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Jason and Tamera Keys
The Keys family had a lot to celebrate in 2005: The year brought not only the birth of their first child, Jacob, but also the realization of their dream of owning a business. Masters Barbershop, the culmination of several years of saving and planning, opened in December, housed in a building purchased from the Genesee County Land Bank.
“It’s a good location to build a neighborhood business,” Jason Keys said of the one-story brick building situated in a small commercial strip in northwest Flint, surrounded by 1950s-era, single-family housing.
“We already have a variety of new clients, ranging from babies to seniors. We want to build our reputation by taking good care of our customers. They’ll help us advertise by word of mouth.”
Keys, a full-time barber and part-time supervisor for United Parcel Service, and his wife, Tamera, who works for Republic Bank, became acquainted with the land bank’s inventory of commercial properties through its Web site.
“I had noticed land bank signs on a couple of houses around the neighborhood, but I didn’t really pay that much attention at the time,” Tamera Keys said.
The couple were intrigued by the prices and the array of properties available. Once they had made their selection, they began working with Glenn Johnson, a customer service representative for the land bank, to hammer out the details.
“For only $15 more a month than Jason was paying to rent a booth at a shop, we were able to purchase and renovate a building of our own,” Tamera Keys said.
The couple intend to rent booths to other barbers and eventually renovate additional space in the building to accommodate a beauty shop.
Masters Barbershop has been embraced by local residents, who have welcomed the clean-up of the formerly abandoned eyesore.
>The building had been stripped of furnace, ducts, water heater, plumbing and doors — anything that could be carried away and sold.
Unlike the former owner, Keys does not plan to be an absentee landlord. He is eager to learn more about the managerial side of business by remaining on-site as a working barber.
“Tamera is the brains of the operation,” he said of his wife, who handles the financial aspects of the business while working toward a degree in accounting. “Once we’ve learned more about the responsibilities of owning a commercial building, we’d like to purchase and renovate other land bank properties.”
The couple, lifelong Flint residents, want to purchase and rehabilitate single-family houses and resell them.
The land bank will be waiting for them.
“Most of our commercial property is sold to individuals who plan to redevelop when the market improves.
It’s great to be able to sell a building to someone who plans to revitalize it immediately.
It gives you a sense of accomplishment to see a building go from an eyesore to a functional structure,” Johnson said.
“Jason and Tamera don’t realize what positive models they are for other young people out there who want to re-invest in Flint. I’m proud of them and proud to have been able to help them buy the property.”