First Two Former Blighted Homes Renovated & Sold

Bristol Township Council celebrated the first two once-blighted homes that have been flipped into modern living spaces.

Officials said that 823 Logan Avenue in Croydon and 514 Magnolia Avenue in Croydon were among the first set of 10 homes deemed blighted and condemned by the Bucks County Redevelopment Authority (RDA). In December, the properties were sold to new owners who flipped them into up-to-date living spaces that were then sold to families.

The township record on 823 Logan Avenue began in 2010 when code issues were reported on the then-vacant home. Neighbors reported squatters caused the home to fall into even more disrepair before it was condemned in 2016.

Contractor Chris Russo, who looked at similar projects in Philadelphia before settling on Bristol Township, purchased the condemned property from the RDA and then began work to completely gut and update the interior.

“We now live next to one of the nicest houses on the block,” a Logan Avenue resident wrote in a letter to Bristol Township officials.

The story was similar for the debilitated home at 514 Magnolia Avenue, which was purchased by contractor John Helstrom.

Helstrom rebuilt the interior of the home and sold it to new residents.

“We put it on the market on a Tuesday, and Friday our realtor had three offers,” Helstrom said.

RDA Executive Director Bob White said the appeal of the upgraded homes is their updated interiors.

Bristol Township officials have said they went from 204 vacant homes in November 2015 to only 65 as of last week.

Randee Elton, who is handling the blighted homes project, said earlier this year that Bristol Township’s efforts to clean up blight have led to homes being repaired by the owners, sold for renovation, auctioned by sheriff sale or demolished.

The township slated 10 homes to be blighted in 2016 and added another 18 to their list this year.

Bristol Township does not have the authority to condemn blighted properties and allows the Bucks County Redevelopment Authority handle that part of the work. The township will pay the costs and hopes to sell the properties, using those funds to pay for the blight program going forward, officials said.