A few weeks ago, I wrote about a man I called NavyDaddy, a name I took from his e-mail address. He was a naval veteran in his 50s whose wife was expecting twins. Though they were living in Michigan, they were very interested in a property DBNR had in Gary, Indiana, where the wife had family. I wrote that I would continue to NavyDaddy’s story as it progressed.

Frequently in this venture, my initial interactions with a prospect are full of enthusiasm and potential. People who have been frozen out of the housing market for years, realizing an opportunity to finally get equity in a property (even a currently distressed one), are often exuberant in their fantasies. But then the realities of tax forms and income verification and such kick in, and the exuberance fade.

Not so with NavyDaddy. If anything, his enthusiasm grew, even as he struggled through mowing the overgrown lawn … and painting the bedrooms … and fixing the electrical receptacles because the junction boxes were missing. This is a 970-square-foot, 3BR, 1BA house. No garage. A freeway runs along the back fence (in the real estate business, we promote something like this as “no backyard neighbors”). But he loves it. He sent me before-and-after pictures. He sent me pictures of himself doing the work. His delight in creating a home for his family never flagged. A friend of theirs, who also survives on Social Security payments, is going to join them in Gary and help them take care of the twins.

In fact, NavyDaddy’s so excited that he’s getting ambitious. The houses on either side of this property are vacant. One of them has a garage; he’s begun to figure out how he can eventually buy that house too.

Many of us, especially here in Silicon Valley, would look on a 970-square-foot house as cramped and too small to bring up a family. For NavyDaddy and his family, it’s their dream come true.