[Durham INC] instead of plywood on windows...
Barry Ragin
bragin at nc.rr.com
Fri Mar 4 18:12:49 EST 2011
Capital idea, Bill. Perhaps we could raise that money by imposing some
sort of fee on people who buy houses and then leave them them vacant.
1806 through 1810 Avondale, for starters.
Barry Ragin
On 3/4/11 3:04 PM, TheOcean1 at aol.com wrote:
> 'ppreciate the shout out, Matt.
> I suppose you know that one of the doors that sported that sneaker
> print was yours, and that was less than 3 years ago! Just look at
> your block today.... wow, you and your neighbors should be very proud.
> Can you imagine what Cleveland Holloway would be like now if Ken & I
> weren't almost the only Realtors interested in your neighborhood in
> those days?
>
> We didn't need a financial incentive, but I think other Realtors would
> react to more money.
> If a fund could be established that would add a $1,000 bonus to any
> Realtor who sells a boarded up gem, perhaps a bunch of other Realtors
> would be carting their clients around Cleveland Holloway.
> Those clients might become your new neighbors.
> If all it took to fill those 15 nearby vacant houses was a pool of
> $15,000 total, it would seem like a bargain in the long run.
> Especially when the County sees the up tick in property taxes collected.
> Just thinking out loud,
> *Bill Anderson*
> REALTOR
>
>
>
> 919 282-8209 Cell
>
> www.SeagrovesRealty.com
>
> In a message dated 3/4/2011 2:34:28 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
> matt.dudek at gmail.com writes:
>
> I agree that boards aren't ideal, and I think Art is great as a
> temporary fix to bring focus on a neighborhood in need of help. In
> Detroit though, as far as I understand, those art installations
> were never meant to be permanent. The intention was to get news
> crews to show the need for investment in those neighborhoods. Now
> it's become a part of "ruins porn."
>
> I live in Cleveland-Holloway and even though there has been
> significant reinvestment, and a number of vacant houses renovated,
> there are still 15 vacant/abandoned houses within a block and a
> half of my house. I don't want permanent art installations that
> outsiders come to gawk at. I want /new neighbors,/ permanent,
> real-life new neighbors invested in the health of the area.
>
> I think the city's installation on Holloway St. is great, and I
> think the temporary New Neighbors exhibit is a fantastic idea. I
> hope it brings people to East Durham and shows what a vibrant,
> functioning community it is. I know the intent of the program was
> to get people to buy houses in East Durham, and I hope that's what
> it accomplishes.
>
> (And I should mention that both Ken Gasch and Bill Anderson have
> been instrumental in bringing new owner occupiers to
> Cleveland-Holloway. I hope more real estate agents start showing
> more homes in our neighborhood and other East Durham Neighborhoods
> to people looking to buy a home for themselves, and not just
> investment properties.)
>
> Just my two cents.
>
> Matt Dudek
> *Cleveland-Holloway*
>
> On Fri, Mar 4, 2011 at 1:59 PM, <TheOcean1 at aol.com
> <mailto:TheOcean1 at aol.com>> wrote:
>
> I love Melissa's idea (about the painting contest, not young
> kids using them as meeting locations), and greatly prefer the
> look of that house on Holloway with these windows/painted
> plywood to secure it.
> But I'm a little concerned that owners of boarded up houses
> will view this as a more permanent solution than the old style
> of boarding up the house.
> They won't be productive properties again until they are
> occupied, and as a Realtor, it's hard to show a boarded up
> house, painted boards or otherwise. I see boarded up houses as
> property that needs to change hands for everyone's sake, the
> neighborhood, the former owner and the future owner, even the
> house itself.
> Since I'm on the committee, I wanted to make proper disclosure
> that I'm a Realtor with a history of buying/selling vacant
> properties. There's no money in it, which is part of the
> problem. I became a Realtor to assist a neighborhood. One of
> the primo houses, with a piece of Ellerbee Creek running thru
> it's backyard, we bought for less than $20k. Do the math, my
> take was less than $300. and most wouldn't have done the
> paperwork for that. But it helped transfer ownership so the
> renovations could begin.
> My reason for bringing up that house is that it was easy to
> show to perspective buyers/renovators. The front door had been
> kicked in, and the same sneaker print was also on the front
> door of the house next door.
> Both of these houses are now beautifully renovated and owner
> occupied.
> Not sure that would be the case if they had been boarded up,
> with decorated boards or plain ones.
> I think the question might be: "Which helps a house change
> hands faster, decorative boards, or a Realtor who is community
> minded enough to do the work for peanuts?"
> *Bill Anderson*
> In a message dated 3/4/2011 10:15:07 A.M. Eastern Standard
> Time, fletch.groups at gmail.com <mailto:fletch.groups at gmail.com>
> writes:
>
> Ken, not every boarded up house has a neighbor that can
> keep an eye on it. There are entire blocks of streets that
> are made up entirely of boarded up houses. Turning these
> buildings into art may increase traffic and visibility
> around them, helping decrease squatters and general crime
> in the neighborhoods they are in. Detroit has had some
> success with this
> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heidelberg_Project>.
>
> On Thu, Mar 3, 2011 at 10:34 PM, Ken Gasch
> <Ken at kengasch.com <mailto:Ken at kengasch.com>> wrote:
>
> Boarded up windows scream: "Hello squatter, please
> consider prying a board loose on my back side and
> coming on in. As you can see by my boarded up windows,
> I am empty and nobody will bother you for weeks at a
> time." Artwork will do the same thing.
>
> Boarding up homes is a bad policy.
>
> Homes should be lived in.
>
> I have had to keep squatters out of houses scores of
> times.
>
> For starters, go in a few times and throw all their
> belongings out. That usually keeps them from coming back.
>
> Empower the neighbors to watch the house for you. I
> have one project where a neighbor ran off some
> would-be looters/squatters with a 12-gage, double
> barrel shotgun.
>
> Get temporary power on and play music and keep a light
> on or two. Put lights on timers.
>
> Sign a trespass agreement with the police and post "no
> trespassing" signs. My sign is not big and neon
> orange. My sign is very small. It does not scream:
> "empty house." It is in 12-point type and says: "No
> Trespassing. Durham Police Department, Pursuant to NC
> General Statute 14-153.13 (1), I hereby authorize any
> officer of the Durham Police Department to arrest and
> remove any intruder found upon these premises. I will
> testify in court as to my power to delegate this
> authority. Please do not hesitate to phone me at any
> time of day or night. Thank you, Ken Gasch
> 919.475.8866 <tel:919.475.8866>."
>
> Do not board up houses!!!
>
> Ken Gasch
> REALTOR®/Broker
> Seagroves Realty
> www.KenGasch.com <http://www.kengasch.com/>
> C: 919.475.8866 <tel:919.475.8866>
> F: 866.229.4267 <tel:866.229.4267>
>
>
>
> On Thu, Mar 3, 2011 at 10:24 PM, Barry Ragin
> <bragin at nc.rr.com <mailto:bragin at nc.rr.com>> wrote:
>
> You know, for a city that's on everyone's list of
> the top ten places to live in the US, we sure seem
> to have a lot of vacant and abandoned houses in
> this town.
>
> I can't for the life of me understand why that
> should be.
>
> Barry Ragin
>
> On 3/3/11 4:30 PM, Melissa's yahoo wrote:
>
> Maybe Durham would consider hosting a contest
> where artists paint a board to be permanently
> displayed in windows that are broken/in
> disrepair. Durham could give a small cash
> prize and/or display the winning board at City
> Hall or something like that. It would be great
> publicity for the many artists in Durham and
> the Triangle. If this doesn't float, maybe we
> can make it a contest for schools or school
> aged children and give the winner a $200
> savings bond - this is what they did for the
> Durham America Recycles Day contest this year.
> Or the winner's school could get a raingarden
> installation or something like that, which we
> want to see done anyway...
>
> Melissa
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
> On Mar 2, 2011, at 7:13 PM, "RW
> Pickle"<randy at 27beverly.com
> <mailto:randy at 27beverly.com>> wrote:
>
> Since this is a current topic of a new
> committee, those involved (as well
> as anyone else interested) should view the
> recent window treatment
> (instead of plywood or other materials)
> used by NIS on a house located on
> Holloway Street. The house is located on
> the right in the first block
> (going out Holloway from downtown past the
> Public Library) just past the
> Dillard Street intersection. The house is
> white and I believe it's the 3rd
> or 4th on the right as you head out
> Holloway that way. This is a window
> treatment that offers security, yet looks
> like a window. The house also
> has fresh straw in the yard from reseeding
> (just to help you locate it).
> It has much better curb appeal than
> plywood and just casually looking, it
> looks like windows are in place.
>
> Randy Pickle
>
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