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4 Ways to Spot Bad Neighbors Before You’re Stuck Living Next to Them

Before you buy a house, check out the neighbors. These four tips can help you spot potential problems beyond the property line.

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Open houses are supposed to make the house feel easy to love. You’re looking at the kitchen and mentally placing your furniture while the less charming stuff stays conveniently out of the conversation. No one’s mentioning the guy next door with the drum kit or the couple across the street who likes to fight in the driveway.

That matters way more than people think. A survey from Anytime Estimate found that 82% of Americans consider good neighbors just as important as price or location, and 19% said they’d pay at least $10,000 over asking to avoid bad ones. Another 45% said they’d move if they couldn’t stand the people living nearby.

Unfortunately, you don’t get a neighbor inspection before closing. LendingTree found that 73% of Americans dislike at least one neighbor, and nearly a quarter have called the police on one. A little snooping before you sign 30 years of........

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