Back in May of ’18 I posted on the concept of the Buffalo Information Sharing Collective. The person behind the initiative was Ahmad Nieves, who also happens to be versed in the ins and outs of the City of Buffalo Property Auction (learn more). To that end, Nieves teamed up with Delisa Robinson, owner of Trinity Alliance Group (a real estate investment company), to publish a The City of Buffalo Auction Workbook.
The workbook is a 41 page stapled guide, which helps people to navigate the annual property auction. Over the years, Nieves has attended a number of the auctions, and has picked up a few properties (and lessons learned) along the way. These days, he considers himself a pro, but there was a time when he was not so self-assured.
For those that have never attended the City’s property auction, it can be intimidating. There are a number of rules and regulations that must be followed, including how to pay for the properties and when to pay for the properties. Nieves’ workbook offers a number of handy guidelines, and words of advice, leading up to a purchase. There are also some handy tips regarding what you can expect from a purchase. Nieves offers hints on smart investing, auction psychology, planning and research, and how to make the auction best work for interested buyers.
“The biggest thing that I learned from writing this book is that people want to do better in general and they want good things for themselves,” Nieves told me, when I asked him what his biggest takeaway was while writing the workbook. “We live in a time where we have too much information at the tip of our fingers and too little at the same time. Where do you get the information to better your life? How do you know what’s reliable and what’s not reliable? People are so overwhelmed that oftentimes they don’t know where to begin. They need someone to disseminate the information and they need it done now! I hope that the workshops that Buffalo Information Sharing Collective offers, and that this book, have done their job of disseminating good and reliable information.”
I also asked Nieves what he felt was the most important lesson or word of advice, offered in the workbook.
“The most important lesson that anyone can learn from this book is that when it comes to the City of Buffalo Auction, planning and research are key. Buying property whether it’s a vacant lot or a home are major decisions. You can’t just buy off impulse and think it’s going to work out in your favor. It’s not! Far too many people think they are going to get rich quick off of the auction. The truth is property is a lot of hard work and it takes a lot of planning. Please come to one of our workshops and you will see that the majority of what we talk about is planning and research. We want you to do good, and it can’t happen without planning and research. We just can’t say it enough!”
The City of Buffalo Auction Workbook is $10 if purchased from Nieves directly, at one of his workshops. Or it’s $11.20 online (plus shipping) when purchased on Etsy.
People looking to connect with Nieves regarding his workshops can do so by calling 716-819-6662, or emailing aanieves23@gmail.com.