The first time that I ever came across 475 Connecticut Street was after a friend of mine bought it. This must have been a decade ago. There was something about the house, and his story, that was rather charming. He spent years fixing it up, only to have the house suffer at the hands of a fire – I still remember walking down the street a couple years ago, seeing all of the fire engines in front of the house. It was a very depressing sight.
Eventually the house was to be bought by a Canadian investor, who had extended family in Buffalo. Earlier today, I was afforded the opportunity to walk through the house with realtor Nick Giambra (owner of Buffalo First Realty). Nick and his crew wanted to show me all the work that was underway, which turned out to be almost an entire gut job of the property.
When I first saw the fire damage, I was afraid that the structure would be torn down. Instead of tearing down and building anew, the owner decided to put a tremendous amount of work into the house, which is located in-between Richmond Avenue and The Horsefeathers Building. In order to capitalize on the build out, a decision was made to join the efficiency apartment in the back of the house with the kitchen.
The kitchen is now double in size with vaulted ceilings – a far cry from what once existed. There is a sizable deck and back yard just off the kitchen, making for great barbecuing whenever the fancy strikes. The rest of the single family house was also fixed up to offer modern day efficiencies. By the time the work is complete, we will be looking at a brand new house essentially.
Most surprising, is something that Nick pointed out to me as we walked from room to room. “Ten years ago, you might think twice about getting out of your car on Connecticut Street,” he told me. “Now look around and everyone wants to live here. It’s within walking distance of so many amenities, and it’s only getting better year after year. A 25 guy crew has been working on this house for eight months – that’s how much work has gone into this project. It’s a three bedroom house with a bath/shower on the first floor and a Jack and Jill bath on the second floor. The investor is looking at this house as her first project in Buffalo… we already have another property in mind for her for her next investment. This house will be listed for $279K when it goes on the market in a few days.”
If you’re familiar with the West Side, chances are that you have seen numerous Buffalo First Realty property signs popping up. Nick and his team have literally infiltrated the market by using some old school (on foot) and ingenious state of the art methods (computer programs) to pinpoint the real estate trends from street to street.
A few years ago Buffalo First was just landing its first listings. These days, they have new offices on Niagara Street, and listings on just about every street on deep the West Side. In coming weeks, I will be featuring some of the more interesting Buffalo First listings that I have seen while biking around the city. It turns out that the realty team is made up of a bunch of young go-getters who are as enthusiastic about the city as they are about selling a house.
475 Connecticut Street was almost a big loss for the West Side. Today it’s an opportunity for a homeowner to join the ranks of others who are calling this neighborhood “home”. Stay tuned for other very unique finds that this realty team has come across – it’s a mixed bag of properties that help to tell the story of an ever-changing Buffalo real estate market.
Get connected: Nick Giambra @ Buffalo First Realty – 716-239-6432