From Rental Properties to Surplus Recovery: How Affordable Housing Led Me Here

Grab a cup of coffee and sit with me for a second. If we were meeting in person, I’d probably be telling you about my two kids (who are 3.5 and 1, by the way, so yes, life is a little chaotic!) or maybe swapping stories about growing up in East Alabama. I’m an Opelika girl at heart, raised by a single mom who taught me that "grit" isn't just a word; it’s a lifestyle.

But today, I want to talk to you about something a bit deeper. People often ask me, "Kris, how did you go from working at Netflix and owning a portfolio of affordable rental properties to running a company that recovers foreclosure surplus funds?"

It sounds like a giant leap, doesn’t it? From big tech and being a landlord to navigating the dusty hallways of government bureaucracy. But when I look back, the path was actually a straight line. It all started with a simple belief: everyone deserves a fair shake, especially when they’re at their lowest point.

The Mission of a "Safe Place to Call Home"

Before I founded Heritage Surplus Solutions, my professional life was focused on two things: my career in tech and my passion for affordable housing.

Growing up in Auburn and Opelika, I saw firsthand how much a stable home matters. My mother worked incredibly hard to make sure I never went without, and her resilience stayed with me. When I joined the Army at 18 (go Army!), it was partly to help my family and fund my education, but it also instilled in me a deep sense of service.

That sense of service led me to invest in rental properties. But I didn’t just want to be a "landlord." I wanted to provide high-quality, affordable housing for people who really needed it, single moms, veterans, and hard-working families who were just one bad break away from a crisis. To me, those houses weren't just assets; they were someone’s "Always Forward" starting point.

The "Aha Moment" That Changed Everything

So, there I was, managing my rental portfolio and enjoying my career, when I had my "aha moment." It wasn’t a lightning bolt; it was more like a slow, heavy realization.

I began noticing something happening in the neighborhoods where I worked. Families were losing their homes to foreclosure, sometimes because of a mortgage they couldn't keep up with, and other times because of unpaid property taxes. It’s a devastating process. I’ve seen the stress it puts on parents and the confusion it causes for kids.

But then, I saw the math.

I remember looking at a specific property that had gone to a tax sale. The family owed maybe $15,000 in back taxes. At the auction, the house sold for $150,000.

My brain, trained by years of tech and business, immediately started clicking. If the county only needed $15,000 to cover the taxes and fees, what happened to the other $135,000? That money didn't belong to the county. It didn't belong to the new buyer. That was the family's equity. That was their life savings, their kids' college fund, their "start over" money.

And yet, no one was calling them to tell them the money was there. In fact, in many cases, if that family didn't claim those surplus funds within a very short window, the government just... kept it.

The Injustice of the "Unclaimed"

That didn't sit right with me. As a veteran, I’m big on honor. As a single mom, I’m big on protection. Seeing the government or big banks keep money that rightfully belonged to a family who had just lost their home felt like a second tragedy piled on top of the first.

I realized that these families were often in such a state of shock and grief over losing their home that they weren't checking the legal notices in the back of the newspaper. They didn't know that "surplus funds" (sometimes called overages or excess proceeds) even existed.

I thought about my own journey, leaving a six-figure tech career to find more meaning. I realized that my mission wasn't just to provide housing; it was to protect the people who were being displaced from it.

That was the day Heritage Surplus Solutions was born.

Building a Bridge to a Fresh Start

Transitioning from rental properties to surplus recovery was about building a bridge. When a person is standing on the side of "loss", loss of a home, loss of stability, they need someone to help them cross over to a "fresh start."

At Heritage Surplus, we do the heavy lifting that most people can't handle when they're in a crisis. We track down the funds, we hire the attorneys, we handle the notary fees, and we navigate the confusing state laws. And we do it all with a compassionate, educational approach.

I wanted to make sure there was zero risk for our clients. Because if you’ve already lost your home, the last thing you need is a bill from a consultant. That’s why we only get paid if we successfully put money back into your pocket.

Why This is Personal for Me

I often think about the single mothers I work with. I know the weight of being the sole provider. I know the late nights and the constant "what-ifs." When we recover $20,000, $50,000, or even $100,000 for a mom who thought she was walking away with nothing... that’s not just a check. That’s a security deposit on a new apartment. That’s a reliable car to get to work. That’s the ability to breathe again.

My motto has always been "Always Forward." It’s what got me through the Army, what got me through my IVF journey to become a mother, and what drives me to grow this business. We can't always change what happened in the past, we can't always stop a foreclosure from happening, but we can sure as heck make sure you have the resources to move forward.

Let’s Find What’s Yours

If you’ve been through a foreclosure, or if you know someone who has, please know that you don’t have to do this alone. There might be a "pot of gold" at the end of that very dark tunnel, and it would be my honor to help you find it.

You can check out our FAQ page to learn more about how the process works, or if you’re ready to see if you have funds waiting, reach out to us here. We also have a free ebook that walks you through the basics of foreclosure recovery.

Thank you for letting me share my story with you. It’s been a wild ride from East Alabama to here, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. Let’s keep moving always forward, together.