Search tips for choosing a friendly neighborhood
Government leaders and academics all over America are fretting about an emerging social problem: loneliness.
Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska wrote a book about the issue. Julianne Holt-Lunstad, a psychology professor at Brigham Young University, links it to rising medical problems. And Dr. Vivek Murthy, a former U.S. surgeon general, declared it “a public health epidemic.”
Meanwhile, real estate agents report that an increasing number of homebuyers want to move to an area where neighbors engage with one another in friendly ways. Families with children are especially eager to live in a community where kids have nearby playmates and families share in neighborhoodwide events.
“For many purchasers, a friendly neighborhood is more important than a house with lots of square footage,” says Tom Early, a veteran real estate broker.
“Sometimes, signs of neighborhood friendliness are subtle. Home shoppers have to dig below the surface for clues to sociability, and that means asking lots of questions,” says Early, a past president of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents.
Here are a few pointers:
Search for a community with strong ties to neighborhood schools.
A strong school can draw people together, tightening bonds among residents of all ages, says William Bainbridge, president of the SchoolMatch Institute, which helps clients assess school quality.
Must you move to an affluent area to find a school with both high-quality facilities and a dedicated teaching force? Not necessarily, according to Bainbridge, who says parental involvement is a key factor in school quality and one that can be present in any type of community.
Investigate the social dynamics of any neighborhood you’re considering.
Buyers seeking an interactive community are well advised to spend some time in an area they’re considering. Look for signs of positive relationships among residents, such as whether they stop to chat with each other.
Don’t hesitate to go door-todoor to strike up conversations with residents and talk to shopkeepers. Ask them about the pros and cons of living in the area.
Visit the neighborhood on multiple days.
Mark Nash, the author of “1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home,” suggests that those with a strong interest in a community visit the area at varied hours. Also consider visiting on a weekday as well as a weekend.
“Walk or drive through the neighborhood four times in a day — during the morning, at midafternoon, at dinnertime and at 11 p.m. Notice whether people are relating to each other or staying holed up in their homes nearly all of the time,” he says.
Don’t rule out a brand-new community.
Are you interested in a subdivision that’s under development but fear it could be an unfriendly place to raise your family? Nash suggests you learn more about the community before rejecting it based on what could be an unfounded belief.
“In a brand-new neighborhood, everyone comes in from the same starting point. There’s no established social hierarchy for a newcomer to break into,” Nash says.