Happy Homeowner: Seeing Opportunity in Abandoned Homes

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Happy Homeowner: Seeing Opportunity in Abandoned Homes

Chinester Conaway really likes the Village of North Randall and knew that’s where she wanted to buy a home. She had heard about the opportunity to purchase houses from the Cuyahoga Land Bank through friends. After searching for homes on real estate websites, Chinester found her three-bedroom, one-bath fixer-upper on North Randall Road in the southeastern Cuyahoga suburb on the Cuyahoga Land Bank’s website.

A lifelong Cuyahoga resident, Chinester has been buying and fixing up run-down houses throughout Northeast Ohio for some time and was up to the challenge of renovating a home of her own. “I would say the condition of the house was near-condemned,” she says, only half-joking. “A lot of people are afraid when they see a house that needs that much work. I see it as an opportunity.” Chinester and her renovation crew performed extensive renovations to the ranch-style home that had sat vacant for some time after going through the foreclosure process. “We basically took it down to the studs and started over,” she says. “It’s now like a brand new, really nice house.”

“Working with the Cuyahoga Land Bank was a good experience,” says Chinester. “Once I understood the process, it was really easy.” And, she says she will definitely look for other investment opportunities through the Cuyahoga Land Bank and has even recommended it to friends and family. “I’m not sure they’re up to the task, but we will see!”


The Cuyahoga Land Bank supports responsible homeownership and offers several purchasing options to private buyers and investors. Click HERE to find a house to renovate or a fully renovated home available for sale.