I don't have the time or resources to renovate a building, is there anything I can do to help my community?

Why yes there is: help us by educating yourself, and then spread the word! Learn more about why buildings are abandoned and find ways to get the attention of the owners of the buildings that you're concerned about. We've compiled a ton of handy resources for your convenience, so take a look at our Articles page to find stories of how other people have made an impact in their communities, and learn more about this situation along the way.

I want to try my hand at renovating buildings, but I'm not sure where to start

If you want to try your hand at renovating a building, but are unsure where to start, you'll need to do some research! We've compiled a few special articles just for you, because other people have said what we would say here, and they've said it better than us. Below is a list of articles and websites that can help guide you on the path to both revelation and renovation!

Where to start:
Advice on how to start thinking about this process can be found at these helpful websites.
Need money? Try to find programs like:
The Chicago Community Loan Fund to help you out!

Need more information?
Take a look at our Articles page!

I have what I need to renovate a building or three, how do I get my hands on these abandoned properties?

If you've got the money, the knowledge, and the willpower, you can try your hand at renovating a property yourself! In order to acquire an abandoned building for redevelopment, you'll need to start by figuring out who currently holds the deeds and titles to the property you're interested in. A fantastic resource to use for this process is cookcountypropertyinfo.com, where several major city departments keep an aggregated collection of information on individual parcels of land within Cook County. You can also try plugging in the address of your selected building to cityofchicago.org to see if the city has any information on the status of the building directly.

1)If you can track down the original owner, it's quite possible that you'll be able to work out a deal with them to buy the rights to the property directly from them.

Anyone can sell you a house in this manner, but make sure to do your research first. You'll be buying any and all of this person's debts, as well as their whole mortgage!

2)You can go to the lender and buy the note or mortgage from them, and then foreclose on the owner to get the title that way.

3)If your property has been acquired by the Cook County Land Bank, you can buy it through them using whichever method (1, 2, 4) that are available. They are a supremely helpful organization and their goal is the same as ours -- to help clear up the massive amount of derelict properties in Chicago!

4)You can try and get a Court Ordered Foreclosure for the property, we explain this in our FAQ!

Are you an experienced developer?
With Chicago's new 'Vacant Building Call' policy, developers with experience under their belt have a much better shot at acquiring abandoned buildings quickly! Rather than see more buildings get destroyed, the Housing Courts now prefer to transfer building titles to developers (through judicial deeds) who can prove they have the experience and resources to turn the property around. In this new system, buildings that seem salvageable are prevented from being demolished, and instead a call is sent out to interested developers who then have the chance to reclaim and redevelop it. It’s a win-win situation for everyone!