From bucolic bliss to 'gated ghetto'

[n2doc]

Hemet's Willowalk tract was family-friendly. Then the recession hit.




By Alana Semuels
March 30, 2010

Reporting from Hemet - The gated community in Hemet doesn't seem like the best place for Eddie and Maria Lopez to raise their family anymore.

Vandals knocked out the streetlight in front of the Lopezes' five-bedroom home and then took advantage of the darkness to try to steal a van. Cars are parked four deep in the driveway next door, where a handful of men rent rooms. And up and down their block of handsome single-family homes are padlocked doors, orange "no trespassing signs" and broken front windows.

It wasn't what the Lopezes pictured when they agreed to pay $440,000 for their 5,000-square-foot house in 2006.

The 427-home Willowalk tract, built by developer D.R. Horton, featured eight distinct "villages" within its block walls. Along with spacious homes, Willowalk boasted four lakes, a community pool and clubhouse. Fanciful street names such as Pink Savory Way and Bee Balm Road added to the bucolic image.

Young families seemed to occupy every house, throwing block parties and holiday get-togethers, and distributing a newsletter about the neighborhood, Eddie Lopez recalled.

"We loved how everything was family-oriented -- all our kids would run around together," said Lopez, a 41-year-old construction supervisor and father of seven. "Now everybody's gone."

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hemet30-2010mar30,0,7301923.story

[Nikki Stone1]

1. I read that story. It was so heartbreaking.

Their house dropped so much in value that I am surprised the Lopezes just haven't left it.

[deutsey]

2. Very sad.

It just seems that the economy, real estate, etc., have become such rigged con games, exploiting the hopes of decent, hard-working people who just want a good life for themselves and their kids. It's just wrong and what makes it worse is the sense that there's no one with any real power looking out for and fighting for our interests.

That's why we've got to come together and use the power we have when we fight together for our shared interests.

I don't see that happening any time soon, though.

[AngryAmish]

3. Article seems anti-renter

Why is that?

[xultar]

4. 440k to live in a ghetto crazy