Neighborhood Pride

What is neighborhood pride? Neighborhood pride is what others see, or don't see, when they drive through your neighborhood. For example, I was driving through the main street in Orange this morning. I saw unmowed front lawns, untrimmed weeks along the roadway. I saw a barn in serious need of paint. In other words, I saw a neighborhood without as much neighborhood pride as it could have had.

Why should you care? 1. Home prices are higher in neighborhoods with lots of consistent neighborhood pride 2. Studies prove that crime is lower in neighborhoods without graffitti, broken windows, or other signs of community neglect 3. Visitors feel more comfortable shopping/buying/eating/walking/driving/living in neighborhoods with neighborhood pride.

As a realtor, if I feel unsafe in a neighborhood, I will not take customers to that neighborhood. I will not discriminate or redline or do anything that violates my professional code of ethics. But if I fear for my safely, I will say so to my customer.

So what can you do today to imprive the pride in your neighborhood? Cut your lawn, trim the weeds at the curb, paint your exterior as needed, do that deferred maintenance you've been putting off. That will improve your property. That's a start. Then continue that by asking your neighbor to do the same. Those two things can start a wave of community pride. Beyond that, go help that elderly neighbor do some of the things they are not physically able to do anymore. Often it is the disabled and aged who are the least able to keep up with neighborhood pride obligations.