Welcome to the official Blog of BuyOwner.com

BuyOwner.com buy sell trade rent

  • Home
  • About BuyOwner.com
  • Popular Posts

Gaining Information from Neighbors

Nov25
2008
Leave a Comment Written by Alicia

You found the home you want to buy. The current owners didn’t mention a single negative aspect. You had it inspected, twice. The deal is almost set. Still feel wary? Here’s a common-sense tip: Talk to the neighbors! If this is an established neighborhood, chances are they’ve been there for a while and can fill you in on details that your home’s owner may have left out.

Lots of information can be gained from talking to your potential neighbors. First, you might find out a problem with you dream home that the current owner forgot to mention. Second, you can gain significant information on the community that this home resides in. Third, you can see if your personalities seem compatible.

Neighbors are usually more willing to share information on a home than the owners who are trying to sell it. They might know that the wooded surroundings attract uninvited rodents into the home, or that the basement floods every time it rains, or that the electric bill skyrockets during the winter because of poor insulation. Or perhaps the neighbors don’t know of anything wrong with the home! Either way, this information may be the deciding factor for you, so it’s worth investigating.

Ask questions about the neighborhood and the town. Find out what age group makes up the majority. If you have kids and the neighborhood is mostly a young or old crowd, you might want to reconsider. If you’re not one for following HOA rules, find out how strict they are in this neighborhood. Is it a quiet or lively environment? Once you gain a knowledgeable concept of the neighborhood, ask where the neighbors like to eat or shop in town. What is the crime rate like? Gaining information on this new environment might be your deciding factor.

Through a quick meet-and-greet, you can gain an idea of the neighbors’ personalities. Do they have a boundary issue with your potential yard, landscaping or fence? Do they despise pets? Perhaps they get angry from cars parked on the street, or maybe they are chain smokers who will disrupt your air quality. If you’re looking at an apartment or condo, this is especially important. Do your neighbors throw a lot of parties and make a lot of noise? A personality clash/agreement may be your deciding factor.

If you’re still stuck on how to approach the neighbors, here are some examples of startup questions:

  • How long have you lived in the neighborhood?
  • What do you like and dislike about the community?
  • If you could change something, what would it be?
  • Is it quiet?
  • Does everyone get along? Are there block parties and community garage sales, or does everyone keep to themselves?
  • Do you know why the seller is moving? Is anything wrong with the house?
  • What is involved with the HOA?
  • Where do you like to go in town?
  • How is traffic in the area?

Related Reading

  • Choosing the Right Location
  • What Movers Won’t Move
  • Build Your Dream Home on Vacant Land!
  • What to Keep, What to Leave Behind
Posted in Buying Tips, Tips and Ideas - Tagged buying a home, moving, neighbors, new home, real estate
SHARE THIS Twitter Facebook Delicious StumbleUpon E-mail
Similar posts
  • Decorate Your Patio — What are you still doing inside at this time of year? Whe...
  • Featured City: Deltona, FL — As part of a special feature at the Buy Owner Blog, we’l...
  • Florida Home Prices Dropping — According to a recent article at HousingWatch.com, Flori...
  • After Your Ad is Live — Congratulations on taking the first step towards selling...
  • User-Friendly Search Engine — Do you ever visit an online search engine and immediatel...
« How to Get Showing Feedback
» Recycling Carpeting

No Comments Yet

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

About the BuyOwner.com Blog

Welcome to the BuyOwner.com Blog, your source for regularly updated market information!

Founded in 1984, BuyOwner.com® is the leading provider of real estate marketing services. We pioneered the "For Sale by Owner" (FSBO) market, which today represents over 20 percent of all residential real estate transactions.

You can read more about BuyOwner.com here.

Article Archives

Buy Owner Links

  • BuyOwner.com on Facebook
  • BuyOwner.com Testimonials
  • BuyOwner.com Website
  • Twitter: Buy Owner

Blog Roll

Real Estate Top Blogs Real Estate Blogs - BlogCatalog Blog Directory Add to Technorati Favorites Find the best blogs at Blogs.com. Blog Directory Home Improvement Blog Directory

Subscribe

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Tags

31 reasons to sell with buy owner adding value to your home buying a home buying a house buy owner Buy Owner experience curb appeal decorating eco-friendly eco-friendly tips environment florida fsbo Green Living holiday home decorating Home Improvement home improvements home ownership home selling how to sell your home interior decorating interior design kitchen Market News moving real estate real estate market real estate selling real estate tips Regional Info selling selling a home selling a house selling Buy Owner selling by owner selling for sale by owner selling fsbo Selling Tips selling with buy owner selling your home spring staging using buy owner winter

EvoLve theme by Blogatize  •  Powered by WordPress BuyOwner.com Blog
Tips and info for people selling & buying their homes "Buy Owner"