Today we’d like to introduce you to Tracie Smith.
Hi Tracie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
My husband and I started Smith & Smith Homes after we had “regular” jobs for years. He was a supervisor for a company, and I was a nurse for 18 years. Then we decided to open a BBQ restaurant called His and Hers BBQ. That went well until the pandemic hit, and my husband needed to have lifesaving heart surgery. So, we sold the BBQ restaurant and decided to do what we both loved…. real estate. We started Smith & Smith Homes with the intent to do home remodeling and an occasional flip a house here and there. Then we decided to go full-time flippers. The market had been hot, so we changed our business model to flipping houses to do our part in improving dilapidated houses in St. Louis City. It is not an easy job and can be quite stressful, but the independence and freedom of creating your own destiny, income, and company is invigorating. I have found that being a business owner is not just being your own boss, but it is being your own motivation, leader, problem solver, and critical thinker. It is challenging and rewarding. I love every aspect of real estate from finding the run-down property that nobody wants to making it the beautiful, remodel house that everybody wants. We change the floor plans, tear it down to the studs, replace all the systems, and even do our own staging once it is finished. We Re-do and Renew!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I wish it was a smooth road. There are always problems when it comes to flipping a house. Sometimes it is hard to find a house to flip, and the higher interest rates means longer times on the market without multiple offers. We recently bought a house to turn into a rental. A small house that would take too long to fix up. Well, when we started demo on it, we found so much termite damage that we have to tear the whole house down and build a new one. That just triple my original renovation budget! That is something that can happen when you buy an as-is property.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Smith & Smith Homes?
Smith & Smith Homes is a husband-and-wife team that flips houses in the St. Louis area. Mainly South St. Louis. My husband and I work every day together, trying to find good deals, agree on design, and make it all come together to make the best decisions for our family and company. I think what sets us apart from others is we over-improve just enough to make our house look better than the others in the neighborhood. We want our buyers to feel like they are getting the best house possible for whatever amount of money they are offering. We pride ourselves on the upgrades we do to our flips. We should have a show! lol
What makes you happy?
I am the happiest in two phases: the 1st is when we buy a property. I am excited to create and design something unexpected in this property. What this particular property can become. How can I make this 2 bedroom, 1 bath house into a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house and not feel cramped. The 2nd phase is when we are about to stage it. This means someone is going to appreciate all the hard work and headaches we have put into this property. Selling it is great too.
Contact Info:
- Website: smith-smithhomes.com
- Instagram: smithsmithhomes
- Facebook: Smith & Smith Homes
