When Shaun Yandell proposed to his longtime girlfriend Gina Marasco on the doorstep of their new home in the sunny suburb of Elk Grove, California, four years ago, he never imagined things would get this bad. But they did, and it happened almost overnight.
"It is going to be heartbreak," Yandell told CNN. "But we are hanging on."
Yandell's marriage isn't falling apart: his neighborhood is.
Devastated by the subprime mortgage crisis, hundreds of homes have been foreclosed and thousands of residents have been forced to move, leaving in their wake a not-so-pleasant path of empty houses, unkempt lawns, vacant strip malls, graffiti-sprayed desolate sidewalks and even increased crime.
In Elk Grove, some homeowners not only cut their own grass but also trim the yards of vacant homes on their streets, hoping to deter gangs and criminals from moving in.
Oh "poor me". I lived in a neighborhood that had drug dealers in it as well. You're going to have it in almost any neighborhood you live in. The market is correcting itself, not the "American dream turning to a nightmare". Those homes will be sold and people will move in, and things will get better.
Got crime in your neighborhood? Take action. Call the cops, keep your eyes peeled, keep an eye on neighborhood kids who might be needing adult guidance. There's been a ton of kids in my neighborhood who could have turned out bad, but I took them under my wing, helped teach them right from wrong when their parents wouldn't, and give them odd jobs to do around my house to teach them responsibility and give them a few extra bucks in their pockets.
You can complain and watch the problem get worse, or you can do something about it and make it better.
Travis
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