About Pip Delange In the early 2000s, I found myself steering a fledgling software consulting firm—a venture I’d launched just two years prior. The tech world buzzed with excitement, and optimism flowed like lines of code. But then, like a sudden glitch in the matrix, Enron’s colossal collapse sent shockwaves through the market. The dot-com bubble burst, leaving many businesses scrambling to survive. Fast-forward to 2008—the year of the Great Recession. Real estate bore the brunt of the financial storm. Foreclosures dotted the landscape, and uncertainty hung heavy in the air. It was during one of those late-night conversations with my wife that our fate took a turn. We sat huddled over coffee, our laptops casting a glow on our determined faces. “Real estate,” she said, her eyes alight with possibility. “What if we pivot? What if we ride this wave?” And so, we dove headfirst into the world of property transactions. We joined real estate investment groups, attended seminars, and devoured every book on the subject. Our hunger for knowledge was insatiable. We learned about market trends, property valuations, and negotiation strategies. We studied architectural styles, neighborhood dynamics, and the art of staging a home. Our laptops became our compass, guiding us through this uncharted territory. By 2016, we owned 13 valuable properties. Tax write-offs had maximized, we sold them all. Fixing and flipping houses in Galveston became our new adventure—a rollercoaster ride from code to castles. In the historic district of Galveston, where cobblestone streets whispered secrets of bygone eras, we discovered our canvas—the old Victorian houses. Their facades bore the weight of history,
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