Native Detroiter Michael Gray bought an abandoned property for just $1,500 in 2009. Homeless at the time, Gray moved in immediately and began a decade-long restoration that would eventually transform the derelict house into a comfy home for himself and his wife. Gray celebrated his 10th wedding anniversary with his wife, Cynthia, on their renovated property in November 2019. He hopes to inspire others to create livable spaces from humble foundations, one step at a time. Gray, 67, works weekdays as a machinist in Bowling Green, Ohio. Yet he once found himself jobless in Michigan despite holding degrees in English and Psychology from Spring Arbor University. “I had been going through a rough time in my life,” he explained to Business Insider. “I was staying with my niece and sleeping in her basement.” In 2008, Gray suffered another setback: he was hit by a car. Wishing to change his fortune for …