A few weeks ago a lady stopped in at my open house to specifically get my opinion of setting up a Neighborhood Block Watch program for the subdivision. She had heard that potential home buyers might think the subdivision had an issue with crime if the Block Watch sign was posted at the entrance.
I told her that I didn’t have any info to have an opinion one way or the other. I don’t recall having a buyer notice the signs and comment that they did or didn’t want to buy in a Block Watch community.
- If an area doesn’t have any crime, does the addition of the Group indicate that it does?
- If an area does have some crime, is the sign a way of telling criminals to go elsewhere because the neighborhood is going to be “on guard”?
The subdivision the open house was in … and where this lady lived … does not have any crime. There are a lot of long-time residents who know each other and tend to watch out for each other just because they’re caring people. There are also LOTS of dogs who know full well who belongs and who doesn’t. When a stranger (meter readers, cable people, solicitors, etc.) come around, they sound the alarm. You can almost follow the stranger’s movements by listening to the barking, as dogs down the street pick up the sighting – like doing the ‘wave’ at an OSU game. We may not realize it, but we do become accustomed to a dog’s bark as to whether it’s their ordinary yapping and when it’s a true “I really mean business this time” bark.
I asked her why she wanted the Block Watch program if there was no crime to be concerned about. She said she just thought it might help keep it crime free.
Since I don’t have an opinion, I’d like your opinion to this question: “If a subdivision DOESN’T have crime, is it a plus or minus to potential home buyers to set up a Block Watch group?”
Copyright © 2008. Reproduction of any portion of this blog post or the images is prohibited by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. If this post is being viewed on any site other than www.ReesesPiecesOfRealEstate.com then the material has been stolen without permission. Violators will be reported.
Here’s my opinion, for what it’s worth; I think it shows that people in that community or on that block are willing to work with each other. That is a plus, regardless of crime stats or not.
Carole, have you experienced buyers commenting on this issue? Do they notice the signs or not?
I have never had a client comment on NWA signs. But from my own experience, I agree with Carole – it shows a willingness to work together.
The flip side of that, though, is the sign doesn’t mean there is an active or coordinated watch. Neither of the communities where I’ve owned a home had NWA organization, although they had signs.
I’d say signs are ignored – they don’t mean crime or NWA.
Jeremiah, I didn’t think about the inactivity of the group. So that would be like people sticking a security company’s sign near the entrance even though there is no security system.
We bought a lot in a 50 lot lakeside development for possibly building a retirement home after we retired from the military. We visited relatives in the area whenever we could, but often two years went by between visits. Whenever we parked our vehicle and started walking around our lot, one of the neighbors would come out and write down our vehicle license number. I felt the area would be safer than normal with that kind of surveillance.
Here is a sign that would turn me away: “PRIVATE PROPERTY” Makes me wonder why they put up the sign.
Dan, thanks for stopping by here as well.
Your story reminds me of when my neighbors went away for a couple weeks to handle a family emergency. He scheduled for the police to do a regular check.
I had my last Dobie at that time. Dobies seldom bark unless there’s a good reason – they just watch and analyze the situation. My neighbors became accustomed to this, so Brutus DID bark, lights would go on. Well, Brutus would go crazy whenever the cop came around which then triggered all the other dogs to bark.
Everyone within a block of our homes knew there was a stranger in the midst, even if it was a cop.
Having neighbors that watch out for each other is the best kind of surveillance!