Is your neighborhood changing rapidly? Are your neighbors rehabbing, upgrading or rebuilding? Paying attention to the neighborhood, and how it grows and changes directly affects the value of your home and whether it appreciates, depreciates or pretty much stays even. Check out the articles, columns, radio shows, blog posts and videos for more information about how your neighborhood can affect your home. As always, if you are buying a home, you must make sure to consider the neighborhood and its school district.
Neighbor Problems: Dangerous Conditions
Neighbor Problems: Dangerous Conditions Neighbors are creating problems and dangerous conditions for residents by not turning on lights Q: I have lived in the same 10-unit condo for over 20 years. It consists of several two to four-unit buildings grouped together. The buildings surround a shared parking area. Some units face the parking area while [...]
Neighbor Problems: Dirty Fences
Neighbor Problems: Dirty Fences Q: My next door neighbor put up a white vinyl fence between our homes. Not a problem for me, originally. But the fence is now turning green and black from dirt and mold. I don’t care what his side of the fence looks like, but I do care about my side. [...]
Ep. 25: Community Development and Your Home
Is there a way to have community development without pushing lower income residents out? Is it worth remodeling your home if it’s in a neighborhood experiencing skyrocketing land values? Get answers to these questions by listening to this week’s episode of the Ilyce Glink Show. You can click the audio link below to listen to [...]
Easement Agreements And Neighbor Relations
How can a homeowner who shares a long driveway with two neighbors terminate their rights to use the driveway? First, find out if the previous homeowner set up a homeowners' association with the neighbors or an easement agreement for the shared use of the driveway. If not, consult with a real estate lawyer to find out about local easement rights. Before terminating easement rights, consider future neighborly issues.
Zoning and Land Acreage Restrictions
A property owner wants to take advantage of an employer's relocation program, but their 5.1 acre property exceeds the restriction of 5 acre lots. If the property owners can't get the employer to waive the restriction, they will need to contact a real estate attorney to determine what they will have to do to divide the lot. They will most likely have to get a survey of the land and make sure they are not breaking any community ordinances about lot restrictions.
Easement
What is an easement? An easement allows a second party, such as a neighbor or utility company, access to your property. An easement is limited to a small part of a property usually and it stipulates the property's condition after the second party accesses the property. You can find out your property's easements by looking at the survey completed with your title insurance. Learn about easements here.
Community Design Trends
Learn about community design trends from master plan developers. What are the trends in community design that will affect the future? Community design trends come from what residents want and how they use their community's amenities. What are some community design trends for recreation and proximity to work?
Planned Communities Bring People Together
How does a master planned community get designed? How do developers know what to include in neighborhood ? Creating a sense of belonging means including amenities to foster community in the neighborhood. Developers and architects try to allow for community as populations age.
Synthetic Stucco Affects Home Value
You may have heard all about synthetic stucco, and how many homes with synthetic stucco coverings suffer water damage. But is it worth it to replace synthetic stucco to improve a home's value? Even if your EIFS, or synthetic stucco, has been problem free, there may be a stigma around synthetic stucco. Before deciding whether to change the synthetic stucco siding on your home, it may be worthwhile to consider your home in comparison to others in your neighborhood.