One Autumn day in 2006 my wife and I were hiking in the Mark Twain National Forest on the North Side of the Missouri River.  At one point we came upon a buff that gave us a beautiful view of the Missouri River with a quaint little town on the other side.  After the hike we decided to drive into the town and check it out.  Much to our surprise there was a little winery in town (Hermannhoff).  We spent the rest of the afternoon walking around the town and sampling wines. 

We were so enamored with the town that we would go back and visit it 3-4 times a year.  We would bring our bikes and ride the Katy Trail, we would visit festivals, spend romantic weekends is B&Bs, and of course we would enjoy the local wines.  We alway dreamed of moving to Hermann, but work would have been a challenge.

In 2007 we came up with the idea of buying a little place and renting it out when we are not using it.  We spent 4 months searching for the right property.  In November we met Boob (yes, his nickname is Boob!)  He had a small house that he was in the middle of fixing up for a rental.  He had done all of the hard work, all that was needed was some finishing touches.  We closed just after Christmas and went to work!

We spent the next two weeks and a lot of weekends getting it ready.  We pulled up the carpet and refinished to hardwood floors.  We replaced light fixtures, and knobs.  We pulled down wall paper. We painted, We gave the house some of the personal touches we felt it deserved. 

Then came the fun part for my wife....decorating it! She chose to go with an apple theme kitchen (Apfelbaum means "Apple Tree" in German) and fill the house with eclectic items that gave it a cozy, cottage feel.  We searched garage sales, thrift shops, Craig's List, and antique stores for many of the items.  The only three major items that were purchased new were the bed and the sofa sleeper and the kitchen table.  Everything else was previously owned.

On March 15th 2008, we opened to our first guests.  I could hardly sleep that weekend.  I was so concerned that we have missed something or something would not work properly.  Well, it went great!  As has every rental since.  We have met many people through this endeavor and every one has treated our little house with respect and is welcome back.

As we start our 2nd year I a looking forward to working on the outside.  Money ran a little short so we had to hold back on the outside in 2008, but not this year.  On March 18th we will be spending some time in Hermann building a picket fence and beautifying the outside.  We also plan to paint the roof, fix the porches and put up shutters this year.

In my next entry I will tell you about the house itself. 

Thank you being interested!