Community developers set standards to maintain aesthetics

The dreaded next-door neighbor. You just never know who you'll get when you spin the homeowner roulette wheel.

The noise, the late nights and the snubbed nose might be one thing, but when the appearance of your neighbor's home starts to bring down your property value, there's really an issue.

Be it the flamingo in the front yard, the weeds as tall as his youngest son or this rust bucket without a license plate sitting in the yard for two years, having standards for the neighborhood — and a way to enforce those standards — is key to keeping the peace and ensuring that your real estate investment doesn't suffer.

Master-planned communities offer strategic planning to maintain the standards set by the developer, including the overall aesthetic of all the homes, buildings, landscaping, streetlights and even the signs.

"Summerlin set the standard both locally and nationally when it first began to develop in the early 1990s," said Tom Warden, senior vice president of Summerlin. "Homebuilders and architects were required to adhere to certain design standards, low water use landscaping was mandated throughout, commercial buildings were required to offer certain set-backs and attractive parking areas, and beautiful and functional trails and parks were woven throughout each village and neighborhood."

Summerlin, like most master-planned communities, relies on the residents of the community to act as the policing agency of their standards. Residents typically monitor other residents for infractions like poorly kept yards and eyesores.

With both an overarching regional master association and individual neighborhood associations working together, the governing bodies can be sure to enforce regulations to maintain overall appearances and function.

The result?

"A community that lives as good as it looks and a place where residents are proud to live," Warden said.