Almost every major renovation uncovers peeling wallpaper, forgotten letters in attic rafters, and yellowed newspaper clippings under floorboards. Occasionally, a block surprises a family with enough money to change their lives overnight, as happened in Elbow Lake, Minnesota, in 2013. A building contractor, David Gonzalez, and his wife bought a crumbling, long-neglected Elbow Lake house for $10,100, beating out a nearby restaurant that wanted to demolish it and turn the land into a parking lot. Gonzalez saw an opportunity to restore the building rather than let it go. It was surprising to him that the walls would make the renovation worth more than the ticket price.
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