How This Broker Is Helping Revive an Entire Neighborhood

Real estate broker Konya Hendricks Schuh, host of A&E’s “Betting on Beloit,” is transforming some of Beloit’s most neglected homes and helping build a neighborhood’s comeback story.

By: Melissa Dittmann Tracey

Most home renovation TV shows are focused on one house: taking a dated kitchen, knocking down a few walls, adding fresh paint and new fixtures—and revealing the dramatic transformation.

But what if fixing up one property could help change the trajectory of an entire neighborhood?

That’s the bigger bet behind “Betting on Beloit,” an A&E series following real estate broker and designer Konya Hendricks Schuh as she takes on some of the most neglected homes in Beloit, Wis. The second season premieres Sept. 12 on A&E.

Hendricks Schuh, a real estate broker with Century 21 Affiliated in Janesville, Wis., has a goal that extends beyond single renovations to community revitalization. Hendricks Schuh and her team are focused on the Beloit College Park neighborhood, a historic area next to Beloit College that was once considered a gem of the city. Over the years, some properties had fallen into disrepair, leaving neglected homes alongside beautifully maintained historic houses.  

“We go after the houses that need us the most,” Hendricks Schuh says.

The team identifies properties that are dragging down the neighborhood, and then restores them or, if necessary, rebuilds them while preserving the architectural character that makes the area distinctive.

The work comes as Beloit undergoes a broader revitalization effort after decades of economic and housing challenges. The city’s housing stock is aging fast: About half of its homes were built prior to 1950, according to research commissioned by the Hendricks Family Foundation.

Listen In

Real Estate Today is NAR’s consumer-focused, biweekly podcast that offers buyers and sellers timely information about navigating the housing market. Listen to Konya Hendricks Schuh’s segment, “Money Pit or Hidden Gem? TV Renovation Stars Weigh In.”

Why One House Can Matter to the Next

There is a reason community revitalization efforts often focus on distressed properties. A neglected house can affect how buyers perceive surrounding homes and what those homes are worth.

Research published in the Journal of Real Estate Research found that individual property blight and broader neighborhood blight were associated with lower single-family sale prices and assessed values. Similarly, research from the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland found that an additional vacant or neglected property within 500 feet was associated with at least a 1.3% reduction in a neighboring home’s selling price.

The reverse can happen, too.

Studies on redevelopment have found positive spillover effects when distressed or underused properties are improved. One study of more than 100 brownfield redevelopment projects in Milwaukee and Minneapolis found that nearby housing prices increased following redevelopment, by an 11.4% increase in Milwaukee and 2.7% in Minneapolis.  

While that doesn’t mean renovating one house automatically increases the value of every home around it, the idea does support the basic premise behind Hendricks Schuh’s work: A property’s condition can influence more than just its own value.

Preserving What Makes an Old House Special

The properties Hendricks Schuh buys aren’t typical cosmetic fixer-uppers. They’re homes that may have been neglected for decades.

“We take on the most neglected houses,” she says. “These houses are never going to pass muster with inspections and such because the list is just endless.”

In one case, the team discovered that part of a home didn’t even have a foundation. The structural problems were so extensive that they had to tear it down. But rather than put something out of character on the lot, they rebuilt a home that maintained the original look of the house.

That approach is central to the team’s work in the historic neighborhood, preserving what gives a property and the neighborhood its identity.  

Hendricks Schuh tries to save features like the home’s original millwork, built-ins and other architectural details, or replicating them when they can’t be salvaged.  

Some of the features that once made older homes seem outdated are becoming desirable again, such as defined rooms, original materials, unusual architectural details and the imperfections that give an old house character.

Hendricks Schuh points to her own office as an example. The renovation preserved an old limestone feature and brick fireplace while adding modern lighting and other contemporary elements. The result is a mix of old and new that gives the home uniqueness and character, without erasing its history.  

Betting on the Long Game

There is no quick “renovation show” ending for Beloit. Hendricks Schuh says her family has been invested in the city’s revitalization for decades, and she expects the work to continue for years to come.  

That’s the long game of community revitalization. The transformation is measured by more than a single house and more by its impact to the community—whether more people want to live there, other homeowners are willing to invest in their properties, and more neglected properties get a new life.

Hendricks Schuh sees that momentum building.  

“It’s been nice to see other people engage in this and invest in their homes and their businesses,” she says, recognizing the ripple effect that investment can create and the sense of community pride that can follow. “I really believe we’re getting there. And it is ultimately part of our plan that it will be one of the most desirable neighborhoods in the city once we’re finished.”