If you own a home, you might have learned that every neighborhood has “one of those” neighbors. This is the neighbor who finds it perfectly acceptable to put a living room sofa in the front yard, or who believes that lawn mowing should occur just once per summer season. I hate to generalize, but – from my experience – many of these folks are renters, or people who have little interest in their property value or for the property values that surround them.

Before any renters jump my case, I realize that some renters do care about their rental spaces. In this case, you understand as well that there's always one family that turns rental life into a hot place that no one wants to go to when they die.

One reason that these hard-to-deal-with people exist is because some landlords maintain the same values as their renters. They see no problem with rotting foundations or decks or with overgrown trees that drop large dangerous limbs into neighboring yards. Another reason behind the existence of these folks is that some landlords become intimidated by their renters. They don't know how to lay down the law, or they become fearful that their renters will harm them. Sometimes, this is a very real fear. I've known very nice landlords who were plagued by squatters, by people who managed to destroy a house or an apartment within a month's time, or by people who simply neglected minor problems until they became major issues (like a small leak that turned into a roof that fell into the living room).

The nice thing about renters is that they eventually go away, even the squatters. What makes this problem worse is if “one of those” neighbors actually owns the home that they're depreciating. No matter if they're renters or owners, the real issue with these folks is that they tend to pull the entire neighborhood down to their level, rather than be uplifted by their property value-savvy neighbors.

Let me provide you with a for-instance: My neighbor – a renter – keeps car seats in the driveway and mows his lawn about once every six weeks (yet, he works for a landscaping company). His kids don't know how to talk in a normal voice (they learned this skill from their mother), and they've torn down a neighbor's fence and their own deck, and have attempted to enter other yards to spread their tiny terror. Their dog, which is a mean little thing, has free rein in my front yard at night. It was the father, however, who shot fireworks down the street this past weekend, tearing a hole in my siding, smashing into a window in my room mate's car, and setting a fire under the bushes in the front yard.

Although fireworks are legal in this state, and while I knew that this incident was (possibly) an accident, the adults hid behind the truck in his driveway when we shot out the front door to see what had happened. We knew exactly where the fireworks had originated. And, when I called the police to obtain an incident report in case I needed to make a claim, the neighbor admitted that the incident was an 'accident' and that he was responsible. But, will he pay for the damage? I might be surprised with a $300 check (yes, I had the damage assessed today), but I doubt sincerely he'll pay. And, the landlord is a friend of his, so I doubt I'll find any help there.

But, the true damage is the fact that this family is working very hard to bring down the value of the entire neighborhood. At a time when property value is at rock-bottom nationwide, this neighbor isn't helping the bottom line for his neighbors.

You might ask why I purchased this home with the knowledge that I had renters for neighbors (the lady who resided here previously told me this fact during the inspection). First, it was winter, so tall grass wasn't growing. And, the neighbors happened to be out of town during the inspection, so all was quiet on the western front. Plus, the bikes, toys and other yard 'things' were all in their proper places. Why would I be concerned, other than the fact that the resident of this home rolled her eyes when she said the word, “renters”?

Maybe I was an optimist. Maybe I was in denial. Maybe I loved this house too much to be concerned about renters who would, eventually, go away. I just know that, in the future, I won't be buying a house during the winter, especially when the neighbors are out of town.

To be fair, the renters across the street are quiet, very sweet, and they keep their yard in great shape. I have a gut feeling they don't care for the reputation that their fellow renters are spreading, as I know for a fact that they don't allow their kids to play with the other renter's kids. This is why I know that some renters don't deserve this generalization.

But, this is a warning for those of you who plan to purchase a home during this housing slump, when homes can be had for a bargain. As my father was fond of saying, “You get what you pay for.” If you find a great value, make sure that the value is a result of falling house prices, not because the neighborhood is falling apart, thanks to one resident who is successfully pulling the entire block into a downward spiral.

The next step – is it small claims court? Who knows? I've convinced the neighbor on the other side of this rental family to bill them for her broken fence. Maybe we'll price him and his kin out of the neighborhood. Otherwise, I'll let you know how small claims court works. It will, after all, be a new experience for me.

Until Later,