Renovating homes in the Hamlin Park Neighborhood

Renovating homes in the Hamlin Park Neighborhood will help to RESTORE OUR COMMUNITY. See this local TV segment on $1 homes from Aug 27, 2014.

“BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – A program called the Urban Homestead Program allows buyers to purchase certain abandoned homes within the City of Buffalo for only $1, plus real estate closing costs.

Mike Puma recently took advantage of the program to purchase a home on Buffalo’s east side. The home is certainly what anyone would call a “fixer upper,” to put it nicely. The home near Canisius College needs several repairs; the paint is chipping, holes in the floor need patching, and the structure is crumbling.

News 4 asked Puma what his friends think of his purchase. “Do they think you’re crazy?” News 4 asked.

“They’re actually kind of jealous,” he answered, citing the cost of the home as one probable reason.

Puma, who works in historical preservation, bought the home for $1 through Buffalo’s Urban Homestead Renewal program. Puma said he wanted to make a difference in the city.

“I wanted to take a blighted eyesore, make it my own and contribute back to the community and greater whole in Buffalo,” he explained.”

 Download a .pdf of this article, here.