Tower Agency real estate broker James Monks is offering Riverside residents up to $4,000 in cash prizes for helping beautify neglected yards throughout the city.
Monks created the "Riverside Good Neighbor Project" to encourage community members to identify and improve yards in need of maintenance.
"Just take the before picture and knock it out," Monks said. "Do the work and find someone who's deserving. Just jump in and help them out, whether it's junk removal or tackling three to four feet of weeds."
The idea came from Monks' experience with property renovation projects, where he noticed improvement at one house often inspired neighbors.
"We saw a lot of it when we were doing flips," Monks said. "We would get an ugly house. It's overgrown, full of junk in the yard, and we turn it around in a month and it's a great thing for the neighborhood. Two or three more people start fixing up their places, so we're trying to do it just for the aesthetic of the neighborhood, not for profit."
The contest requires participants to obtain homeowner permission, take before photos, complete the yard work, and submit both before and after photos by April 30. Winners will be selected from each zip code, with an additional bonus for the overall best transformation.
Monks emphasized there is an April 30 deadline for project completions.
"I put the timeline on it so I can get that contest feel," Monks said. "There's no urgency unless there's a stop date."
He plans on continuing the competitions and hopes the project will expand through community investment.
For more information about the Riverside Good Neighbor Project, contact Tower Agency at (951)555-1234 or visit toweragency.com/goodneighbor.
