And I thought we had problems. Our neighbors to the north moved
out about nine months ago, leaving their house vacant, with a For
Sale sign featuring a well-known national real estate firm. These
neighbors used to keep their house and yard immaculate and
trim.
&
amp;#8194;I don’t know exactly why they left.
And I thought we had problems. Our neighbors to the north moved out about nine months ago, leaving their house vacant, with a For Sale sign featuring a well-known national real estate firm. These neighbors used to keep their house and yard immaculate and trim. I don’t know exactly why they left.
Our conversation was limited, because my Spanish is limited. I can say, “Hola, que tal?” and even “La pelota de mis hijos esta en su techo,” but I don’t know the Spanish for sub-prime mortgage crisis or foreclosure.
In any case, they moved.
The realtor brought very few buyers through. Once last spring, a yard-care firm spent a few hours on the yard, eradicating flowers, and crossed the driveway onto my property to raze some weeds and irises. I was angry, but busy, so I did not call to complain. Then the rains stopped. My neighbors’ front lawn grew tall and weedy, then turned brown. I resolved in my mind that I would never hire that particular nationally advertised real estate firm, nor the woman whose name was listed as agent.
So far I have done nothing except consider my options. I could call the real estate firm and complain. I could find the lender and complain. I feel angry because no discernable effort is being made to sell the house, or even keep it in a salable condition. And I feel very sorry for my erstwhile neighbors.
But ever since Tuesday’s cover story in the Dispatch I have been feeling better, because bad as our situation is, at least in our neighborhood, none of the vacant houses have swimming pools. For once, it pays to live in the low-rent district.
According to the Dispatch story, on the other side of the metaphorical tracks there are foreclosed homes with pools. The lenders and real estate firms are being just as neglectful of those pools as they are of my neighbor’s lawn. The abandoned pools are green, stagnant, stinking, and breeding swarms of mosquitoes. And in these days of West Nile virus, mosquitoes are not just a matter for a casual swat and some Bactine.
Even thought there are no swimming pools, abandoned or otherwise, in our immediate neighborhood, we are still at risk. A mosquito can fly up to a mile. There are 22 abandoned pools in Gilroy currently being monitored by county vector control. John Ballard of vector control has an elaborate procedure involving larvicide and Gambusia affinis (commonly known as mosquito fish) for keeping mosquitoes under control in abandoned pools. I am very grateful that he is taking care of it. But I am totally furious that the lenders and real estate companies are not.
The lenders got us into this crisis in the first place by making sub-prime mortgage loans to people who really could not afford the houses they were buying. They were aided and abetted by real estate agents, some of whom allegedly coached buyers into lying about their income on loan applications. I cannot comprehend why a lender would allow its real estate agent to neglect the lawn and shrubberies. Don’t they want to sell the property? It is completely unacceptable for them to allow health hazards to develop in the back yard.
The county is, appropriately, focusing its efforts on preventing West Nile outbreaks. The city is fining the lenders and property owners, and the lenders are ignoring the fine notices. I think it’s time for a little grass roots activism. I am going to call the real estate agency of the house next door and complain about the yard. I am going to let them know that never will I ever place a home or buy a home through their agency. I suggest that other Gilroy citizens who live next to vacant, neglected properties do the same.
If, on the other hand, someone happens to be living next to a vacant house that is being well-maintained, maybe a call of compliment to the agency would be appreciated. I would offer to compliment any such agencies in my column, but I fear lest a swarm of real estate agents seeking free publicity descend on me like virtual mosquitoes seeking a blood meal.
