This past year, the number of homes headed towards or into foreclosure has risen dramatically in our area.  Along with this abandoned swimming pools is causing a major public health concern!  Empty houses can hide unmaintained swimming pools, spas, fountains, and bird baths, which can provide stagnant water for mosquitoes to breed in.

More worrisome this increase in backyard breeding grounds may lead to a rise in West Nile virus transmissions.  As most residences of California know the West Nile virus is spread through the bite of infected mosquitoes and may led to debilitating health conditions.  In 2007, there were 380 reported human cases of West Nile in California, resulting in 21 deaths.  The virus is even more deadly to our bird population. 

The best protection is to eliminate the breeding grounds.  Here are a few things we can do:

If you are the listing agent be diligent in your duties.  Eliminate all sources of standing water around the home and property.  Many of the banks are realizing that a clean, well kept REO is going to sell faster and for more money and are willing to pay to get these homes in this condition.  Don't ignore the pool.

If you are showing property and notice that the pool or spa now looks more like a pond, call your local health agency and report the property.  In our area of Los Angeles county we have two numbers.  You can contact the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District by calling (818) 364-9589 (Sylmar Branch) or (562) 944-9656 (Santa Fe Springs).  You can also visit their website at www.glacvcd.org.  The California Department of Public Health is also a great source for up-to-date information on West Nile virus.  Visit www.westnile.ca.gov. 

We all need to be proactive in a defense against disease transmission.  What are our responsibilities as real estate agents?  So far in our area it is left up to us to be the good citizen. 

(We would love to hear from our friends in AZ and FL as you all are facing many of the same problems as we are.)

It has been a while since I have started a blog on here, but I wanted to bring attention to a huge problem arising in areas with ever increasing foreclosures. 

On the news last week the headline story brought to light a secondary fallout of people giving up their homes.  They are giving up their pets as well.  Many people are just leaving them behind or turning them loose in the neighborhood.  I was not surprised to hear that cats and dogs are finding themselves homeless.  We have seen cats waiting patiently for their owners return sitting on the doorsteps of vacant houses. We even ran across two dogs locked in a vacant home without food or water.   It breaks my heart.  (I have started carrying an inexpensive bag of pet food in the trunk of my car.)  What surprised me were the larger animals we don't see often at the animal shelters, horses, donkeys, goats, pigs.  Riverside, San Bernardino, and Los Angeles County Animal shelters are full of barnyard type animals. 

I have called some local rescue organizations to see what might be done and they have let me know that there is just no room at the Inn.  Many would like to help but just don't have the funds available.  That leaves our local animal shelter to report the abandoned pets.  

We are out in the "field" and probably see these lost family friends before anyone else.  Is there anything more we can do, other than call the shelters or carry a bag of food?