Lawn painting on foreclosed homes has become big business for Californian David Milligan’s company Alliance Environmental & Compliance.

Tired of seeing foreclosed homes’ lawns turning shades of brown, Milligan took the paint by the can and spray-painted his neighbor’s plot.

The result? Not only a feng shui moment for Milligan, but a thumbs-up from the real estate agent trying to sell the property.

Milligan has since started a lawn-dyeing division at his company that can’t help but thrive with an economy favoring foreclosure rates.

In an April article from Inc., Rene Avila, a director of development services for Perris, California and an Alliance customer says, “From an aesthetic standpoint, this is the worst part of the foreclosure crisis.”

More than 1,000 homes in Perris, population 53,000, are in foreclosure. “We’re trying to maintain properties so they stay at a decent value,” Avila says. “It’s money well spent.”

West Coasters, unlike their East Coast counterparts, are probably aware that lawn painting has actually been around for years.

There are significant benefits. Lawn-painting companies are giving homes instant curb appeal, with vacant homes more apt to get a second look from potential buyers who favor the green.

But is having a green lawn worth investing in spraying gallons of paint all over your yard? Are we just perpetuating a look that needs to be phased out?

Though all the lawn greening companies I found listed say the dye is non-toxic, (including a call from Milligan himself who swears it is safe) I couldn’t find a single site that clarifies what the paint is actually made of.

Is all this lawn greening really greenwashing? I hope I’m wrong.

Images: Treehugger, Lawns Gone Green

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