The housing market in our community is on the upswing, the cost of houses has risen dramatically since we bought our house 12 years ago.  Similar to the rest of the nation, the equity in the houses of our town have gone way up. 

Part of the reason for that is a healthy local economy.  Another part is due to the fact that we live in a community that is neat and well taken care of for the most part.  The increase in the value of our homes is important to us, the area surrounding our house impacts the value just as it does in any other community.

We have the bad luck to have a real dump, vacant house, to the north of us.  The house has been "remodeled" in a manner that is a disgrace to the whole community and most certainly our house.  Then, next door to the west is a house that has a lovely family in it that comes from Latin America.  They are nice, they are polite and so it's a delight to have them…..except…..they are apparently used to the no zoning regulations that they lived with in whatever country they immigrated from so they have put this horrid sign in their front yard about transporting something.  It's just flat ugly!

I normally would let it go, but it is just too awful to ignore.  I am calling the city and requesting that they do something about both houses.  Get the sign out of the yard and get the dump next door torn down, the place has animals running in and out, the back walls are falling off and it is an eye sore. 

Since we no longer own a business in the town I don't care if I stir up some heat, it's our house that is being impacted and it has to be fixed.