Know Thy Neighbor

Meet your neighbors

As a real estate agent, it still amazes me for as much time as we spend in our homes, and what sacred places houses are to families, many of us still don't interact with our neighbors. I'm guilty of it too. I often have opportunities to reach out and there's always an excuse to keep to myself: I'm too tired, I'm in a hurry, they've never reached out to me, etc. The truth is, like any relationship, it takes work.
For those of you who are close with those around you on your street or town know about the many benefits this relationship brings:

Security and Safety
You build a team to watch your house, cars, and property. They learn your schedule and know the things that are typical for you and your family so that when something looks suspicious they can notify the proper authorities.

It Takes a Village to Raise a Child
Have you ever heard this common proverb? It's true and becomes more important as parents are working longer hours with their kids managing at home alone. I remember growing up how important our neighbors were in our lives, from being a last-minute babysitter to trusting them with an extra key to our house when we were locked out.

Share and Save

Let's face it - we really don't all need our own disco balls, underwater cameras, snow blowers, ladders, etc. Many homeowners are paying to store their "extra stuff" with monthly storage unit costs. So why are we not sharing and saving with our neighbors? There are even websites like Peerby.com to coordinate your sharing efforts. In fact, some are even willing to share their cars, bicycles, and boats but sometimes you don't need anything more than a simple cup of sugar.

So what can you do starting today? Well, some of us just need to get out of our shells and get the courage to talk to the neighbor, take them cookies, or help shovel their walk without being asked. There are also great websites to help you connect with your neighbors (like NextDoor) which also provide ways to chat, share information and announce events around you.

Take the courage today to reach out and start forming relationships with your neighbors!


Toby Lorenc is a license real estate agent with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Rocky Mountain Realtors http://www.peakdream.com/ 
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Rocky Mountain Realtors, Colorado License # 100007753