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blight in a neighborhood

Thou shalt mow thy lawn to decrease blight

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Talking about lawns and blight in the same breath seems overblown in some senses. But unkempt front yards are actually a very big deal because people will judge a community based on what it looks like. Is this a place where residents invest in their neighborhood or have they stopped believing in the future of their community?

I’m not talking about the one house on the block that is usually mowed, but has struggled over the past few months because the owner has been sick. This is more of a deep-seated issue where overgrown lawns have become a part of the normative and acceptable lifestyle in a neighborhood. On one hand it is only grass we’re talking about, but it’s really a sign of subdivision decay that can spread like a virus and encourage other forms of blight to take root also. A lawn may be a small thing, but if you begin to add up other examples of blight on top of unkempt lawns, it takes a huge toll on the ethos of a community and it definitely decreases property value.

Dealing with the “small things” like mowing the lawn is a perfect example of how “The Broken Windows Theory” works in a neighborhood. See the video below.

The notion of being a contributor to the health of a community is seldom on the radar in today’s society. We like to think we can simply exist on parcel islands in our subdivisions and believe what we do (or don’t do) carries little consequence for others. The truth is when residents begin to build high fences, stop mowing lawns and esseentially check out of the community, it makes an impact on everyone else. Our neighborhoods will thrive only when we begin to act on the belief that each household has a role to play for the sake of the entire community.

Questions: How have you seen a lack of lawn-mowing impact a community? What is the starting point for reversing the trend in a neighborhood where lawns are perpetually unkempt? How do you think new subdivisions should deal with unekmpt lawns due to unmanaged vacant foreclosures?

This is post #3 in “Blight Week” on the Sacramento Appraisal Blog

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The stranglehold of neighborhood blight

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Today is the beginning of “blight week” on the Sacramento Appraisal Blog. Why am I writing about blight? There is a significant connection between property value and the upkeep and overall presentation of houses in a neighborhood. More blight equals lower property values, and less blight equals higher property values. It’s a simple equation really. On top of that, I am optimistic to the core that neighborhoods experiencing decay can once again flourish.

What is blight? It’s when a neighborhood has been allowed to decay over time. According to Merriam-Webster, blight is “a deteriorated condition”. Answers.com says blight is “the state or result of being blighted or deteriorated; dilapidation; decay: urban blight.” Most definitions really have to do with a living organism, whether a plant or neighborhood, that has experienced a breakdown or decline for whatever reason. Examples of neighborhood blight might include things like unkempt lawns, deferred maintenance as the norm, inoperable vehicles on the lawn, vacant houses, ample debris and a lower rate of owner-occupied units. Blight has nothing to do with race or cultural heritage, but it does have many causes (we won’t get into that here, but “Urban Blight” on Wikipedia might serve as a good starting place).

Over time blight tends to cripple the ethos of a community, promote all sorts of negative activity and perpetuate a sense of hopelessness. When there is little proof that anyone cares about the way a neighborhood looks, that’s usually exactly how it ends up being treated – like nobody cares.

Over these next five days we’ll look at various examples of blight. This is not about targeting particular neighborhoods or people, but rather about understanding real estate issues, taking personal responsibility, helping property values increase and sifting through what it might look like for a community to deal with elements of blight that impact not only houses – but people.

How have you seen blight impact neighborhoods and people in your community?

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Announcing “Blight Week”

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I am going to be doing a “blight week” next week on the blog. My goal is to cover some issues that tend to impact curb appeal, property values or neighborhood ethos. I’ve already nailed down some topics, but I’d like to see if anyone has any other suggestions. Do you have a quote to offer? What do you think are some of the main culprits for helping a neighborhood be labeled as blighted?

If you have any real estate appraisal, consulting, or property tax appeal needs in the Greater Sacramento Region, contact me at 916.595.3735, by email, on our appraiser website or via Facebook. 

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