Everyone is fully aware of the current market for selling homes nationally. There are homes sitting empty in almost every community at every price point.

How quickly a house sells in a particular neighborhood or how many empty houses there are can go a long way towards making your community appear desirable in ANY market.

I think one of the most important things we can do is change our attitude at the community level.

I did an open house recently in a very desirable Northville Township location. Golf course, club house, boulevards, and a great opportunity for sign exposure at several main road entrances.

About 30 minutes into the 3 hour open house event, a community ordinance officer showed up at the door with one of my signs in hand. It was illegal to put the sign at the main entrance directing people to visit the open house, should they be so inclined.

I understand the concerns of a community wanting to maintain the flavor of their neighborhood. I understand that too many signs can make a prestigious entrance look junky. BUT having too many empty houses because they can’t be marketed properly also has a negative impact on a community.

As a concerned homeowner, here are some thoughts on what you can do to keep your neighborhood desirable:

1. Create a community web site for communication and use it to advertise that you are a subdivision of proactive homeowners.
2. Tell people there are homes for sale in your neighborhood and that it’s a great place to live.
3. Keep the curb appeal of your house high, it reflects on the entire subdivision.
4. Support your Homeowner Association by being involved in the decisions, care and maintenance of your subdivision.
5. Volunteer and attend community events, thank the people that are volunteering to make YOUR community a more desirable place to live.

When someone purchases a house, they are also purchasing a neighborhood, how the community pulls together to make it a great place to live will reflect on how desirable your subdivision is to potential home buyers.

There are many homes for buyers to choose from. If a buyer sees two similar homes at similar prices in two different communities, where do you think they’ll purchase? They’ll purchase in the subdivision that has more to offer.

Do a great job creating an exceptional neighborhood, let the Realtors promote homes for sale and you’ll have less of an issue with empty houses in your community.