What's in a Name?

In 2001, Karl and his young family moved to the historic Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, DC - buying a fixer-upper built in 1883 that abutted a rear courtyard called Walker Court. For the next twenty-plus years, Walker Court was a place to toss a ball with kids, plant a vegetable garden, or sit around a fire pit with friends and neighbors. But it was more than that, too.

In 2013, Karl purchased an abandoned carriage house in Walker Court. After three years of negotiations with city officials, utility companies, neighbors, and the historic preservation society, he set about transforming the building into an award-winning boutique apartment building. Thanks to a visionary architect and skilled contractor, the dilapidated carriage house was later featured in Washingtonian Magazine and other architectural publications.

Ten years after starting the alley project, Karl's renovated home and the reconstructed carriage house were both part of the Capitol Hill Restoration Society’s annual Home and Garden Tour.

While he now lives in Colorado and has sold both properties, the inspiration of Walker Court lives on. Take the road less traveled on occasion and work at accomplishing some lofty goals. Following an entrepreneurial spirit just makes life more interesting – and the rewards outweigh the risk.