The Bad Neighbor (Washington, Hope: for sale, loans, house)

[Maineah]

Here we go again. The house across the street is up for sale again. The place looks great. They must have dumped $10,000 on landscaping and polishing up the area getting it ready for showing. It is a colonial with 4 bedrooms I think. The asking price is $600,000. (this is not an ad so please 7th and CG don't delete). My wife's family has been here over 80 years. My FIL owns all of the land around this area, some 125 acres right up to the neighbor's lot (which is 4 acres I believe). We have been in this house 22 years now. Behind my house is an area where family and friends have traditionally sighted in rifles and used for target practice with pistols. We don't do it often but we don't ask anyone before we do it either. It's our land. There's no law against it and although I feel like I shouldn't be disturbing the neighbors with gunfire I do not plan to stop the traditional use of the range.
I know that if I had an aversion to guns I would not want to pay over a half million dollars for a house and be frightened out of my hammock by the Hatfields and Mc Coy's across the street sighting in guns and shooting pistols. The last people who owned the property called the police every time they heard a shot over here. The police stopped coming to talk with them after the first 20 times. They were from Washington DC and had no idea that guns and shooting were common in Maine.
Every new neighbor who has moved in across the street from here has called the police when we started to sight in rifles in the late summer and early fall. I really don't blame them for their concern but like I said we've been here a long time and plan to be here a lot longer. The police always say the same thing to them ....there's no law against it, and there isn't anything they can do about it. Until this area is re-zoned as a gunfire free zone (which isn't likely) we intend to keep using the area as we please.
My problem is now that the neighbors are in full sell mode and the house is showing daily I feel like a bad neighbor. On the one hand I don't want to disuade potential buyers from purchasing the house but on the other hand I don't want the shooting to be a total surprise to new neighbors. I have put the targets back up so they are visible from the street. Hopefully potential buyers will see them and ask questions as they look at the property. If not they will be in for a surprise come late August and September.

[corgis]

You shouldn't feel bad - the realtor should be disclosing it to potential buyers and if they don't, it's not your fault. Maybe this time you'll get a buyer that would like to join you in target shooting.

[elston]

Maineah, I don't like guns and would find the gun fire disturbing; BUT...I think you are doing everything you can do to be open and up front. Hopefully the targets will be noticed and perspective buyers will make inquirey and the seller will be forthright that the immediate neighbors have a firing range which they use and the times of the year it is most apt to be used. I think you are being more than reasonable about it.

Hopefully you will get a new neighbor who is a gun enthusiast as well.....that would solve the potential conflict. Shouldn't the existance of the firing range be part of their disclosure?

[dmyankee]

On the bright side...

I know many cats who can afford that house, with gun collections that would put ours to shame.

[Maineah]

That's true, maybe I'll get lucky and the new neighbor will be a shooter. This house has changed hands more than most. This will be the fifth or sixth time it has sold since we have been here. About four owners ago the man who lived there, while not the friendliest guy in the world, did shoot behind the house now and then so we were pretty sure the shots didn't bother him too much. He did call the cops like everyone else when he first moved in but when he started shooting his pistol on Sunday afternoons I figured everything was cool. He only lived there a year though.
When the recent neighbors had a baby I decided not to shoot out here and for the last two years I made sure they were gone for the weekend before we sighted in the rifles or we went to a local sand pit. The sand pit owner has since closed the pit to shooting. If I owned a pit I'd shoot there. I like reloading and in order to do it well I really need a place I can shoot a lot and not worry about making anyone mad. I'm hoping to buy a piece of land with a wood lot and a sand pit on it sometime in the future. As soon as the kids are out of school(4 years). Then I'll stop shooting around here.

[RANGER.101ST]

been there done that.
we had some people from ny move in just up the road about 1/4 mile
every thing was fine till hunting season from the firsh gun shot they freeked
they to called the police.it took a cpl years for them to get use to it but they
did. they have been there for 5 years now. last year i invited them down to fire off a few rounds . they had a blast he stoped by this spring to see if i would take my dozer up to his house he wants to put in his owe rifle range.

[WhoFanMe]

Originally Posted by corgis

You shouldn't feel bad - the realtor should be disclosing it to potential buyers and if they don't, it's not your fault. Maybe this time you'll get a buyer that would like to join you in target shooting.

I'm teaching part of the 10 hour HoMEworks course that buyers who wish to receive Maine State Housing and other loans with grant money are required to take and we covered this last week. The fact that there might be shooting across the steet is a material fact and can only be disclosed to a buyer (client) who has signed an Exclusive Buyer Representation Agreement. If an unrepresented buyer (customer) asks an agent if there is shooting across the street, the agent has to let the customer decide for him/herself.

[L-88]

Everything will probably be cool as long as you don't complain about the guy who buys the house breeding his beagles that howl at all hours of the day.

[elston]

Originally Posted by Maineah

That's true, maybe I'll get lucky and the new neighbor will be a shooter. This house has changed hands more than most. This will be the fifth or sixth time it has sold since we have been here. About four owners ago the man who lived there, while not the friendliest guy in the world, did shoot behind the house now and then so we were pretty sure the shots didn't bother him too much. He did call the cops like everyone else when he first moved in but when he started shooting his pistol on Sunday afternoons I figured everything was cool. He only lived there a year though.
When the recent neighbors had a baby I decided not to shoot out here and for the last two years I made sure they were gone for the weekend before we sighted in the rifles or we went to a local sand pit. The sand pit owner has since closed the pit to shooting. If I owned a pit I'd shoot there. I like reloading and in order to do it well I really need a place I can shoot a lot and not worry about making anyone mad. I'm hoping to buy a piece of land with a wood lot and a sand pit on it sometime in the future. As soon as the kids are out of school(4 years). Then I'll stop shooting around here.

LOL on me! What have I been hearing all afternoon today???? Someone shooting not far from here I wouldnt guess from the sound of it to my absolutely untrained ear. Not So Bad! But I did think of your thread and my initial response and thought the fates do play tricks on us mortals. lol

[BacktoNE]

While I would not knowingly purchase a house where shooting regularly takes place, it is certainly your right to do so. I think the fact that you put the targets out in plain sight is really about all you can do. I don't think realtors are allowed to include your legal hobbies in the disclosure of an adjoining property...anyone know for certain?