Foreclosure on your block of Elk Grove heaven?

Today I was speaking with a fellow resident about foreclosures in Elk Grove. Our discussion eventually lead to the situation in his neighborhood and more specifically, his own block.

Naturally he was upset that not only his neighbors lost their homes, but that these houses had the potential to become crime magnets. Rather than complain about the situation, he and his neighbors decided to do something based on the "broken window" theory of crime prevention.

With two empty homes on their block, the neighbors decided the least they could do to was voluntarily keep up the front lawns. While the neighbors are under no obligation, it was in their interest to keep the houses from standing-out. Nothing says 'here is an empty house' more than a dried burned-out front lawn in the heat of a Sacramento summer.

With all the foreclosures already out there and the outlook not improving, let's hope there are a lot more civic-minded people like this in Elk Grove. After all, you can bank on it that the financial institutions who own these properties won't lift a finger.