Community members in Ohio are fighting against real estate prospectors by buying up property before investors can move in to "flip" them for a quick profit.
"Trying to keep strategically valuable properties out of the hands of banks and investors, some communities are starting to head them off at the sheriff's auction."
"In July, a group of impromptu investors - all College Hill residents or business owners - offered $85,000 for a former office supply store just north of Cedar Avenue in the Hamilton Avenue business district. They outbid Wesbanco Inc., which foreclosed on the previous owner after he defaulted on a $100,000 loan."
"'We didn't want to leave it up in the air for who-knows-who would buy it,' says Elizabeth Sherwood, president of the College Hill Forum and one of nine investors in Streetcar Properties LLC."
FULL STORY: Communities beat 'flippers' to the punch

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
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The Five Most-Changed American Cities
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San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan
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Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts
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Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement
An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
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New York City School Construction Authority
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