• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Sacramento Appraisal Blog | Real Estate Appraiser

Real estate appraisals for divorce, estate settlement, loans, property tax appeal, pre-listing and more. We cover Sacramento, Placer and Yolo County. We're professional, courteous and timely.

  • About
  • Appraisals
  • Order
  • Ask Ryan
  • Areas
  • Classes
  • Press
  • Trends
  • Share
  • Contact

The scoop on the value of neighborhood trees

August 10, 2011 By Ryan Lundquist 4 Comments

I read a short article last week entitled “City Trees and Property Values” (pdf) by Dr. Kathleen L. Wolf after hearing a representative from the SacTree Foundation speak at a Realtor event. Dr. Wolf’s research shows that trees generally increase property value. Her study indicated a 2% price increase for a property with a mature tree (greater than 9 inches thick), 3-5% increase for trees in the front yard, and 10-15% increase for mature trees in high-income neighborhoods.

While initially some of her stats seem startling, I do think she is right that trees add to the overall value of a property. This doesn’t mean a house is automatically worth 2 or 9% more due to having the tree set-up she mentioned, but trees generally do yield a value contribution. In an objective sense, trees add worth due to boosting energy efficiency due to shade, while there is also a subjective element where they tend to increase curb appeal among buyers. It’s hard to ignore that some of the most highly priced and sought-after streets in the Sacramento area are lined with enormous trees. Think the Fabulous 40s, Curtis Park, Land Park or Arden Park to name just a few. Granted, these streets typically have very large and well-maintained houses too, but there is no mistaking that a canopy of mature trees stretching along a particular street tends to give a very positive impression to buyers in the market for that street in comparison to others. Agree? Disagree?  

Here is a video of Jacobe Caditz with the Sacramento Tree Foundation speaking about the benefit of trees last week at the Sacramento Association of Realtors.

What do you think? How have you seen trees or a lack of trees impact real estate value? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

If you have any questions, or real estate appraisal or property tax appeal needs in the Greater Sacramento Region, contact Lundquist Appraisal by phone 916-595-3735, email, Facebook or subscribe to posts by email.

Share:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Resources Tagged With: appraisal service in Sacramento, appraisers in Sacramento, Arden Park, City Trees and Property Values, contributory value, Curtis Park, Dr. Kathleen L. Wolf, Fabulous 40s, Jacobe Caditz, Land Park, Lundquist Appraisal Company, Real Estate Appraiser in Sacramento, Sacramento Association of Realtors, Sacramento Real Estate Appraiser, Sacramento Tree Foundation, the value of trees, treelestate, trees and real estate

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kevin says

    August 10, 2011 at 3:11 PM

    Like to know what is the difference in value of the Tree in the front yard, Oak vs. Sycamore?, Pine vs. Eucalypse? How about a very large tree yet a small front yard? The areas mentioned above in the article have the advantage of being on the avg. large lots, so a large tree in the front of the house seems to blend in better than a small house with a huge tree in front. The neighborhoods also mentioned have th

    Reply
    • Ryan Lundquist says

      August 11, 2011 at 4:25 PM

      Kevin, that would take quite a bit of research and surveying of market participants to determine how much of a difference there would be between types of trees (if any difference). Lot size certainly does play into the overall value of the property. A larger lot with a larger tree fits in nicely with the information in this article. A small lot with a very large tree may not sit well. However, how much of that lot does the tree really take up? Maybe the tree would provide an enormous amount of shade to the house that would still be a positive feature. What do you think?

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 10 ways to make your home worth less | Sacramento Appraisal Blog | Real Estate Appraiser says:
    August 27, 2012 at 3:02 AM

    […] Get all of your neighbors to chop down their front yard trees. […]

    Reply
  2. Can a fixer next door lower your property value? | Sacramento Appraisal Blog | Real Estate Appraiser says:
    April 3, 2014 at 6:00 AM

    […] appreciate your expertise. As an appraiser I also pay attention to location. Just as there can be a huge price premium when a street is tree-lined, it can also be damaging when a street has a beat-up feel to it. And a property can certainly sell […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Can a fixer next door lower your property value? | Sacramento Appraisal Blog | Real Estate Appraiser Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Connect with Ryan

 Facebook Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Instagram

Subscribe to Weekly Post

* indicates required

Search this site

Blog Categories

  • Appraisal Stuff (408)
  • Bankruptcy (3)
  • Divorce (4)
  • Estate Settlement (6)
  • FHA Appraisal Articles (56)
  • Internet (53)
  • Market Trends (486)
  • Photos from the Field (126)
  • Property Taxes (70)
  • Random Stuff (231)
  • Resources (566)
  • Videos (161)

Blog Archives: 2009 – 2021

Lundquist Appraisal Links

  • Appraisal Order Form
  • Appraisal Website
  • Rancho Cordova Appraiser Website
  • Sacramento Appraisal Blog Sitemap
  • Sacramento Real Estate Appraiser Facebook Page
  • Twitter: Sacramento Appraiser (@SacAppraiser)
  • YouTube: Sacramento Appraiser Channel

Most Recent Posts

  • The housing market feels like chaos
  • An explosion of appraisal waivers. Is that good or bad?
  • Skyrocketing prices aren’t happening everywhere
  • The housing market feels like a crazy auction
  • Are appraisers keeping up with rapid price growth?
  • How much have prices risen since the bottom of the market?
  • How long can this market keep going?
  • What is your housing persona?
  • Rapid price growth & the Gilmore Girls next door
  • Are first-time buyers targeting 2-4 unit properties?

Disclaimer

First off, thank you for being here. Now let's get into the fine print. The material and information contained on this website is the copyrighted property of Ryan Lundquist and Lundquist Appraisal Company. Content on this website may not be reproduced or republished without prior written permission from Ryan Lundquist.

Please see my Sharing Policy on the navigation bar if you are interested in sharing portions of any content on this blog.

The information on this website is meant entirely for educational purposes and is not intended in any way to support an opinion of value for your appraisal needs or any sort of value conclusion for a loan, litigation, tax appeal or any other potential real estate or non-real estate purpose. The material found on this website is meant for casual reading only and is not intended for use in a court of law or any other legal use. Ryan will not appear in court in any capacity based on any information posted here. For more detailed market analysis to be used for an appraisal report or any appraisal-related purpose or valuation consulting, please contact Ryan at 916-595-3735 for more information.

There are no affiliate links on this blog, but there are three advertisements. Please do your homework before doing business with any advertisers as advertisements are not affiliated with this blog in any way. Two ads are located on the sidebar and one is at the bottom of each post. The ads earn a minor amount of revenue and are a simple reward for providing consistent original content to readers. If you think the ads interfere with your blog experience or the integrity of the blog somehow, let me know. I'm always open to feedback. Thank you again for being here.

Copyright © 2021 Sacramento Appraisal Blog