I too am surprised by the widespread use of water-hungry landscaping. I remember the dry years of 1976-78 in Nor Cal … my parents switched to drought-resistant landscaping, as did many other homeowners. Unfortunately closed minds can’t distinguish between xeriscape / native vegetation and weeds.
On the subject of brown lawns … some could be the result of intentional neglect. Somewhere in the forums is a link to an interview with a short sale “specialist” who says that brown lawns help convince lenders/servicers that a property is impaired and will be hard to sell as an REO.
