Paint It Green...And They Will Come

Problem: A particular California town is trying to deal with the not so Californian look of it's distressed neighbor hoods.

Solution: The town hired a contractor to spray paint bare spots on the lawns of vacant properties with a green dye. Of course in good Californian fashion, the dye is water soluble and environmentally friendly. The average cost is about $550 per lawn. Since it lasts only about six months or so, that's about $3.00 per day, per property. The town is hoping the foreclosed properties sell before the lawns need touched up.