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Joshua D.
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  • Columbus, MT
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What is the WEIRDEST/COOLEST thing you found while rehabbing a house???

Joshua D.
  • Investor
  • Columbus, MT
Posted May 6 2015, 10:48

Listening to Brandon story about knocking out a wall and a bunch of dirty mags fell out, got me thinking about the weird things you find in houses that we buy. 

For us: last summer we bought a foreclosure and in the kitchen was a large bearskin rug... It was awesome!  Basement had a skunk skin :)

What about you??? What have you found? 

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Crystal Smith
  • Real Estate Broker
  • Chicago, IL
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Crystal Smith
  • Real Estate Broker
  • Chicago, IL
ModeratorReplied May 6 2015, 12:35
Originally posted by @Joshua D.:

What about you??? What have you found? 

 Bullet holes, a torn down meth lab & an abandoned rottweiler

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Lee L.
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  • Los Angeles, CA
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Lee L.
  • Investor
  • Los Angeles, CA
Replied May 6 2015, 12:53

skeletal remains of a dead dog in the crawl space

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Richard C.
  • Bedford, NH
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Richard C.
  • Bedford, NH
Replied May 6 2015, 12:57

It wasn't cool exactly, and in the modern age I guess you couldn't say weird anymore either.  But the answer is 4 Polaroid photographs.  They were at least 25 years old, probably 30, which means the milfy young lady pictured is probably on social security now.  And yes, they were that sort of photograph,  That's what Polaroids were for, after all.

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Linda Weygant
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  • Investor and CPA
  • Arvada, CO
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Linda Weygant
Pro Member
  • Investor and CPA
  • Arvada, CO
Replied May 6 2015, 13:06
Originally posted by @Crystal Smith:
Originally posted by @Joshua D.:

What about you??? What have you found? 

 Bullet holes, a torn down meth lab & an abandoned rottweiler

 Aww.... what did you do with the rottweiler?

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Fred Dunn
  • Investor
  • Wilmington, NC
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Fred Dunn
  • Investor
  • Wilmington, NC
Replied May 6 2015, 13:12

While pulling up a threshold on the front door (was prepping to re-finish the floors), something caught my eye in the dust...

With a pry bar I slowly pulled out an 1861 Liberty gold coin. Apparently it was the tradition of old school builders to put a coin under the entrance to the home to bring the clients good fortune. It was a feng shui type practiced by some builders back in the day. There are also superstitions that coins are placed in house footings, etc. So, in older homes always take a look!

Unfortunately my last demo just yielded some hypodermic needles. Win some, lose some.

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Crystal Smith
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Crystal Smith
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ModeratorReplied May 6 2015, 13:21
Originally posted by @Linda Weygant:

 Aww.... what did you do with the rottweiler?

Called animal control.

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Linda Weygant
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Linda Weygant
Pro Member
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Replied May 6 2015, 13:25
Originally posted by @Fred Dunn:

While pulling up a threshold on the front door (was prepping to re-finish the floors), something caught my eye in the dust...

With a pry bar I slowly pulled out an 1861 Liberty gold coin. Apparently it was the tradition of old school builders to put a coin under the entrance to the home to bring the clients good fortune. It was a feng shui type practiced by some builders back in the day. There are also superstitions that coins are placed in house footings, etc. So, in older homes always take a look!

Unfortunately my last demo just yielded some hypodermic needles. Win some, lose some.

 Wow.  My dad was a coin collector and specialized in the Walking Liberties from this era.  What became of your coin?

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Joshua D.
  • Investor
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Joshua D.
  • Investor
  • Columbus, MT
Replied May 6 2015, 13:39

WOW i Never thought of finding LIVE animals in the house... its a good thing you didnt wait a week to go look at the house... 

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Fred Dunn
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Fred Dunn
  • Investor
  • Wilmington, NC
Replied May 6 2015, 16:31
Originally posted by @Linda Weygant:
Originally posted by @Fred Dunn:

While pulling up a threshold on the front door (was prepping to re-finish the floors), something caught my eye in the dust...

With a pry bar I slowly pulled out an 1861 Liberty gold coin. Apparently it was the tradition of old school builders to put a coin under the entrance to the home to bring the clients good fortune. It was a feng shui type practiced by some builders back in the day. There are also superstitions that coins are placed in house footings, etc. So, in older homes always take a look!

Unfortunately my last demo just yielded some hypodermic needles. Win some, lose some.

 Wow.  My dad was a coin collector and specialized in the Walking Liberties from this era.  What became of your coin?

I removed the coin and did some research. From what I remember (I have the pics saved) it was an 1860s one dollar gold coin. It was a common coin from the era, so basically it was worth it's wait in gold. Since it was my personal home, I sealed the coin in plastic and re-sealed it under the threshold. Personally, my superstition did not allow me to mess with the mojo of the house. Plus, it's a good story about the home I enjoy. Hopefully I can share a pic at some point.  

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Marge M.
  • Investor
  • Hayward, CA
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Marge M.
  • Investor
  • Hayward, CA
Replied May 4 2021, 12:21
Originally posted by @Fred Dunn:

While pulling up a threshold on the front door (was prepping to re-finish the floors), something caught my eye in the dust...

With a pry bar I slowly pulled out an 1861 Liberty gold coin. Apparently it was the tradition of old school builders to put a coin under the entrance to the home to bring the clients good fortune. It was a feng shui type practiced by some builders back in the day. There are also superstitions that coins are placed in house footings, etc. So, in older homes always take a look!

Unfortunately my last demo just yielded some hypodermic needles. Win some, lose some.

Hi Fred,

That's still being practiced until today among feng shui advocates. In feng shui, when you are renovating or building a home, placing lots of coins (tied with a red string) is considered an excellent way to enhance wealth luck. You place them in the ground or path leading to the home as well as in the walls of the dining and living room. So you’re actually cementing the coins into the floors and walls. It is believed that this symbolically brings wealth into the home and will lead to a steady increase in wealth. Google "renovation coins."

Smiles,

Marge