8 Steps to Help Preserve Your Neighborhood From Foreclosed Homes

Are there foreclosures in your neighborhood? Sacramento, CA has certainly had its fair share of real estate foreclosures. Some neighborhoods worse off than others. The steps to be a pro-active neighbor are not just for Sacramento neighborhoods but can be applied all over the country.

Have you seen the remnants of a Foreclosure in your neighborhood? Are you sick of seeing burned-up grass in neighborhoods?

I recently saw what could be a solution to help sell a house where the banks have decided to turn off the water and no one is taking care of the lawn.

Here are some solutions neighbors can do to help preserve their own neighborhoods:

1. Form a Neighborhood Watch through your local Police Department
2. Become familiar with your neighbors and know who is living in the houses on your street
3. Be aware when neighbors move out (many times a house stays vacant for months before a bank is aware that the owner has even moved out.
4. When a house is vacant, check for trash and put it out for pick-up. Remember, no one is there to do it and trash brings rats into your neighborhood
5. Park one of your cars in front of the house and rotate them to keep pilfers at bay
6. Pull weeds and mow the lawn...take turns in your neighborhood and keep up your street
7. Report broken windows etc to your County officials
8. Report any suspicious cars or people on the property

It's time that neighbors took back their neighborhood and become pro-active. Don't try to use the water or figure out a way to turn on what has been shut off at a vacant house. As this may cause major flooding inside a winterized house.  If water is needed, use your own water.

A proactive approach is always less stressful and will lend itself to being a "good neighbor," while helping yourself in the process.