Paging Mr. Rogers

By Marilyn Kennedy Melia
CTW Features

 For many, a friendly neighbor next door is not a high priority, according to a new survey analysis For many, a friendly neighbor next door is not a high priority, according to a new survey analysis Neighborhoods matter to homebuyers, who seek a particular area for its easy commute, stable property values, quality schools, among other amenities.

But the people living next door or down the street might not figure into the equation of what makes a neighborhood desirable.

In the 1970s, 30 percent of Americans spent time with neighbors, and 20 percent had no interaction with them, found Joe Cortright, president of Impressa Economics, in an analysis of data from the General Social Survey administered by the University of Chicago. Now, those percentages are reversed, with only one-fifth of Americans socializing with neighbors, according to Cortright’s analysis.

Many factors are behind the fade in neighborly relations, like large suburban lots, commuting alone by car and automatic garage openers that allow people to pull in and stay behind shut doors, says Cortright.

Those findings don’t surprise Craig Beggins, owner/broker at Century 21 Beggins Enterprises in Apollo Beach, Fla. “In my opinion buyers choose their neighborhoods for other reasons besides friendly relations,” he says. But Beggins notes that face-to-face contacts are being replaced by online connections. He keeps up on chatter in his own neighborhood from postings on Nextdoor.com.

Young families, however, still put a priority on a neighborhood “where they can feel confident and safe about their kids playing with neighborhood kids,” notes Eli Tene, of Century 21 Peak Realty in Los Angeles. “In terms of the L.A. market,” he adds, “there are many neighborhoods that have a reputation for being friendly.”

And, some builders are designing communities to recapture the features that promote neighborliness.

Large front porches, smaller lots, sidewalks and “minimizing the visual impact of garages can contribute to more of a neighborhood feeling,” says Paul Foresman of Design Basics, an Omaha, Neb, consulting firm.

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