Good Neighborhoods

When considering the purchase of your dream home, one of the first considerations is always – a good neighborhood.

A good neighborhood can mean many things:

• Good Schools
• Safe Neighborhood
• Quiet Streets
• Mature Landscaping
• Convenient Location
• And the List Goes on…

But let’s face it – when it comes to finding a good neighborhood, first and foremost in the equation is – good neighbors. Most of us have heard stories or told the story of – The Neighbors From Hell.

In over forty years of owning homes, I’ve been lucky (or unlucky) to have only had two sets of neighbors from hell. Both sets had one thing in common – they had absolutely no consideration for anyone other than themselves. They acted like their little piece of real estate came with carte blanche to do whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted.There seems to be no reasoning with such self-centered, ignorant people stuck in their infantile arrested development.

Good neighbors are like heavenly grace – a gift of such richness and wonder that we just feel blessed to be able to live near them and call them – neighbor.

And yet, it seems to more and more the norm many people have little or no contact with their neighbors. Valorie Burton recently interviewed 300 people to discover the quality of their relationships:

• 54% said they get together with friends for fun and conversation less than once a month.
• 55% have not had a friend over to their home in more than two months
• 80% of people married or in a romantic relationship said they are not satisfied with the consistency and quality of time spent with their spouse or significant other.
• 70% of parents surveyed said they do not spend enough time with their children
• 58% said they have not had a seven-day vacation in more than a year

The number of people who say they have no one with whom to discuss important matters has more than doubled in the last 20 years. In today’s high-tech online world of Facebook, Myspace, Twitter and the other social networks, we often miss the opportunity to connect the human way – face-to-face.

If we find ourselves looking for a good neighborhood, perhaps the first point to be considered should be – what contribution am I willing to invest to make it so.