‘We Started Buying Real Estate To Help Those in Need—and Built a Portfolio Worth Millions in the Process’

When Frank and Ann Ewing decided to purchase a rundown property in West Tennessee to renovate and rent out, they did so with the idea that they wanted to help provide affordable housing for others. What they didn't expect was that they'd also become millionaires in the process.But that's exactly what happened as the Ewings quietly built a real estate portfolio over the past 20 years that's now worth around $10 million, while simultaneously making a small dent in the housing affordability crisis in their area."We decided that many of the world's problems start at home—all people deserve a safe, decent place to live and a lack of a decent place to live can cause social problems that affect us all," says Ann Ewing, the co-founder, with her husband, of Better World Enterprises and co-author of "Housing Into Homes," which illustrates how it's possible to make money in real estate while "doing good" at the same time.Step by step, the Ewings amassed not only an entire portfolio of properties including a 33-unit townhouse complex, 20 duplexes, and single-family homes (about 90 rental units in total), but they stayed true to their initial mission, which was to help make the world a better p...