download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. The kitchen and bathroom were gutted, and the smell of rats' nests was so strong I could hardly stand it. The property was located in a town I'd never heard of with fewer than 1,000 residentsThe abandoned home. I had been sitting on some life insurance money I'd gotten after my Marine husband died of war wound complications. I got lucky with the saleThe silver lining was that housing prices had skyrocketed since I'd purchased the property.

---

Persons: —, Ivy, I'd, couldn't, Karie, Blackberries, Fugett, we'd, I, we're, We're Organizations: Service, Business Locations: Oregon, Philomath, Eugene, Alabama