I interviewed Vice Mayor David Sander of the City of Rancho Cordova to talk about the “Broken Windows Theory” and how it is relevant for neighborhoods. There is definitely a connection between crime, blight and property value, and this theory points us in the direction of taking care of the small issues in a neighborhood to help the bigger picture – increase safety, a sense of community and property value. Watch the video interview below or here.
Do you buy into the concept of the Broken Windows Theory? What are some of the small things people sometimes don’t take care of in a neighborhood that really impact the overall look and feel of the neighborhood?
If you have any real estate appraisal, valuation consulting, or property tax appeal needs, contact me at 916.595.3735, www.LundquistCompany.com or via Facebook.
Very good artical and interview, Ryan. Your blog is so interesting and ever changing on all the topics of appraisal, and the images are fun too. You do so much planning in your articals and it shows your energy and excitement about this appraisal business. When a person is in foreclosure, they will buy food before fixing a window. When a house is abandoned after foreclosure, its hard to get the bank to care until or unless its ready to be put up for sale. Then its a race to get that buyer before it happens again.
Thanks for the kudos, Sonja. That’s very kind of you. I think you bring up a good point. People do not always have the funds to fix things that need fixing. We should be very careful to not judge people in that regard, but to understand and empower/help others where we can.
It seems like Wachovia is actually fixing up quite a few of their local properties (bank-owned) to resell on the market, but you’re right that most banks seem like they won’t do much to repair the properties.
It seems that blight is sometimes a result of a lack of money, but many times it is the outworking of other issues. When lawns are perpetually not mowed, weeds grow high, and debris is allowed to accumulate, it’s evidence that the community has given up for whatever reason. It’s easy to get into the rhythm of just letting things slide by, but if a community struggling with so many minor blight issues will come together to reimagine what their community might be like, and simply clean those things up, it can make a huge difference. The beauty is that it does not take money either to handle so many of the issues.