About

What is Penny Modern?

Penny Modern started as my interior design blog, following my journey renovating and designing my own personal residences.
Once I was done, I wanted more houses to renovate and decorate – so I started buying rental properties!

I bought a vacation rental in February 2022, and a long term rental in December 2022, and now I’m on a mission to grow my portfolio.

Now I’m also a licensed California Real Estate Agent, as well as a Real Estate Investor.

Here’s how I can help you…

I help everyday people like you to:

• Get inspiration to make your home beautiful, but stay on a budget you can afford.
• Get ideas to fix up their homes or rentals the “quick and easy” way to get top dollar.

One of the best ways to get the most value from my site is to sign up for my email list to help you to find ways to save money while decorating your home.

 Join the Penny Modern Community here.

My Dream

The reason why I am doing all this is to help other people to create a place they love to live in, without breaking the bank.

Why listen to me?

I’m just a mom, living life in sunny San Diego. My husband, Robert, and I purchased our first home in 2014, and began fixing it up. We have fixed up 2 homes ourselves, and have also turned a 3 bedroom home into a vacation rental out in the desert.

I’ve Fixed Up Two Fixer Uppers

Both of our homes were 1970’s “fixers” and needed pretty serious cosmetic updating to make them livable. The remodels were an amazing learning experience in themselves, since we did the work ourselves and through various contractors. I had to hire, organize, and schedule all the various “trades” to come in for remodeling.

What next?

After we remodeled pretty much every room in our home, what was next? The real estate bug bit me hard, and I decided we were buying a rental property. We searched for about 6 months, and finally bought a pool home in Indio, CA to rent out as a vacation rental.

Our vacation rental, The Funky Palm, took some setup time as I had to furnish it from scratch, and completely remodel the pool and spa. Once that was done, we put it up on Airbnb and VRBO and started my career in property management.

Next we decided to get rental #2 closer to home. We found this one via Redfin and were able to buy using Seller Financing – no bank needed. This one is a long term rental out in Ramona, CA.

My Superpowers:

From my “day job” in supply chain, and my experience buying and selling 4 properties. I’ve discovered some of my special skills. I’m not an interior designer, but I’ve got some superpowers:

• Expert Researcher – I’ve got not one, but two college degrees and can do research, both in-store and online, like nobody’s business.
• Negotiations – I LOVE to find a good deal, and will be relentless until I know I’m getting the best deal possible. I’m also the Chief Financial Officer and expert negotiator for our family
• Sourcing Expertise – My day job is in the supply chain field and I’ve found sources for everything from quinoa to cookie manufacturers, so I can find the best sources for supplies without a doubt.

I hope you enjoy my site, and look forward to helping you create a home you love at a price you can live with.

Thanks and happy decorating!

Carrie