What the Economy Has Taught Me... And Maybe You.

As a kid, I always hated having nosy neighbors.  They always seemed to know what I was doing and if I did something wrong, the story always got back to my mom before I was within a block of my home.  Over the years, I've learned these weren't "nosy neighbors" but rather people watching out for each other.  As an adult with children of my own, I've come to miss that sense of community.
In most neighborhoods, it's rare to see kids playing in the front yards or neighbors checking on their elderly neighbors.  We tend to drive into our garages, close the garage door and never walk back outside or, if we do, we'll head for the fenced backyard.  It is great to have some privacy but can you name your neighbor two doors down?  What about the neighbor right beside you or across the street from you?  Gone are the days of welcoming your new neighbors with fresh baked pies and waving as you see a neighbor drive by, or so I thought.
Typically, the first calls that a REALTOR receives about a new listings are from the neighbors.  They always want to know how much the home is listed for.  Recently, I've started getting calls asking why they're selling.  I just chalked it up to nosy neighbors but a few weeks ago I realized these aren't necessarily nosy neighbors.  While at a new listing taking photos I was approached by one such neighbor.  This very nice gentleman inquired about the home then offered to mow the lawn for the owners.  I explained that the owner was still living in the house and was maintaining the lawn.  This kind gentleman had heard that the owners were divorcing and knew that the husband, who was still living in the home, was working lots of hours so he just wanted to offer his help since he was retired and had the time.  Then a couple weeks later, I received a call from another neighbor who hadn't seen the owner for a couple of days and knew that he had large dogs which were out in the Florida heat.  She wanted to make sure the owner was ok and to see if he needed any help with the dogs.  These were just concerned neighbors watching out for each other.
With the sluggish economy and people losing their jobs and homes, there seems to be a rebirth of that sense of community.  Neighbors are once again checking on each other so see if they can lend a hand.  So, maybe there is some good to come out of the current economy.  Maybe we'll realize we actually do need each other and that a neighbor asking how thing are going isn't just a nosy neighbor.