Wednesday, Nov. 4, 1992 - North Shore News ~ 43

ime to move on for NV renovators

Busy N. shore couple enjoy great success fixing up old houses for resale

WHAT COULD be more fun

than owning and operating a

business from your home while taking care of a 2%-

year-old and a_ three-month-

house at the same time!

Linda and Steve Berg of North
Vancouver spend about 80 hours a
week looking after their truck
dispatching company and working
on their house.

They also manage to look after
their son Conner and new daugh-
ter Shaynee, who is barely three
months old, as well as whipping
up a gourmet meal for a visiting
reporter interested in finding out
about their superhuman undertak-
ings.

Since February 1991 the Bergs
have bought, renovated and sold
two North Vancouver houses,
making a profit of aver $90,000.

Although they were planning on
staying in their second house
longer, a beckoning market, the
birra of their second child and the
expansion of their business, Santa
Cruz Trucking, told them the time
was right to move on.

‘There is some remorse,” says
Linda, ‘‘when you’ve worked so
hard on the house and you’ve got
it just the way you wanted it, and
then you move. There’s a sigh of
relief, but there’s also a sigh of
sadness.”’

Linda renovated her first house
with her then-husband when she
was 20.

The New Westminster structure,
in’ which her ex-husband. still
lives, was almost at the point of
being condemned. -

”

OFF

Sugg

Retail

A SHADE
Specializing in Blinds and Draperies for over 7 years

4877 Marine Drive, N.Van. 984-44 ef |

#438418 Progress Way,

|.

old baby? Renovating your

By Tina Gilbertson
Contributing Writer

It had stood vacant for a year,
had been vandalized, and was 93
years old. But Linda loved it.

A mortgage would be required.

“When I first showed pictures
of the house to the bank, they
laughed and said ‘you've got to be
kidding,’ "’ admits Linda. ‘‘They
wouldn’t even submit my mort-
gage application to CMHC
(Canada Mortgage and Housing
Corp.) — and | was an employee
of the bank! [| had worked for
them for two years."*

But Linda was determined. She
and her husband obtained a list of
the offending defects from CMHC
and set about fixing them.

In the end, they were granted
their mortgage.

Tenacity and a willingness to
work have served Linda and Steve
well, especially when combined
with their natural business
acumen.

“People say to us that we're
lucky to have done so well with
our houses in such a short time,
but luck has nothing to do with it.
It’s all relative to the amount of
time you put in,’’ says Linda.

The Bergs do all their own work
on each house they buy, making
sure they undertake only tasks
they can reasonably handle and

Vertical Blinds Only |

Unlimited Selection of
Colours and Fabrics

Offer ends Nov. 30/92
EE TER
d d

Squamish 892-5857
Whistier 932-6617

which will enhance the home’s
value.

Show & Sale

This Monday,

through Sunday,
Nov. 2nd to 8th

FREE APPRAISALS

For information
call 856-2131

“‘We're cosmetic renovators.

We’re not into tearing down walls
‘*We’re not structural — wedon’t get that fussy.”

renovators,’’ explains Linda. There are other aspects, howev-

NEWS photo Brad Leawidge
SINCE FEBRUARY 1991 Linda (shown with son Connor) and Steve Berg save bought, renovated
and sold two North Vancouver houses, making a profit of over $90,000.

er, about which they are fussy.
And that fussiness is the basis of

their success.

See Great page 46

935 MARINE DRIVE., (NEXT TO DAVE BUCK FORD) NORTH VANCOUVER.
MON.-WED. 10-5:30, THURS, & FRI. 10-9, SAT. 9:30-5:30, SUN. NOON-5.