Checking up on the Joneses

Q: I am looking to buy a house, and have focused in on a particular home I really like. We're about to do inspections, and I want to know more about the neighbors. My Realtor didn't give me any information about them, and she sort of made me feel like I was being a snob to be so curious about the people who live nearby. Is this a reasonable thing to investigate? How can I get more information? A: When neighbors are really good or really bad, they can have a huge impact on your daily life and the quality of your experience living in your home. On the other hand, many homeowners find their neighbors to be innocuous. Your Realtor likely does not have any substantive information about the neighbors. Unless they were a truly terrible nuisance, it is unlikely that the sellers provided any information in the disclosure. Also, because neighbor relationships are so highly personal and impossible to quantify, a smart Realtor encourages his or her client to investigate and evaluate th...