Global Real Estate Highlights

I was checking for some informative real estate videos in YouTube when I saw this interview with Barbara Corcoran. It was in line with my recent article “Inspect the property several times, before you sign a contract“.

We share the same views about being in the lookout for bad neighborhoods, especially bad neighbors. No matter how nice or expensive your house is, being next to a nuisance neighbor can bring down the value of your home.

Here are some of the important things to remember discussed in the video.

Don’t buy next to any of the following for the obvious reason of noise from cars and big gatherings. It’s not recommendable to buy next to an empty lot because you don’t know what will happen to it later on. Meanwhile, most people are scared to live next to a halfway house.

• country club
• empty lot
• bus stop
• halfway house
• garbage route
• intersection with stop signs

Know how to spot them early:

• Cruise the area at night and during rush hour. This will give you a good indication if it is a desirable neighborhood or not. Some neighborhoods appear to be quiet during daytime but can transform to a party venue during nighttime.
• Look for racket-makers such as skateboard ramps, basketball hoops and trampolines. These are bad signs because they indicate noise.
• Talk with local store owners, police and town clerks. They know what’s happening in your future neighborhood.
• Check online for local sex offenders.

If you did not do any of the above and you already bought a house next to a bad neighbor, here’s what you can do:

• Talk with your neighbor, schedule a time to meet at the sidewalk
• Don’t accuse. Suggest ways to solve the problem.
• Consult your condo or block association.
• Call the police to keep a record of complaints in case you need to take it to the local court.

I hope you find the video and Barbara’s practical tips useful. I wish I knew about these before I experienced living next to a nuisance neighbor. However, I’m glad I was just renting back then. Otherwise, it will be very costly for me to deal with my neighbor.

If you’re a homeowner and things don’t improve, you’re left with only three choices:

• Confront your neighbor each time and suffer stress
• Accept that’s how things are and suffer in your own house
• Sell the house and suffer from the loss in value, including the hefty costs that comes with buying and selling a house.

Your house is your castle. It should be a place where you can be happy and secure. Thus, make sure you do your research before buying your dream house. It can save you thousands financially and relieve you from any stress, induced by living next to a nuisance neighbor.