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.

Vehicle-related Deaths Drop 29% in Richmond, VA
The seventh year of the city's Vision Zero strategy also cut the number of people killed in alcohol-related crashes by half.

As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?
With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.

Judge Reverses Federal Funding Freeze for EV Infrastructure
A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to release funding for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program, a $5 billion program aimed at improving charging infrastructure.

Santa Monica May Raise Parking Permit Fees
The city says the changes would help better manage curb space and support its sustainability goals.

Portland Housing Bond Created Nearly 5,000 Units, But Affordability Remains Out of Reach
Despite better-than-expected results from multiple local housing bonds, housing costs and homelessness remain top of mind for many Oregonians.
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