little sweat equity, and maybe a roommate, she could buy a tired house, live in it, fix it up, and in a few years have her first investment property. I want people to understand that owning property is not reserved for developers or people with trust funds.

In fact, it’s easier for a first-time buyer than it is for me! I’ve got to buy as an investor and put down 25%. A new buyer can use an FHA loan, put 3% down, live in the home, and let time do the work. That’s how wealth is built quietly, consistently, and without gambling on trends.

I’m not a coach for the same reason Michael Jordan isn’t a coach. He used to get so mad when people would solicit his advice—and not listen to it! I’m here to show you what I do and why it works and how you can do it, too.

Now, if you watch this process and choose not to act, certainly that’s your choice. But I want to make it crystal clear that the path is not complicated. Even if you’ve sold a million houses, you may have been reticent to take this step and I get it. Because this requires patience and planning. This requires the willingness to buy what is not perfect and make it better, which is why people often hesitate to make that leap. But I’m here to show you that if you leap, you will fly.

So this is why I buy grandma houses, and this is why I’m sharing this one. This is why I’ll keep showing you every step of the journey. Because the best investments are rarely the prettiest on day one, but they are the ones that change your future.

So buckle up as we go on an adventure I’m calling the Bungalow on Barnsdale!

Social media isn’t optional anymore, y’all - it’s where clients decide if they want to work with you. If you’re not growing online, you’re invisible. That’s why I recommend the Estate Social Growth Program. You spend just a couple of hours filming, and the team turns it into polished, optimized content that builds your brand and gets you seen by the right clients. If you’re ready to show up the way you should, this is where you start.

GLENNDAISM

Today’s Words of Wisdom

GLENNDA BAKER & ASSOCIATES

Space: The Final Frontier

You know what? Sometimes bigger is better. So if space is what you’ve been praying for, this home answers every single time. 2742 Bob Bettis Road in Marietta, GA, is the largest floor plan in the neighborhood, offering nearly 3,300 square feet of light-filled, beautifully designed living.

Six true bedrooms, four full baths, multiple living areas, and flexible spaces mean there’s room for everyone to live, work, gather, and grow without ever feeling cramped. From the soaring two-story foyer to the expansive family room, oversized kitchen, and dreamy primary suite with its own sitting area, every inch of this home was built to breathe. Add in a private, fenced backyard and an oversized lot, and what you have is not just a house, it is the kind of space that lets life unfold the way it’s meant to. This isn’t just big. It’s thoughtfully big.