As a beloved of the cobbage, I’m sharing this in hopes to come together to save the homestead as a community, conservation, and business opportunity. 

 

My father is looking to sell it or worse, it goes into foreclosure auction on April 19th - yes just around the corner (it’s a nightmare). He owes $533,318.08 on the due loan. I’ve been able to keep his lien current of around $180,000 and help him by paying the bills on the homestead. Unfortunately, getting my father to work together in succession planning or estate trust building hasn’t been as fruitful as I’d like, no matter how hard I’ve tried to work with Steve and honor the land. As an 80 year old wanting to be a retired CEO engineer from a traditional complicated situation, there's a lot to unpack and I’m just wanting to focus on what I can do to help him and the situation. If I could just free him up to take over the estate via trust and Redmond Treehouse LLC (I’ve established and used to support the airbnb operations for years now), he could retire peacefully and maybe be inspired to continue working on his projects again. 

 

Since my mom died in 2015, my dad broke. He hasn’t been able to pay his bills (thus the cobbage opening to help) and we entered our first foreclosure in 2017 that my sister and I were successfully able to navigate and mitigate and keep current on payments until 2020 when my father stopped paying his bit and we defaulted again and he was unable to get it back to current and never shared the issue as he struggles with control/power issues. He’s convinced he needs to show his income is high enough to afford the loan which means he’s trying to charge me rent on top of everything I’ve given/done here (upwards of $300k - receipt items - $65k alone on the cobbage to even create). I just am struggling to let go and give up just yet. So many dreams here and memories it would be a shame if it was lost by his greed and pride/ego +. I’m trying to save my family's honor really, it’s embarrassing. I’m ashamed and so I try to push through, grit it out, and think of my ancestors and baby bub/future. Truly, it’s more that I need to give it my all or else be wondering and not sure how I’ll sleep at night. This is my hail Mary and I still get butterflies thinking of what could be.

 

My partner (school teacher) and I can afford a $580k first home owners loan, but my father won't sell it to me for that amount even though we could subdivide and he’d still be able to sell without compromising the wetland-legacy space. I’m stuck in between a rock and a hard place and looking for help and supporters in fundraising to buy him out. What are the chances someone just won big on the superbowl and wants to name a wetland park?! I joke a bit, but it’s time to save the homestead before developers bull doze it like they did the 5 acres north that’s elevated over the wetlands (buried 3 streams) with no yard cookie cutter large homes. There is wildlife to allow passage through here and so much more to be stewards for.  I just can't imagine greed winning, but that’s the battle I’m up against. I’m hoping the businesses we’ve built and maintained here are enough to interest someone in investing in me through Redmond Treehouse LLC. I’m also looking into business loan opportunities as there are 3+ additional business lines to develop and execute on the homestead - from small weddings to chicken/duck safe spaces for raising-selling local eggs (pond already produces duck weed to harvest!) to events like Alice and Wonderland tea parties and seasonal fun community times like egg hunts and Treehouse Holiday lights. 

 

There are BIG PERKS, such as an easement for the lower makerspace stream lot reducing taxes and permanently creating a wildlife habitat and 1 acre + conservation wetland easement!! This would include a permanent outdoor makerspace area (Check out the FLORB tour of the makerspace) and conservation pond to allow for additional farm establishment opportunities (zoned R5 for multi ADU’s and farm stand). Chickens, Ancona ducks (blue eggs, high protein, endangered), and so much more. The treehouse (maple tree) project has so much potential - the island is growing baby trees which makes it a tree farm of baby pines, and fir. There is also birch and alder around so a plethora of woods for bird+ ecosystems. I don’t need to describe how special this place is and the opportunities that exist, I’m so grateful you’ve been here and seen the magic around. 

 

Here are businesses I’ve established to help support the space and bring sustainable uses and some diverse income:

• Redmond Treehouse LLC (Full site: https://www.embracingwhimsy.com/redmond-treehouse)

  • Current Business

    • Airbnb cobbage - 10 years and $245,017.74 income

  • Future Business

    • Weddings opp - research complete  = 4 weddings ranging from intimate (5ppl) to big party (75) success

    • Private Parties - tea parties, easter egg hunts…

    • Business meetings + retreats

• Dilettante Extraordinaire LLC - Host site for Bricks4Kids  - I bought the franchise in 2017 with plans to grow it for supporting the homestead 

  • $32,596 for 3 YEARS of SELECT - 4 weeks out of 8 - Many only ½ days - weeks of SUMMER CAMPS

• Embracing Whimsy LLC - Business consulting (launched all businesses - started in 2014) - recently helped launch STEAMobile non-profit a spin-off organization based on Dilettante’s Alpha bus classroom concept and we (Highschool Apprentice co-founders!) are currently looking for warehouse space and project sponsors. 

 

With Cottage law ($35k/year), we can bake and now those delicious highly nutritious blue eggs can combine with the sourdough I’ve been nurturing (for 3+ years now!) and now known for my sourdough chocolate chip cookies and pancakes/waffles - they are a joy to make and share. This allows for a true B&B which would be a blast to run. Also, garden, orchard, italian plums, strawberries, raspberries and rain catching self watering system. Available micro hydro and solar means we could have the coolest integrated maker-work-space.

 

I’ve also been lucky to have worked with an amazing Physician Advisor (30+ years DO + Active Hospitalist) in my proj.mgmt/marketing corp past days (2013) and have been able to support him with his hospital consulting since 2020 and just last year, we - I’m a co-founder - started a Healthcare Systems software AI (clinical decision making support) app company called SAPHUR and have a few hospital workflow projects going. I own 1,300,000 shares. I’m open to utilizing stock options as collateral.

 

There’s much to offer! Naming rights?! Can you imagine preserving this space forever?! Enjoying it on holidays or meeting retreats?! I truly hope we can. I mean it could be a retirement space! So many things.

 

I need your help in saving it. This is a HUGE, incredibly awkward ask and I’m already indebted to you for your leadership and past stay support let alone entering my world honestly. Please help me this last time in finding a way to save this space we have and my family's art. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. 

 

All my best,

Jennie Rondel

jennierondel@gmail.com