Driving through these areas feels like traversing a movie set the homes sparkling and new, the roadways smooth and wide, the landscaping young and fragile.
The homes were formerly dilapidated and filled with mold. 
mnli hypothesis: The homes were formerly dilapidated and filled with mold.  premise: Driving through these areas feels like traversing a movie set the homes sparkling and new, the roadways smooth and wide, the landscaping young and fragile.