[jyl]

Our house is surrounded by large trees - probably planted when the houses were built appx 100 years ago. They do cost some to care for - every decade or so, spend $5,000 on trimming. But they add so much to the neighborhood's appeal and to property values. Why else do realtors' flyers always talk up the "mature trees"? It seems like a poor economic decision for developers to automatically cut down every tree. A big shade tree on the roadside or otherwise away from the house footprint - how much extra would it cost to work around it?