Buying a home is always an exciting endeavor.

Whether it’s your first or your tenth time buying a residence, there’s just something thrilling about the chance to change up your surroundings and live somewhere new for a while.

But we’re about to meet one man who got more than he bargained for when he sought a quiet life in a new home in Tucson, Arizona.

Read on for the amazing tale of a fire department captain who found the surprise of his life when he purchased a home.

An Ordinary Real Estate Transaction

John Sims wasn’t expecting anything out of the ordinary when he bought his new home located in a midtown neighborhood of Tucson, Arizona.

But buying the home turned into one of the most astonishing events of his life, thanks to a disturbing rumor about the house and a curiosity about it that just wouldn’t quit.

There was supposedly something buried in the backyard, according to the home’s previous owner.

John just couldn’t rest knowing that there could be a secret buried somewhere out there, and he set out to find it.

Read on to learn more about John’s quest to unearth a decades-old mystery.

The house that John Sims bought was formerly owned by someone who was a friend.

John felt secure in his purchase knowing that this friend had already lived there and would have told him if there was anything wrong with the house.

But after John closed on the property, his friend said something unexpected.

He told John that there were weird rumors about the house, rumors that involved a mystery surrounding something that was supposedly buried in the backyard years earlier.

What To Do With This Knowledge?

John’s friend, who had previously owned the house John just purchased, had told him an exciting, yet creepy, hint about the property. But it turns out that the friend had never invested the time to find out whether the rumors were true.

As John set about unpacking and the other routine tasks of settling into a new house, he couldn’t stop thinking about his friend’s words. He just had to find out for himself what was going on in his backyard.

The Mystery Was His To Discover

Now that he had become a bit obsessed with the hint of a mystery surrounding his new home, John realized that he was going to do whatever it took to get to the bottom of things. In fact, he’d been so intrigued when the friend first mentioned the home’s secret that he’d jokingly asked to borrow a shovel.

Soon he’d realize that it would take more equipment than a single shovel. And although John had no idea what exactly he was looking for, he decided to investigate.

No Idea Where To Start

John enjoyed thinking about the mystery encased in his backyard. What could it be? He knew it was possible that there was nothing to the rumor and that he might not find anything. But he also knew that he could end up finding something amazing.

Not able to stand the uncertainty anymore, John thought about what he was going to do next. He could fill in any holes and repair his lawn later. The task at hand was more important than his yard’s appearance. So he got out a shovel and started to dig.

A Triple-Digit Threat

John was so determined to get to the bottom of these rumors that he was willing to overcome a lot of difficulties. Tucson, Arizona gets hot in the summer – as in triple digit hot. Those kind of conditions are dangerous to work in.

Many people would have given up at this point. But undeterred, John continued on with his mission. With his shovel in hand, he dug. And dug. He hoped this hard labor would pay off.

Holes Dotted The Yard

John had no plans in place when he began his laborious digging. He just starting digging hole after hole in his backyard. After he had excavated four different holes, pretty much ruining his yard, John still hadn’t found anything.

He started to worry that if there was in fact something to find out there, that he might have destroyed it with his digging. Disappointment set in and John temporarily gave up hope of finding his yard’s hidden mystery.