Landscaping and Home Values

1. Landscaping and Home Values Geography 367 Danielle Meyer Interim 2010

2. Literature Review E. N. Anderson, Jr. argues that: • Lawns and gardens show the social and economic status of owners • Large shrubs and trees hide a home • Flowers and small shrubs show a home to the community • Lawns with brown spots and unkempt lawns show • A sense of social worthlessness to the owner • Public detriment • A front yard made up of ground cover including star jasmine, juniper, ivy, ivy-geranium is considered fancy or upper class • Most commonly in high income areas • By landscaping or planting a garden • A person expresses commitment to the community • A feeling of being a part of a community • No lawn planting expresses individuality Source: Anderson, Jr, E. N. . "On the Folk Art of Landscaping." Western Folklore 31.3 (1972): 179-188. JSTOR. 9 June 2010.

3. Literature Review Richard Walker, Anne Power and Kelly Martin argue that: • Landscaping improvements to a house or business are prospected to secure and retain economic investment • National and regional regeneration strategies have strong economic focus on environmental renewal • People opt to live and work in spaces that are congenial to their surroundings • A person who has a nicely landscaped yard wants to be on a street with similarly landscaped houses • Qualities of neighborhood environment are vital in building investment confidence Source: Walker, Richard, Anne Power, and Kelly Martin. "Gathering Evidence." Green Places 32 (2007): 16-17, 19. Wilson Web. 09 June 2010.

4. Hypothesis The amount and quality of landscaping will increase as home values increase in the City of Eau Claire.

5. No Landscaping Shrubs Only Data Collection Field Work I collected data from three different areas of the city and then chose streets in groups of three in three different sections of the chosen area Assessors Records I then used the Eau Claire assessment records to determine the home value for each home from the data collected in my field work. Types of Landscaping Studied Shrubs, Flowers and Stone Work Shrubs and Flowers

6. Income Ranges $62,887 - $78,420 $47,354 - $62,887 $31,821 - $47,354 $16,288 - $31,821 The Designated Areas in Eau Claire Choose 3 different areas within the city of Eau Claire and then choose different income values within each section. (as shown by U.S. Census map) Some areas had more diverse income levels for a more diverse sample, especially in South Eau Claire however the Northwest and North East of Eau Claire had less diverse income levels therefore the samples were less diverse.

7. My Landscaping Study Eau Claire, Wisconsin

8. Percent of Houses with Landscaping No Landscaping ~ 316 Roosevelt Ave Third Ward • Homes with no landscaping were 5.5% of total sample • Homes with shrubs, flowers and stonework were 25.9% of total sample • Homes with shrubs and flowers were 28.5% of total sample • Homes with shrubs only were 40.1% of total sample Shrubs Flowers and Stonework ~ 416 McKinley Ave. Third Ward Shrubs Only ~ 2127 Carter Street Northeast Eau Claire Shrubs and Flowers ~ 421 Cedar Street Northwest Eau Claire

9. Landscaping and High Home Values Shrubs, Flowers and Stonework ~ 315 Bartlett Court Home Value $204,500 Third Ward • Homes with shrubs & flowers had an average home value of $164,503 • Homes with shrubs, flowers and stonework and an average home value of $163,954 Shrubs and Flowers ~ 429 McKinley Ave Home Value $224,200 Third Ward Shrubs, Flower and Stonework ~ 2705 Diane Lane Home Value $226,900 South Eau Claire Shrubs and Flowers ~ 2826 Prestige Court Home Value $336,000 Northwest Eau Claire

10. Landscaping and Low Home Values Shrubs Only ~2826 Fifth Street Home Value $104,800 Northwest Eau Claire • Homes with shrubs only had an average home value of $152,058 • Homes with no landscaping had an average home value of $123,427 Shrubs Only ~ 2127 Carter Street Home Value $111,600 Northeast Eau Claire No Landscaping ~ 2311 Welsh Court Home Value $105,900 Northeast Eau Claire No Landscaping ~ 517 Cedar Street Home Value $68,900 Northwest Eau Claire

11. Findings of Landscaping and House Values/Income levels • Through both work in the field and research through the assessors office I have concluded that: • Although many homes with low home values had little to no landscaping, homes with shrubs, shrubs and flowers and shrubs, flowers and stonework were distributed fairly evenly in regards to home values. • Possible Problems with study • Sample is too small • Eau Claire is too homogeneous • A larger city might produce a more diverse housing sample

12. Bibliography • Anderson, Jr, E. N. . "On the Folk Art of Landscaping." Western Folklore 31.3 (1972): 179-188. JSTOR. 08 June 2010. • Duany, Andres, and Elizabeth Playter-Zyberk. "Neighborhoods and Suburbs." Design Quarterly 2.164 (1995): 10-23. JSTOR. 08 June 2010. • "Eau Claire, WI - Online Property Assessment Database - Search." Invisible, Inc.. N.p., n.d. 7 June 2010. <http://www.bis-net.net/cityofeauclaire/search.cfm • Seth, M.K.. "Trees and Their Economic Importance." The Botanical Review 69.4 (2003): 321-376. JSTOR. 9 June 2010. • Walker, Richard, Anne Power, and Kelly Martin. "Gathering Evidence." Green Places 32 (2007): 16-17, 19. Wilson Web. 09 June 2010. • Williams, H. Hamilton. "A Study of Landscaping in Negro Communities in the Southeastern States." The Journal of Negro Education 15.4 (1946): 628-637. JSTOR. 09 June 2010. • U.S. Census Data from Census CD 2000 Long Form