The Good Neighbor Mindset
It’s time to buy a house. Maybe you need command central for a busy season of work and business development. Or perhaps it’s time to feather the nest for your family to put down roots. Whatever the case, one factor will matter for years to come; you hope your new neighborhood will not just be filled with owners, renters, or “people.”
What you need are Good Neighbors.
Man, when’s the last time you felt plugged into your community where you get friendly waves and helpful contact when you’re traveling or have a weird question? Will the teenager across the street check on your dog if you get caught at work, or your next door neighbor send you a status update if there’s rough weather while you’re out of town?
Maybe even more important, who is up for a barbecue on the holiday or popping a bottle of bubbly to celebrate that win at work, birth of a baby, or college acceptance letter?
Who is there for a buddy brunch or morning coffee walk club?
As a REALTOR® I spend a lot of time helping people pick and win their new slice of heaven. But I know when my work is done, their work has just begun. Unpacking boxes, hanging pictures, and getting to know their new neighbors is a necessary endeavor.
It’s all about becoming and connecting with other Good Neighbors. Now today, September 28th is National Good Neighbor Day here in the US. There’s even a website — NationalGoodNeighborDay.com. On it they share something that caught my eye: The Good Neighbor Mindset.
Maybe it just sounds like common sense, but I think there’s something to it. If you “take the Good Neighbor Pledge” it’s a way to really move into your new community, to tell yourself “it’s time to plug in.”
Between crises like COVID and the everyday pressures of juggling career and personal life, we can become ships passing in the night with our communities and families. Maybe it’s time to make room for neighboring again.
After all, there’s only so much community that social media can give us. We need positive human contact, and longer threads of connection and care with one another to thrive.