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Community Corner

The Trees of Wildwood at Oakcrest Add Beauty and Value

Studies show that trees increase home values.

My wife, mother-in-law, and I live in Wildwood at Oakcrest. Wildwood at Oakcrest is a fantastic community located near Tomball and just north of Houston in Cypress, TX. Wildwood at Oakcrest is in an inviting place to call home thanks to miles of greenbelt trails, scenic ponds, and pristine common areas throughout the community.

“The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is now.”
— Chinese proverb

Trees can be a hassle. They have to be watered, trimmed, and mowed around as part of routine maintenance. Fallen leaves often need to be gathered and disposed of. On the other hand, towering trees on property provide more than beauty — they increase the value of homes. Several recent nationwide surveys show that mature trees in a well-landscaped yard can increase the value of a house by 7% to 19%. A lush lawn with flower gardens is pretty, but didn't add to the value of a house, the surveys showed.

Hence it is no surprise that the deed restrictions for Wildwood at Oakcrest stipulate that "no trees shall be cut or removed except to provide room for construction of Improvements or to remove dead or unsightly trees; provided, however, that removal of any tree in excess of a four-inch ( 4 ") caliper requires the approval of the Architectural Review Committee and the replacement, one for one, of such tree with a tree of equal or greater caliper." In other words, trees are a good thing that need to be preserved.

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Yesterday, on a bicycle ride around our neighborhood, in addition to the trees in front and backyards, the homebuilders of our community left open space where there were large trees instead of removing them.

T01 Tree at Hilltop Valley and Jacobs Creek

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T02 Tree on Drexel Ridge Lane

T03 Tree on Garnet Red Road and Flagstone Trace

T04 Tree on Weeping Spring Drive

T05 Trees on Sedona Bend by Pool

The trees help make Wildwood at Oakcrest a beautiful place to live. In addition, trees absorb carbon dioxide as they grow, and the carbon that they store in their wood helps slow the rate of global warming. They reduce wind speeds and cool the air as they lose moisture and reflect heat upwards from their leaves. In other words, trees are a good thing that need to be preserved.

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