This single-family home was purchased by Giller Realty, LLC, through the NSI First Look program. The property is in a transitional area, so it was an important acquisition in Giller’s neighborhood revitalization plan to preserve affordable rentals. The area has a mix of higher-end development and lower-end properties that are often unkempt or vacant. The buyer is focused on providing a good affordable housing experience for the area’s lower-income residents. Across the street, Giller owns a property that is primarily rented to employees of City Year, a program that deploys skilled AmeriCorps members to serve as mentors in area schools. The University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University are nearby and support the stabilization of the area.

More than $38,000 in renovation went into the property, including replacing all carpeting, refinishing and replacing flooring, replacing older windows, installing a new roof with a 15-year warranty, renovating the kitchen with new appliances, cabinets, and countertops, installing a new hot water heater and HVAC system, adding fresh paint throughout, and installing a new washer & dryer. All electrical outlets were replaced with new tamper-proof/child safe ones. The buyers also had the property properly tested for lead safety. When Giller was working on the home, various people knocked on the door seeking drugs; they learned from neighbors this home was a known drug house in the community and the previous occupants were suspected of selling drugs.