The next one is pretty straightforward but can have endless variants.
You and your wife, along with your two beautiful children, moved into the neighborhood three years ago. It is a nice neighborhood of middle class families from several, but not all, walks of life. A good number are just like you. The schools are decent and your kids like the one that they attend with the many friends they have made. The neighbors are nice and fairly open but most seem to appreciate some privacy, like you. Crime is low but not non-existent. There are houses of worship for several religions within a reasonable distance. Most of the things a younger family looks for in a neighborhood are here in your community.
You have a house that is quite attractive if a bit on the small side. You keep it up nicely and pay extra attention to how it appears from the street. You and your wife love to get outside with the kids to work on the landscaping- you often seem to be planting or maintaining something and have even been kidded about this by your recent next-door neighbors, the Grants, who just moved away when Bill was transferred with his company. You also like to spend as much time as possible in the backyard playing with the kids. There is a fence, it helps to keep in your small and active dog and it offers a touch of privacy but it is still rather easy to see all of your immediate neighbors’ yards and then some. Sometimes you wish it provided a bit more seclusion and have even done some plantings to help provide that down the road.
The real estate market for this area is good. It is a suburb but still not far from the urban area, most of which you enjoy visiting, most of which is safe but there are some neighborhoods it is best to avoid and they seem to be getting closer to your neighborhood over time. The “For Sale” sign was not up for long in the Grants’ front yard before you notice the realtor beginning to show the house. Fortunately you have taken that week off of work, not to vacation, but to work on your house and yard and are therefore conveniently outside a lot, with your wife and kids, and able to see and meet prospective buyers.
You were not too upset to see the Grants move. Their kids were much older than your own so your relationship was cordial but not close. You often wished they would have spent more time taking care of their house and property as it looked a good bit shabbier than your own and you were worried about the impact on your own property value. Though you hadn’t told any neighbors there is a job you are pursuing downstate and would readily relocate if you landed it so the resale value of your home had become even more important lately.
The first day the realtor brings by a younger Asian couple- they are probably Chinese- who have two younger kids. They seem nice but speak a lot in their native tongue. They are dressed cleanly and ask you a few questions about the neighborhood. They tell you that they are moving from a condo where they lived mainly due to the fact that they liked to have the property maintenance provided- they both work and don’t have a lot of time to spend on much else after work and the kids. The dad, in fact, tells you he really doesn’t like doing much work on or around the house.
The next day a black couple comes by to look at the house. They have three kids, two boys and a girl, all either teens or close to being teens, but the kids are not with them. You find out that they are looking to move from one of the urban areas that you usually try to avoid. There are a few hints provided during conversation that they may not be married and you start to wonder if the man is the biological father of the kids but there is, of course, no way to find out short of bluntly asking. He seems nice enough but the woman comes across with a bit of an attitude. When the realtor mentions that the property could use some outside TLC the couple agrees and both say they look forward to spending a lot of time outside. In the city their kids have a lot of friends and they are looking forward to having more outside area where the kids and their friends can hang out.
Day three is interesting. The realtor brings by a family of Muslims in the morning and a family of Jews in the afternoon. The similarities are amazing. Both have kids the same age as your own. The Muslim mother and the Jewish father both appear dressed in the traditional style of those deeply devoted to their religion and, indeed, make references to their respective holy books during conversation. Their children are quiet and seem to be respectful. Both families seem well-kept and middle class like your own family. You find nothing out about their willingness to spend time improving the appearance of the property to a level you would prefer.
The fourth day finds a white family from Iowa looking at the house. They have several kids ranging in age from below to above that of your own kids and their kids have accompanied the parents on this house hunting trip- they thought they would visit the big city that dad would soon be working in. The kids are nice but rather misbehaved and a bit mouthy and disrespectful at times. The mom seems to be someone who would be a neighborhood busybody given how much she is talking and also how many comments she is making about the folks she has seen in the neighborhood- she even makes a few somewhat forward remarks about your own family who she sees out in the backyard. They are dressed okay but the kids seem a bit rumpled and your wife tells you later on that the teen-aged daughter appeared a bit on the trampy side and likely has a lot of boyfriends. They are not a young couple but do emphasize that they like to have a good time and ask about the neighbors and if most like to party. This would be the fifth house they have lived in and they seem to know a good bit about home maintenance and also about landscaping- they compliment you and your wife on your own house and lot.
On Friday there are two more showings to prospective buyers, once again with amazing similarities. Both are young single mothers with two very young kids. Each brings along a boyfriend but it is unclear if he will be a live-in or not. There is no mention of a biological father or ex-husband. Both are overweight and do not dress to cover up much of anything. Each has at least one visible tattoo and one visible body piercing. Both women talk loudly and appear to be the in-your-face type. Each mentions how many hours she works so it would seem that there will be a lot of times when their kids will be left unsupervised and it sure doesn’t seem like she will have much time for home upkeep. You secretly wonder if these last two showings aren’t due to some new requirement for realtors to have to show properties to a certain number of lower class clients but, of course, you say nothing and do not ask such a question. One woman is black, the other is white.
On Saturday morning you and your wife talk over coffee about the folks who have been shown the old Grant house. You discuss your observations and impressions; do they seem like nice people?; do they have kids who are close in age to your own and will they be friends?; will they be able and willing to put time into improving the appearance of the house and yard?; what sort and how many visitors will they have?; will the older kids have lots of older friends hanging out and what will they be like?’; will there be a lot of parties or backyard barbeques and will it be noisy?; if they do have a lot of visitors will they park in front of your house or encroach on your property?; will what they do, how will they live, and how will their living there impact the resale value of your own home? Many such questions are brought up and discussed.
On Sunday afternoon the realtor stops by to ask a question about the Grants property and, as she’s leaving she turns to ask you “so, what do you think?” This woman is like one of the prospective buyers but not like you. You give her your answer and also what you think are acceptable reasons for thinking the way that you do.
On Sunday evening you are watching a game on TV with your best-friend neighbor Willy. He is just like you. He asks the same question that the realtor asked. You give him your answer and also what you think are acceptable reasons for thinking the way that you do.
What was your response to each of these fine people?