Too Many Empty Houses - Too Many Overgrown Yards

Ask not what a candidate for Hernando County commissioner can do for you - ask him what degree of understanding he has that residential construction is on hold for an undetermined amount of time and what course of action he/she will take to avoid further anger from local residents who see their hopes of selling their homes further dampened by the inequities of the housing market.

There are thousands of vacant lots, cleared lots not yet built on, investment homes not yet occupied and foreclosure homes. They’re just sitting there with developers, lenders, investment brokers and homeowners from every socio-economic level who can’t get rid of what they have. For now, and what may seem like forever, no new houses are necessary.

It’s a real darn pity but that’s just the way it is here, there and just about anywhere, if not everywhere. There’s not much Washington, Wall Street or The Federal Reserve can do to guide us through these doleful days of economic destitution. The affected markets will have to work their ways to mutated entities.

How many times have you said, or heard someone say, It can’t get much worse than this? Well, this is a period of time in the United States that shows how things can get much worse and still there’s a high probability that it will get even more so.

Everyone is pretty much on their own this time around. The federal government’s stimulus checks haven’t done much to bolster the economy. The collapse of the banking industry is an ongoing realization just how severe the housing bubble bust has affected America’s way of living, and how it may paint a pastel picture the future.

Booming oil prices have made times more difficult for everyone – no one is exempt from the addiction to fossil fuels. There’s no quick fix. There’s no quitting cold turkey. For now, we’re pretty much stuck where we are and the sad truth is that it will most likely to remain this way for at least 10 years.

All 50 States are also short on funds so local communities are left to fend for themselves, which means you and your neighbors will have to be reliant on city and county leaders to give direction on how to work through these lean, mean times.

There’s plenty of blame to go around

These past two years have lead up to this election year when everyone blames every level of government for the current state of affairs. It’s easiest to look toward local officials to offer solutions because they’re right there in front of you and anyone else concerned about the well-being of their families and personal investments in the community.

And yet, they know not what to do, either.

Political campaigns offer more for the candidate than they do the voter, or non-voter, as the case may be. There’ll be a winner in every race and at least one loser, but it’s always the resident who is left in limbo and can never be certain the direction and decisions of the elected official will be in his or her best interest. There are no guarantees in politics.

Considering the number of unoccupied houses in Hernando County, who can honestly entrust any politician with a background that encompasses any facet of the construction industry? From investor to builder to realtor to broker to inspector to appraiser – the individual’s focal point of interest in the past will still be entwined in that same sphere of influence.

A dead end trip on THE Bus

Cutting taxes, reducing the headcount and/or reducing the salaries of department heads, consolidating and laying off segments of the workforce, limiting amenities at recreational parks and giving THE Bus a final heave-ho and, just as controversial, cut spending but still take care of those lime-rock roads. Not one of the candidates of any party or district can offer these promises any better than the rest.

So, what’s the BIG PLAN that a candidate might offer the voter? You can’t help but be curious what a politician has in mind when he/she makes a declaration of intent but doesn’t offer to explain the how or when it might be accomplished. For instance, THE Bus is not a popular “waste” of taxpayer money but, other than putting the brakes permanently on the service, no serious alternatives are forthcoming from the candidates, at least not on their websites.

A socially conscience community doesn’t throw the needy in the middle of the street to fend for themselves. It makes no difference if the person is an invalid, without transportation because of the economic requirements, a suspended license or any other reason for the need of the service – you do not leave people stranded. Period.

To create situations that bring the despair of confinement (isolation) or the danger of lack of medical attention (doctors, prescriptions) or the fear of losing a job, thus the means to feed and shelter the person or family (because of no transport), is unconscionable. You can pretty much bet those riders on THE Bus would rather not spend the excessive hours in transit due to limited times and routes, but most don’t have the benefit of having someone they can rely on for transportation. But their gratitude is paramount to their needs because, otherwise, other people would dictate the events in their lives. Don’t you dare believe otherwise! Let a politician put him/herself in that same position….

Don’t tax but be ready to spend anyway

Serious consideration is also overdue for lime rock roads. It’s a great campaign promise but will the funds be available? And over what period of time would the project see completion?

A repeated theme from too many candidates calls for an end to “tax and spending”. Enough is enough already! As if the current commissioners aren’t fully aware of the lean years ahead. As if there aren’t other concerns that put them at odds with residents.

Providing assistance for homeowners on the verge of becoming another victim of lax lending practices in the past is complimentary but what of those people already doomed to years of a sub-prime credit rating? The demise of home ownership can’t be resolved on a local basis – the problems are too many; they reach beyond the American economy.

You can’t just do nothing

An alarming affect of the large number of vacant homes centers on the appearance and hazardous conditions that accompany those left unattended. Knee-high grass are a big concern because of what kinds of critters may lurk out of sight. When weeds are allowed to propagate, nearby lawns are subject to the same.

More alarming are the number of swimming pools and other vessels with standing water that remain unattended through these summer months when mosquitoes are in perfect harmony with mother nature to multiply beyond normal urban levels. Fortunately, the lack of rainfall this past spring has kept encephalitis and the West Nile virus from becoming sever health risks.

Code Enforcement can go street by street, house by house and issue citations for whatever responsible party to take care of the properties but they’re not likely to have much affect at resolving the problem. The fines will become the responsibility of the eventual buyer. The number of homes are daunting, the volume beyond the scope of county employees.

This is a major problem that must be addressed now, not later when the problems will become exacerbated. Home values will continue to decline when a neighborhood remains a blight to the esthetics of every real estate property. At some point the problems may become beyond resolve when deterioration of these homes brings doubt that anyone will ever take ownership of such poor investments.

What to do?

It would be refreshing to have a candidate demonstrate a committed interest in community affairs and gave priority to the problems with unoccupied homes. It’s much too easy (lazy? boring!) for a candidate to idly sit by and do little more than repeat what every other candidate suggests will bring prosperity back to Hernando County. Nothing is as simple as promoting a reduction in taxes, employees and services.

It’s old news that residents are without jobs. The recent defeat of the proposed 25% reduction of impact fees to spur a little construction clearly indicated “no new homes” regardless how many (temporary) jobs might have been created. It was a wise decision. It would have put further stress on future projects toward the upkeep of the infrastructure.

But, what about the possibility of putting people to work at resolving the unsightly condition of too many yards? The idea deserves consideration. It shouldn’t be tagged as “thinking outside the box” – at this point in time, it makes common sense as a means to avoid Hernando County from becoming a prime real estate dead zone.

The interiors of previously occupied homes will surely be overcome with dust, dirt, and insects and a good possibility of mildew in addition to whatever condition the previous inhabitants left them, like missing appliances, holes in walls and other destructive acts. An obtrusive stench will affront a person when the doors are opened months, possibly years, of vacancy.

Investors, builders and banks will ultimately have to address the deteriorating conditions of unoccupied homes. But the county could very well take steps to clean up the outside exterior conditions of homes and at least give the community an appearance of relative normalcy.

This would be a win-win-win situation. People would get jobs. Health hazards would be lessened. Neighborhood residents would be relieved, and oh-so thankful, that the view of their homes aren’t marred by the blighted sight next to them.

Voting for the politician, not the person

Whatever candidate the individual voter may support through the voting process, the truth in the effectiveness of his/her term in office won’t be realized until well after the last person in line has placed an X on the ballot. The choice may prove to be positive, negative or indifferent in addressing the challenges facing Hernando County.

Just remember, when it comes to a politician, in the end you just don’t know what the future holds.