Lisa Johnson had lived in her beloved house her entire life. Then she almost lost it
The one-story house that sits on Mandarin Avenue has been in Lisa Johnson’s family for more than half a century.
Johnson’s parents bought the house after moving from Montgomery, Ala., to Hayward in 1961. It’s the house she and her siblings grew up in, and it has been a constant throughout her life.
“I’ve lived in this house since I was 4 years old,” Johnson said. “I’m 62. My parents left me this house.”
The house has been there as Johnson pursued a career in dentistry and received master’s degrees in business administration, accounting and education. When her mother died in 2010, the house became hers. A relatively low mortgage payment, and rent money from tenants Johnson took on, made the home affordable to live in.