When you purchase a home that has been named “the ugliest house of the year,” the expectations of what you will be able to do with the property can raise some eyebrows, to say the least. Don Cameron, a HomeVestors franchisee, faced this situation in 2020 when they purchased a 1,035-square-foot single-story ranch-style house in Hollywood, Florida.
The House Situation
One evening, the homeowner was relaxing on the back patio of the house with a candle burning. She went into the house for something and while she was inside, the candle blew over and caught a rug on fire. Before long, the house was engulfed in flames.
The fire department was called and was able to put the fire out, but what remained was devastating. There was significant smoke and structural damage to the house, making it unliveable. The homeowner did not have the time or the money to restore the house, not to mention a place to live for the many months needed, so a traditional sale of the home was not possible. The only option she had was to sell the home “as is,” which limited the people who would consider buying a property in that kind of situation. The owner decided to call HomeVestors.
HomeVestors is known for buying distressed properties that need considerable work. The homeowner benefits because they paid for a property they might not otherwise be able to sell successfully. Meanwhile, HomeVestors commits the resources to upgrade the home and make it a saleable property. HomeVesors bears all the risk, since a fire damaged house may have many unforeseen issues.
“This type of property would not normally be one we would consider due to the damage and investment required to make it liveable,” said Cameron, who owns five HomeVestors franchises in south Florida. “But the location really made us want to try.”
The property was in a popular, family-oriented community in South Broward County. Cameron’s team knew that it was perfect for families and first-time homebuyers due to its affordability and because it has some of the best public schools in the area. It is also close to some popular restaurants and community parks. For commuters to Miami, the area has convenient access to I-95 and the Florida Turnpike, making for an easy commute.
The homeowner was relieved to have a sale and the HomeVestors team got to work.
The Renovations Begins
Cameron and his team buy, fix and sell more than 200 houses a year. This project, however, was more of a rebuild than a fixup, as every area of the house required renovations.
“Before our team could even start renovations, we had to deal with permitting,” says Cameron. “There were several code compliance issues and it really pushed back our timeline for this home.”
Fortunately, Cameron has a general contracting team that handles their renovation work which included pulling all the necessary permits and managing the complexities of this job. Architectural drawings were even required to satisfy the building department. When they finally got to the renovations, the list was extensive. They started by installing new electrical and plumbing throughout the home. Then there was new drywall and flooring. The entire house also had to be painted.
The finishing touches included new, modern appliances and contemporary landscaping to fit with the neighborhood. In total, HomeVestors contributed a renovation investment of approximately $100,000. The property was purchased in December 2020 and was listed for sale in October 2022. It took 22 months to complete.
The house was sold to a first-time homebuyer couple with a young child. They loved the neighborhood, that it was close to schools and parks. All the hard work Cameron and his team put into the house had paid off.
Some Projects Have a Deeper Impact
“We always take pride in turning what is often an eyesore into one of the nicest homes in the neighborhood,” said Cameron. “We know it’s hard for a homeowner to have a property in a situation that makes it difficult to sell, and HomeVestors is really good at being part of the solution in those cases.”
Cameron and his team did win the HomeVestors award for “ugliest house of the year,” and they celebrated by making a $20,000 donation to Habitat For Humanity.
“Habitat’s slogan is “every hand makes a difference” and we just felt that the many hands that went into this Hollywood house really did make a difference,” he said. “In many ways, it felt like we were building this house from scratch so the connection to Habitat seemed like an appropriate way to close the chapter on this project.”
Cameron is one of 1,100 HomeVestors franchise owners. He has been one of its longest-tenured franchisees, having joined the company in 2005. He has been named HomeVestors’ franchisee of the year several times, and estimates he has bought more than 1,500 homes in the south Florida area. His team includes a long-time business partner since 2008 along with his two daughters. For all involved (his staff is 12-14 excluding construction crews), the Hollywood home was a milestone in their business.
“We love being able to help revitalize communities and help increase the value of not only the home we are renovating but all the properties surrounding it,” said Cameron. “We are beyond grateful for the amazing work that our general contracting firm is always able to do.”