In the aftermath of the tornado in our neighborhood, the press seems to be paying an awful lot of attention to our property taxes and the value of our homes post storm. And while there are those that predict that the values in the neighborhood will be decreasing due to the destruction, I have a different opinion. 

Here’s my thought process on the issue: 

Yes, we lost the majority of the trees in our neighborhood, but guess what? Trees can be replaced. You know what we did not lose with this natural disaster? Our fabulous neighbors and tight knit community. This is a priceless asset that cannot be duplicated or replaced over time. Period.

Another point to consider. The streets of Orchid and Pemberton will be rebuilt over the next two years and will have either the newest or the most recently updated homes in all of North Dallas. Insurance usually pays 125 percent of the value of the home, and if we assume that everyone had proper insurance, these homes will be stacked with the latest and greatest features available on the market.

While it is true that you will see some people selling their damaged homes for lots in the next couple of months, one must consider what these lots are selling for. For example, my clients who happened to have one of the larger homes in the area got an offer for their lot at just a five percent discount. This five percent, in my opinion, allows the owners to get some new trees and landscaping to make up for those lost on the lot.

The majority of us, however, are committed to the neighborhood and are planning to rebuild. In fact, I have a new neighbor just a couple of houses down who just moved in but was helping everyone out that night despite losing windows and part of their roof. The neighbor commented, “Well at least we had not unpacked and can move the boxes to storage for a while.” Another resident in the area is working on forming a group that will allow people in the neighborhood to buy trees in bulk. These glass half full type of people are what will get this community back up to speed in no time.

The point of all this talk? Why throw in my two cents? We are a resilient neighborhood, and everyone is banding together to recreate not only our homes but our streets. Sure, some will sell their land, but the majority of us are staying and will not be letting our lots go at any kind of “disaster discount.”

Christy BerryNovember 5, 2019