Josh Zimmerman, an engineer who works for the U.S. Patent Office, is a savvy investor whose sweat equity paid off big time. Josh purchased his purple 2-unit rowhouse in Shaw in October 2014 for $625,000. He used a 203K renovation loan to help finance the critical renovations (mold remediation, gutting the lower level unit, structural and roof repairs) and he put a lot of sweat equity into the kitchens, master bath, and cosmetic updates. In August 2015, he refinanced and his new and greatly improved home appraised at $925,000. That’s almost a 50% increase in value in less than 1 year and $300K in equity! Way to go, Josh!