Love Thy Neighbor Already

There's a great song by Edie Brickell & The New Bohemians called "Green" Download it if you can find it, and press play before reading the rest of this. Go ahead, I'll wait...

It must be quite miserable living next to someone you don't like or who doesn't like you. Problems with neighbors can vary and range from the smallest and largest of ego issues and disputes. I hear many home buyers and sellers complain about their living conditions and needing a desperate change. My goal is to assist them but I must say, hearing some of the situations and conflicts makes me wonder, what is wrong with people!? From the barking dog, nosy opinionated neighbor to stolen mail, I've heard it all.

I think since the beginning of time there have always been cases of not loving thy neighbor and it's unfortunate. So where do we draw the property line? My advice and possible solution? When looking into a street or home of interest and before signing the lease or purchase agreement:

• Park and watch the street, homes and activity.
• Take a stroll. You're allowed.
• Knock on your potential neighbor's doors.
• Introduce yourself and inquire about the area.
• Ask about existing problems from dogs to pestering neighbors.

You'd be surprised how much information you can pull from this. You should be able to get a gut feel for who your neighbors are. You're not just buying or renting a home, you're buying a neighborhood. It may ease your own worries as well. Maybe you have noisy kids, a collection of wind chimes, monster trucks, large parties, or work third shift. Ask if they have any concerns with your lifestyle, not just picking at theirs.

If you're the cause of problems, which most won't easily admit, (but you know who you are) determine where you need to be in order to be content and happy. If you always have some type of issue with a neighbor or just people in general, perhaps moving into a more rural or spaced setting is for you. Definitely avoid living above or below someone else and town homes or condos may not be the preferred option either. Here's a recent neighbor dispute that caught my eye:

In Sunnyvale California, two neighbors are feuding over trees. Neighbor A has solar panels on his roof powering his home. Neighbor B has two mature redwood trees on his property that he planted years prior to Neighbor A even buying his home. Neighbor A wants the trees removed due to the fact that they are shading his solar panels, not allowing maximum sunlight. Naturally, Neighbor B doesn't want to cut down his trees. After a costly and nasty fight in court, the trees must come down due to a California law from the 70's. It protects a homeowners right to sunlight and solar energy conservation.

Needless to say, these neighbors aren't having Sunday cook-outs together. Maybe Neighbor A could have looked into the home's surroundings before purchasing. Maybe a simple conversation with Neighbor B before buying the home could have eliminated any future problems.

Bottom line: don't just fall in love with a unit or home without doing your homework. It doesn't matter how polished your interior is, if you're not happy when you go outside your home, chances are you also won't be happy inside your home... or yourself.