When neighbors curb your appeal

Say you shop at a pricey little grocery because of its quality produce. But just when you’re selecting that pristine pear, you spot a rotten apple in a neighboring bin: Still willing to pay top dollar?

Well, a recent study published in the Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics documents that homebuyers’ appetite is also impacted by neighboring properties.

Specifically, the University of Alabama and the University of Texas at Arlington researchers scored curb appeal (tidy landscaping, no broken pavement, peeling paint, etc.) on 88,980 Denver area homes, using Google Street View photos and actual sales data.

The result, which the researchers say isn’t yet conclusively accurate nationwide, shows that homes that ooze curb appeal fetch some 7 percent more, but a neighboring property impacts about a third of that premium.

An informal survey of real estate agents confirms that a nearby eyesore is problematic. “I have had buyers ask to skip even touring a home simply because of the condition of neighboring homes,” relates Elizabeth Leanza of Exit Realty King & Associates in the greater Nashville area.

Here is some helpful advice:

Doc Reiss, a managing broker at Windermere Real Estate in Port Angeles, Washington, advises: “Be cheerful and positive with offers like: ‘Hey, we are getting ready to make a few trips to clean up this property. Do you have a few things you’d like us to take away?’ ”

Joy Bender, a co-founder of Aumann Bender & Associates| compass Real Estate in La Jolla in San Diego County, explains: “We’ve had an owner request fence maintenance and palm tree trimming. This request becomes more amenable when you offer to pay at least half, if not all, of the requested service. The homeowner should never offer to do the work themselves for liability reasons.”

Gordy Marks, a managing broker at RE/MAX Northwest in Kirkland, Washington, notes: “Excessive vehicles parked out front and on the property” are one infraction he’s seen neighbors agree to move off the homesite. “The key is not to insult the neighbor.”