Affordable Homes and Custom Paint

Author: Teddy Burch
Issue: 2008 March

Dagiva Enterprises

David and Givonna Carter began Dagiva Enterprises with two goals in mind. The first was to create more time for their family to spend together; the second was to create friendships and help all kinds of people to get into a home they could afford.

In the five years since redoing and reselling their first property, both goals have been met.

“We are never in it for the resale as much as we are getting people into their new home,” said Givonna. “We help many people who never thought they could get into a home.”

Dagiva buys foreclosure homes and rental properties. They even purchase homes that have been inherited and the new owners don’t know what to do with. “We can help them,” David said.

The conditions of the homes which Dagiva purchases range from needing to be totally gutted and redone from the floors up, to just needing some light paint and carpets cleaned.

However one of the best features to buying a home from Dagiva is that most people have immediate equity in their home. “We are able to buy and redo houses cheaper and therefore resell them cheaper and the buyer walks away from the closing table with home equity.” David said.

One thing to remember is that while many parts of the country are experiencing housing sale slumps and record foreclosures, Oklahoma has avoided most of the problems because lenders have avoided high risk loans and the housing prices have stayed relatively close to the market value. David still believes that real estate is the best investment.

“It’s the best way to build wealth,” he said. “The value of your home may slow down on how quickly it increases, but the value will always go up. You cannot lose in buying your own house.”

So what about the goal of spending more time with family? The Carters are currently enjoying that also. David once worked long hours every day and most weekends. Today, they can enjoy quality time spent together along with the addition of Zath, just two month ago. The Carter’s are well aware of the impossible task of replacing time.

“You can never get time back, so we are fortunate to be able to spend it together,” Givonna said. “We also get to help people get into homes that [they] may have thought they would never get into. Everybody wins.”

If you’re ready to get into your own home, call Dagiva Enterprises at 831-1952 and let David and Givonna go to work for you.

Lonnie’s Paint & Body

Since 1960, Lonnie’s Paint and Body Shop has been providing Shawnee residents with great service and exceptional work. Owner, Pat Fitzgerald recognizes the long-time Shawnee icon has a great reputation and he hopes to continue to improve on a good thing.

“People have always known about Lonnie’s. My father bought the business in 1981 and I bought it from him in 1995. I feel that in that time period, we have added to the great thing that Lonnie Upton started 48 years ago,” Fitzgerald said. “We never changed the name because we have always been known for doing a good service.”

Fitzgerald believes that it is important to remember that with the cost of today’s vehicles, where you take your automobile after an unfortunate accident can make a world of difference. “With the price of some of these cars and trucks, it is important to remember that not all body work is the same,” he said. “Unfortunately, when you get your automobile back, and you notice that the work is not that good, it’s a little to late.”

Fitzgerald also knows the importance of having a good work crew. His current crew has over thirty years combined experience working at Lonnie’s. While there are many individuals that make up the crew, Fitzgerald has one employee that truly understands a hard day’s work.

“Mike Nichols has been here a bunch of years. He is one of those guys that truly knows the meaning of putting in a days work,” said Fitzgerald. “He is just old-school. They broke the mold when they made Mike. He truly is one of a kind.”

Fitzgerald wants you to remember that the less distractions that you have while operating your automobile, the better your chances of avoiding an accident. “The less attention you have to spend on cell phones and other devices, means the more attention spent on driving.”

One other point that Fitzgerald wants to stress is that where you get your vehicle repaired is always your decision. “If your insurance company, or anyone else tells you different, they are wrong.”

Located at 124 North Beard, Lonnie’s Paint and Body Shop is ready to serve you for collision repair. Call 273-0172 for more information.

Affordable Homes and Custom Paint

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