[Durham INC] instead of plywood on windows...
Ken Gasch
Ken at KenGasch.com
Fri Mar 4 20:37:48 EST 2011
Pointing fingers at and disrespecting the folks who leave houses empty will
not get results. Been there, done that. I guarantee that those folks do not
want to have the houses empty any more than you or I do. When you approach a
person looking for a mutually beneficial solution, in friendship, mountains
are moved.
Ken Gasch
REALTOR®/Broker
Seagroves Realty
www.KenGasch.com
C: 919.475.8866
F: 866.229.4267
On Fri, Mar 4, 2011 at 6:12 PM, Barry Ragin <bragin at nc.rr.com> wrote:
> 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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