Set Up RFD Ameri-Friend House in Buffalo (Cheap Real Estate)

[sheilab]

Title changed to reflect the new direction of setting up a house in Buffalo NY.
Why Buffalo - read below - dirt cheap house prices.
Read further on in thread to see the cool new idea.

Sorry but in Buffalo New York
- and in ghetto neighorhood

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/122-Liddell_Buffalo_NY_14212_1108368009

http://p.rdcpix.com/v01/l895a1042-m0m.jpg


122 Liddell Buffalo, NY 14212
$1,800 | 1,518 Sq Ft | MLS ID #323029

See Google Street View
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=122+Liddell++Buffalo&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=36.094886,60.996094&ie=UTF8&ll=42.900207,-78.820317&spn=0.008158,0.014892&z=16&iwloc=A&layer=c&cbll=42.899549,-78.820006&panoid=cu2jgCFKNLdOEr13o7H22A&cbp=12,276.8460218160976,,0,5

Maybe RFD could buy this house for "Ameri-Deals"?


.

[bakudan]

is it haunted?

[Tomatolita]

Damn that's expensive. You could (not sure if you still can) buy houses in Detroit for .99$ and back taxes etc... The vacant houses were costing the city too much so they cleared them out at under a buck.

[lunaris]

lets all pitch in and make it a RFD crackhouse! :razz:

[xinhang]

ROFL that's how much i usually pay for 2 months of rent.

[tempta]

google '122 Liddell Buffalo, NY 14212' did not find any news report

[iHasPistons]

lol its as if they drove by to take the picture and didn't even bother to stop or go inside

[sheilab]

$200 for nice house in Detroit

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/4869-Spokane-St_Detroit_MI_48204_1106940699

http://p.rdcpix.com/v01/l1b93fa41-m0m.jpg

[oc613]

So wait, you have to pay back taxes as well? Can somebody explain how this actually works?

[devil2k]

lets all pitch in and make it a RFD crackhouse! :razz:

+1 :cheesygri

[NG]

Oh Bill Maher's show he mentioned that China has been organizing tours of foreclosed houses for it's citizens to buy dirt cheap as rental/vacation properties.

I suppose the same principals could apply for Canadians here (either as buyers or for Chinese nationals if the depression continues to get worse here).

[turkishdelyte]

Oh my Goodness! are these home prices for real? thats insane!!

[Dorianking]

The recession is killing people. This is making people seling their house first cheap.

[sheilab]

You need to remember that Buffalo and Detroit are DYING CITIES.

I wonder how easy it would be to buy a whole neighborhood.
Only then could you do something interesting.

How long do you think it would take to revitalize a city such as Buffalo or Detroit?

[tonyhon]

really, don't we always need a US address for those US deals? let's get one.

[joongpark]

Exchange rate kills the deal. $200 US is now $240 CAD.

[sheilab]

Yeah - get a house and pay an RFD person to live there and their job is to re-direct packages to Canada.

Send packages to Canada via USPS and NOT UPS.
$60 Gift value declaration

It could be like the Australia Dream job - but a little different.

[joongpark]

You need to remember that Buffalo and Detroit are DYING CITIES.

I wonder how easy it would be to buy a whole neighborhood.
Only then could you do something interesting.

How long do you think it would take to revitalize a city such as Buffalo or Detroit?

You can buy that house in Buffalo and turn it into a Outlet shopping house for Canadians. I will come...

[CSR]

I'm in!

[MrBurns]

There's 140 houses (http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/Detroit_MI/price-na-1000/type-single-family-home/type-condo-townhome-row-home-co-op/type-multi-family-home/type-mfd-mobile-home/type-farms-ranches?sby=1) 1000$ and under in Detroit but that means that you have to live in Detroit which pretty much kills the deal...

I never realized that Motor City was such a waste.

[dre145]

most houses are boarded up already on that street

[Zedix]

Does it come with free shipping? Otherwise it kinda kills the deal...

[GoiNGPoSTaL]

There's 140 houses (http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/Detroit_MI/price-na-1000/type-single-family-home/type-condo-townhome-row-home-co-op/type-multi-family-home/type-mfd-mobile-home/type-farms-ranches?sby=1) 1000$ and under in Detroit but that means that you have to live in Detroit which pretty much kills the deal...

I never realized that Motor City was such a waste.

And could kill you.

[LeetViet]

Yeah - get a house and pay an RFD person to live there and their job is to re-direct packages to Canada.

Send packages to Canada via USPS and NOT UPS.
$60 Gift value declaration

It could be like the Australia Dream job - but a little different.

That actually sounds like a good plan...

[Jon Lai]

Yeah - get a house and pay an RFD person to live there and their job is to re-direct packages to Canada.

Send packages to Canada via USPS and NOT UPS.
$60 Gift value declaration

It could be like the Australia Dream job - but a little different.

This is actually a REALLY GOOD IDEA... anyone up for it? We could easily pitch in $10 a member per year to keep it running (hiring the person to do the stuff), or even less if we get enough members. Obviously each member would still have to pay for shipping fees on top of that, but IMO $10/member/year beats paying the "rental" fees for all those other companies! And with this volume of shipments we could probably have great deals on shipping from USPS as well =)

In this recession $30K/yr salary should be enough to hire someone to do this job (or am I too generous?). At $10/member/year we would need 3000 members to join into this to pay for the salary. RFD has 224K members.

What do you guys think?

[z24driver1986]

ill do it!!! Buffalo here I come!!!

[cincin128]

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/3015-Monterey-St_Detroit_MI_48206_1105609311

this house is $10!

that'd be a great idea though. having a shipping house`

but how come those are dead cities?

[Sepiraph]

I don't think I'd want to live in a US ghetto even if you were to PAY me.

[sheilab]

this house is $10!

that'd be a great idea though. having a shipping house`

but how come those are dead cities?

It is called the Rust Belt due to deindustrialization. Detroit losing LOTS of jobs due to car industry slowdown - less people buying North American cars. New car plants being built down south where wages are lower.

I don't think I'd want to live in a US ghetto even if you were to PAY me.

Gotta get the right person. Some would probably get right into the swing of things... sitting on the porch having a beer and shooting da shiit with the neighbors. (Hopefully no shooting with the neighbors)

[Jon Lai]

I don't think I'd want to live in a US ghetto even if you were to PAY me.

Obviously it's not a job for everyone, but in this times, I think for the $30K I suggested, lots of people would be willing to take up for the job.

[sheilab]

$30k salary (cash?) plus free room and board.

RFD would own the house and stand to make a profit on potential capital gains a few years down the road.

[yao416]

If only it was in Toronto :o

[Vascilli]

Wouldn't customs catch on to it, hundreds and hundreds of packages coming from the same address, all marked as gifts?

[Jon Lai]

Wouldn't customs catch on to it, hundreds and hundreds of packages coming from the same address, all marked as gifts?

We obviously can't do that. Packaged would have to be marked properly. The point of this is to get on US-only deals, such as places that won't ship outside of US, and not to avoid taxes.

[Badger]

Go and setup a NewEgg Canadian division by buying all of these stuff from the US website and have it transported by land across the border. Get an Albertan to bring back these items and distribute it via Canada Post from Ontario.

Perfect plan!

[Vascilli]

Go and setup a NewEgg Canadian division by buying all of these stuff from the US website and have it transported by land across the border. Get an Albertan to bring back these items and distribute it via Canada Post from Ontario.

Perfect plan!

I'm Albertan. :cheesygri

[ZenOps]

Too risky.

Extremely high crime city in general - your packages would likely be stolen before they got to the house.

Yup - negative land values. Interesting side effect of a free market system.

[Jon Lai]

OP please change thread title to reflect our "plans" to attract more attention here :D

[kingsley]

I don't think I'd want to live in a US ghetto even if you were to PAY me.

We are paying you. And you don't have to do a thing except ship items to Canada from your house.

[bkbkbk]

We are paying you. And you don't have to do a thing except ship items to Canada from your house.

i'd do it

[trixstar]

i would do it.... but i'll also need an ak-47 and kevlar vests to protect myself..

[Kuurgen]

So if 22 or so RFD members chipped in 100 bucks we could be owners of property in Buffalo! :)

We should hold nominations on which RFD member we are going to make stay in the house. :)

Wayward RFD members could be banned for a week plus have to stay "one week in the Buffalo house" redirecting RFD packages. :)

Maybe we could buy the whole street up, make it like a trendy area LOL.

[Jon Lai]

Maybe not... but we need to check out which is the dominant gang in that area... they probably want a percentage if they find out what we do in that house... :)

RFD is about deals... that ain't a deal.

[sheilab]

OP please change thread title to reflect our "plans" to attract more attention here :D

Done - if you have idea for more attention grabbing title PM and I will make change

[NG]

Aside from the initial outlay, that 30k pay mentioned earlier for someone to man it, the cost of maintance as well as property taxes I doubt this thing would be cheaper than just using TheLetterCarrier for American purchases.

[Rx-87]

LOL

Great ideas..

But for the person living there / working as a distributor of all ameri-packages...

Hope they do a "THOROUGH" check for mold... infrastructure instabilities.. rodents... .. you get the idea

:lol:

[Jon Lai]

Aside from the initial outlay, that 30k pay mentioned earlier for someone to man it, the cost of maintance as well as property taxes I doubt this thing would be cheaper than just using TheLetterCarrier for American purchases.

I don't know how much property taxes are in New York State but it can't be anymore than a couple thousand dollars. An extra 200 or so members joining at $10 each/yr would cover that.

Remember, we have 200K+ members on RFD. I don't think it's hard to find ~4000 people that are willing to pay $10 to join this "club" ;)

In terms of initial cost, it's a relatively small amount that RFD should own up. With all the money RFD makes with ads, and the potential capital gains 10 years down the road, it's a worthy investment =)

[trixstar]

What does it mean if the property is bank owned? Is there a mortgage on these houses or is it just sold at the listed price with no strings attached?

[andrew2good4u]

you guys are really serious about this?

[sheilab]

Maybe GTA RFDers could volunteer and do a week worth of shipping
Go to Buffalo for a week working "vacation"

Added benefit is that if you are down there for a week then you get big customs freebie

Now the question is how would the volunteers be rewarded?

[nano]

wow..... i didn't realize that so many people don't have any friends or relatives in the US.

[Jon Lai]

wow..... i didn't realize that so many people don't have any friends or relatives in the US.

How do you make friends with people in the US? :confused::lol:
Like serious, I live in Canada. It's not everyday a close friend moves down south. And I've sure most families would prefer to organize most of their direct families to live together in the same city so they can physically interact. All my relatives have either immigrated to GTA or stayed in our hometown.

[NG]

wow..... i didn't realize that so many people don't have any friends or relatives in the US.

If I did I'd be subbing to Direct TV instead of Cogeco.

[CSK'sMom]

I don't know how much property taxes are in New York State but it can't be anymore than a couple thousand dollars. An extra 200 or so members joining at $10 each/yr would cover that.

Remember, we have 200K+ members on RFD. I don't think it's hard to find ~4000 people that are willing to pay $10 to join this "club" ;)

In terms of initial cost, it's a relatively small amount that RFD should own up. With all the money RFD makes with ads, and the potential capital gains 10 years down the road, it's a worthy investment =)

I hate to tell you Jon but property taxes in NY State and Western NY are crazy. I'd venture to guess that a house like that would probably be around $6k+/yr knowing what our Amerifriends are paying. Not really unusual to pay between $8-10k/yr in WNY. Their school districts set their own rates as do their townships/villages/cities then there is the county and NY state part. Their property taxes also have included things like garbage removal, road works, etc. It all adds up really quickly...

[Jon Lai]

I hate to tell you Jon but property taxes in NY State and Western NY are crazy. I'd venture to guess that a house like that would probably be around $6k+/yr knowing what our Amerifriends are paying. Not really unusual to pay between $8-10k/yr in WNY. Their school districts set their own rates as do their townships/villages/cities then there is the county and NY state part. Their property taxes also have included things like garbage removal, road works, etc. It all adds up really quickly...

Well that's just dumb. You mean their property taxes cost MORE than what they charge here? :lol:

But if this was to be done, I'm sure we'll find the perfect place. It doesn't have to be this particular house. Houses are these prices are available in plethora right now.

[Hugh Jass]

I never need anything shipped to an amerifriend, but I'd chip in the ten bucks a year just for the hell of it.

[CSK'sMom]

Well that's just dumb. You mean their property taxes cost MORE than what they charge here? :lol:

But if this was to be done, I'm sure we'll find the perfect place. It doesn't have to be this particular house. Houses are these prices are available in plethora right now.

Yes Jon, their taxes are easily triple the most expensive areas of the GTA. Just to put that in perspective most of the areas that have houses for sale in this price range in WNY are by far much worse than the worst areas of the GTA. These are areas that you don't want to be in during daylight hours let alone after dark! :eek:

[YoungDr3amer]

I feel bad for my cousins living in Buffalo.

I'm afraid to walk outside at night.

I remember hearing gun shots my first night coming back from the Elmswood Movie theatre. Scary moment :(

[Jon Lai]

Who 1-stared this? :mad:

[AMDr]

Who 1-stared this? :mad:

The 1-eyed stare monster :cheesygri

[shawn99]

this is crazy, the house is not far from the border of CAN/US, as soon as you cross the peace bridge near Fort Erie, you are there. Somebody can live there and work in Toronto ( only 1:5h drive drive. )

[Jon Lai]

this is crazy, the house is not far from the border of CAN/US, as soon as you cross the peace bridge near Fort Erie, you are there. Somebody can live there and work in Toronto ( only 1:5h drive drive. )

Or better yet, drive the parcels across the border daily and ship it in Canada!

[Cr0at1a]

Or better yet, drive the parcels across the border daily and ship it in Canada!

That would be a real PITA.
Imagine dealing with customs and each customer would want their own customs receipt

Better to ship from Buffalo

[Kuurgen]

Should just buy the house, rip it from the foundations and drive it across the border for resale.

[Jon Lai]

Should just buy the house, rip it from the foundations and drive it across the border for resale.

that would cost more than the house :lol:

[shan]

I had the domain amerifriend.com in my clasps a few years ago, green light from godaddy saying it was available and I often regret not pulling the trigger.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure property tax, utilities and death by gangbanger would kill the deal.

Someone I know took a wrong turn into that very area and approached by a group of thugs who were shouting threats and one of them took his belt off, about to do some damage to the car I suppose but luckily some cops saw from a distance and turned on the lights and the thugs dispersed.

I used to have to go to Buffalo every few months. It's a very sh**ty city.

[andrew2good4u]

I used to have to go to Buffalo every few months. It's a very sh**ty city.

Ya man it's a really sh**ty city.
I remember going there to play in a basketball tournement. There was a ghetto a block or so away from our hotel. It was PITCH BLACK at night time.

[Mgz]

Yeah - get a house and pay an RFD person to live there and their job is to re-direct packages to Canada.

Send packages to Canada via USPS and NOT UPS.
$60 Gift value declaration

It could be like the Australia Dream job - but a little different.

but then the bitching and moaning about lost package, Purolator/CP delay, snow, refund, CBS, warranty, DOA, etc x.x

[toalan]

In buffalo the cops look like thugs.

[Jon Lai]

I had the domain amerifriend.com in my clasps a few years ago, green light from godaddy saying it was available and I often regret not pulling the trigger.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure property tax, utilities and death by gangbanger would kill the deal.

Someone I know took a wrong turn into that very area and approached by a group of thugs who were shouting threats and one of them took his belt off, about to do some damage to the car I suppose but luckily some cops saw from a distance and turned on the lights and the thugs dispersed.

I used to have to go to Buffalo every few months. It's a very sh**ty city.

I'm sure we can find another better place.. right? How about Niagara Falls, NY, instead of Buffalo?

[CSK'sMom]

I'm sure we can find another better place.. right? How about Niagara Falls, NY, instead of Buffalo?

Jon, I can only assume you haven't really ever travelled to the WNY area or just haven't paid much attention if you have. :confused: NF,NY is in many ways far worse than Buffalo. In many areas there are more boarded up houses than livable (if that's what you want to call them) ones. NF,NY has one of the highest unemployment rates in the whole state along with horendous crime rates. For as much as we cross the border and spend time on the US side, for the most part in NF is lock all the doors and pray you don't hit a red light.

[shan]

I'm sure we can find another better place.. right? How about Niagara Falls, NY, instead of Buffalo?

Like the above poster said, Buffalo and surrounding areas all suck. I was recently reading something about those cheap Michigan homes, where the property taxes are around $5000 a year and I bet it's similar in Buffalo.

I contemplated this idea before. I would set up a package forwarding service with the knowledge I have right now, if I knew I'd have at least 2000 members / 1000 packages a month (minimum). I'd have to charge a membership fee of $1/month, about $3 handling per forwarded package valued under $100 + postage + 10% mark up on postage for materials.

But then some of the problems this poster mentions would make it extremely difficult:

but then the bitching and moaning about lost package, Purolator/CP delay, snow, refund, CBS, warranty, DOA, etc x.x

There will be some sort of delay or problem with 1 in 30 packages and I'm sure unreasonable people would ***** as if I'm the post office, the manufacturer, the retailer who sold them the product, Canada customs, etc.

[Jon Lai]

Like the above poster said, Buffalo and surrounding areas all suck. I was recently reading something about those cheap Michigan homes, where the property taxes are around $5000 a year and I bet it's similar in Buffalo.

I contemplated this idea before. I would set up a package forwarding service with the knowledge I have right now, if I knew I'd have at least 2000 members / 1000 packages a month (minimum). I'd have to charge a membership fee of $1/month, about $3 handling per forwarded package valued under $100 + postage + 10% mark up on postage for materials.

But then some of the problems this poster mentions would make it extremely difficult:



There will be some sort of delay or problem with 1 in 30 packages and I'm sure unreasonable people would ***** as if I'm the post office, the manufacturer, the retailer who sold them the product, Canada customs, etc.

Sorry, I admit I didn't know. But everytime I cross the river, I take either the Queeston/Lewiston bridge to Niagara Falls, NY, or the train tracks bridge (sorry, really forgot the name) and cross there, into nowhere, and somehow find my way back onto the I-190 :lol: So that's basically where my NY geography comes from.

Your math is pretty interesting. I think for this to work though, there has to be no handling charges, and close to none postage markup. $1/mo. membership fee is reasonable, I'd pay up to $2, if the other two conditions are met :P

Regarding delayed packages, I doubt it'll be a huge problem, as this would be some sort of internal RFD thing, with members we all know well (at least on the interweb)

[laptop-tech]

This will never work.

[shan]

Your math is pretty interesting. I think for this to work though, there has to be no handling charges, and close to none postage markup. $1/mo. membership fee is reasonable, I'd pay up to $2, if the other two conditions are met :P



Sometimes I too wish we lived in a world where things were free. However I certainly would not work for free :cheesygri

Consider another $15,000 needed for start up costs (create a system to handle all this, etc).

This will never work.

Yep.

[Jon Lai]

Sometimes I too wish we lived in a world where things were free. However I certainly would not work for free :cheesygri

Consider another $15,000 needed for start up costs (create a system to handle all this, etc).

It's not about working for free, but not making a profit. <<-- HUGE difference.

[shan]

It's not about working for free, but not making a profit. <<-- HUGE difference.

I don't really think there would be much profit with my fee structure... But anyway this is all hypothetical.

[EmperorOfCanada]

I would be more interested in just buying up a few neighborhoods with some RFD friends and reselling them in a few years.

Taxes definitely kill the deal though :p