Photo Gallery: NSP Home, Before And After

The City of Cleveland Heights has rehabilitated 12 homes using money from a federal program created to help cities tackle the foreclosure crisis.

The city received about $2 million through the , which grants money to local governments to buy abandoned, vacant and foreclosed homes, repair them and turn them around for sale. The dollars also can be used to demolish homes that can't be saved.

The city has sold eight of these homes so far, said Rick Wagner, manager of housing programs. 

Before and after photos from one of the NSP homes, , are included above.

Wagner said it costs, on average, about $140,000 to repair each home. Once the homes are sold, the money goes back into the fund to continue to rebuild homes or demolish those that are dilapidated.

Some of the homes sell for about half of what it costs to renovate them, including Delmore, which is listed at $76,000. There are specific income and other requirements buyers must meet in order to be eligible to purchase a NSP home, which are listed here on the city's website.

"The goal is to elevate the house to the highest standard, its highest value to help elevate the housing prices for the whole street," Wagner said.

For example, the city installs tankless water heaters, energy-efficient windows and appliances to meet government standards and new plumbing and electric systems. The photos above provide more details about the amenities included of each home.

"This house will run at a fraction of what it used to cost," Wagner said.

He said he knew the city would lose money — the goal isn't to make a profit. The city has a four-year deadline to spend the money and must follow certain requirements to use the fund. Once the program ends, Cleveland Heights loses the leftovers.

Bill Knop, housing rehabilitation manager for the city, said it takes about 90 days to renovate each home.

"A lot of these houses were in very rough condition, and to bring them back, it took a lot of money. It's not like we just threw some paint on it," Knop said. "But (3942 Delmore) wasn't a total disaster. The basement walls weren't caving in, and the roof wasn't leaking bad enough where it damaged that much inside."