Bad kid in neighborhood -- deal breaker? (Boulder Creek: crime, how much)

[digitosis]

Hi Guys,

My wife and I have been looking for sometime now and have (I hope) finally found a great house in the boulder creek area that has most of the things we're looking for. The general area seems quiet and well kept. My wife's brother actually moved into the neighborhood a little while ago too.

My concern is that we've heard from some of the surrounding neighbors that there's one troubled teenager in the area who is prone to acts of burglary, drug use, etc. I'm wondering if this is a deal breaker...

Here's what we know:
- The local sheriff is aware of the teen and have made a couple appearances at his house over the past few years.
- According to the neighbors the acts of theft are relatively rare however my brother-in-law noticed that one of his power tools was missing from the garage and a motion light was disabled recently.
- The boy and his single father live about 0.14 miles away from our prospective house (Roughly 5 - 7 houses away on a different street).
- The father knows his kid has problems and is trying to deal with it -- he's also warned neighbors not to accept/hire services from his son.

Normally, I wouldn't consider a house purchase with something like this present in the area but I can tend to overreact sometimes...

Here's my alternate thoughts:

- If we look for another house, there's no guarantee that there won't be other (more serious) problems in other neighborhoods. Or that bad people won't move into the neighborhood AFTER we buy a house.

- The prospective house we're considering is next to a bus stop and mountain highway. So the front and side of the house would be visible to infrequent passer-bys.

- With the exception of this one kid, the rest of the neighborhood seems fine. Local crime maps don't show much trouble.

- We have a mid/large Dog who is protective and warns us of noises.

- When the kid gets older, he might end up leaving home and then the problem would be completely gone.

- My wife isn't too concerned about this. She thinks it would be good to start a neighborhood watch program if necessary but doesn't think something like this should necessarily dissuade us from considering the purchase.

I guess I'm kinda stuck... I'm not sure what would be an appropriate course of action if we moved here... Start a neighborhood watch? Buy a security system? Should I just not even consider the house and try to find an area with absolutely no crime? Is that even possible?

It's hard to explain -- I just want to feel 110% safe while going off to work if my wife is home... Why can't Mayberry be real?

-N

[thecgmguy]

Hi Digitosis,

My wife and I are also considering the Boulder Creek area. Have you thought about asking the local sheriff about their thoughts? I know that may sound a bit drastic but they might be able to provide more advice.

I tend to think that no matter where you go there will be some kinds of issues. But it really is more of a personal decision and you need to weigh all the options.

[Lost Leaf]

Originally Posted by digitosis

Hi Guys,

My wife and I have been looking for sometime now and have (I hope) finally found a great house in the boulder creek area that has most of the things we're looking for. The general area seems quiet and well kept. My wife's brother actually moved into the neighborhood a little while ago too.

My concern is that we've heard from some of the surrounding neighbors that there's one troubled teenager in the area who is prone to acts of burglary, drug use, etc. I'm wondering if this is a deal breaker...

Here's what we know:
- The local sheriff is aware of the teen and have made a couple appearances at his house over the past few years.
- According to the neighbors the acts of theft are relatively rare however my brother-in-law noticed that one of his power tools was missing from the garage and a motion light was disabled recently.
- The boy and his single father live about 0.14 miles away from our prospective house (Roughly 5 - 7 houses away on a different street).
- The father knows his kid has problems and is trying to deal with it -- he's also warned neighbors not to accept/hire services from his son.

Normally, I wouldn't consider a house purchase with something like this present in the area but I can tend to overreact sometimes...

Here's my alternate thoughts:

- If we look for another house, there's no guarantee that there won't be other (more serious) problems in other neighborhoods. Or that bad people won't move into the neighborhood AFTER we buy a house.

- The prospective house we're considering is next to a bus stop and mountain highway. So the front and side of the house would be visible to infrequent passer-bys.

- With the exception of this one kid, the rest of the neighborhood seems fine. Local crime maps don't show much trouble.

- We have a mid/large Dog who is protective and warns us of noises.

- When the kid gets older, he might end up leaving home and then the problem would be completely gone.

- My wife isn't too concerned about this. She thinks it would be good to start a neighborhood watch program if necessary but doesn't think something like this should necessarily dissuade us from considering the purchase.

I guess I'm kinda stuck... I'm not sure what would be an appropriate course of action if we moved here... Start a neighborhood watch? Buy a security system? Should I just not even consider the house and try to find an area with absolutely no crime? Is that even possible?

It's hard to explain -- I just want to feel 110% safe while going off to work if my wife is home... Why can't Mayberry be real?

-N

I responded to your post on your other thread, I was just curios what street or area in BC are u looking. On a side note, that kid will eventually move out or be arrested. It's not likely he will continue to hit the same homes over and over esp if you have a dog.

[ferretkona]

Originally Posted by Lost Leaf

I responded to your post on your other thread,

The poster has only one post???

[Ceece]

Definitely not a deal breaker. I wouldn't even worry about it. If he is a teen he will most likely be gone in a few years anyway. And you are right, you really never know what "secret horrors" lie within the "perfect neighborhood". At least you KNOW about this kid.

[bigdumbgod]

If all you have to worry is one brat in the neighborhood, you've got it pretty good.

Tell him he won the Nigerian Lottery and he has to claim it in person.

[SloRoller]

Digit...I understand your concern about your family's safety. If this kid is the only thing standing between you and the home your family wants, sc#$w this kid. Don't let him stand on the way of what you want for your family.

From what you described this kid is no more than a petty thief and drug user. And he's the only one around??? The good news is that his dad is already on board with not trusting him, instead of trying to defend and cover up for him. The neighbors and local law enforcement are already on to him, too. This is almost a non-problem.

You already have a dog to alert you of any approaching strangers, so you're halfway home. Go ahead and install a good security system if that gives you peace of mind when you're away from home. Heck, you could even install closed circuit TV surveillance for your property if city ordinances allow for that. Just follow common sense security and safety measures...lock the car, the house, garage, etc. Use the security system once you get it installed.

Or you can do what I did...dig a moat around the house, throw in a few alligators, and have a guard gorilla wearing a bow tie (for a touch of class) posted in the driveway reading a Wall Street Journal (lol).

[coyoteskye]

The fact that his father is aware of the issue with his son and is dealing with it in a responsible manner seems like a positive.
There is danger and crime anywhere and everywhere.
If you like the house, i wouldn't let this be a deal breaker.
He's a teen with a father who has warned the neighbors about him.
This seems like a minor issue relative to what many people have to deal with.
Also, if you're going to live in Boulder Creek, it might be a good idea to get used to some differences and not expect everyone to be cozy and comforting.
Boulder Creek is not Mayberry.

[jbunniii]

Originally Posted by digitosis

Normally, I wouldn't consider a house purchase with something like this present in the area but I can tend to overreact sometimes...

I imagine that "something like this" is present in pretty much every neighborhood in the U.S., if not the world. And even if there isn't when you move in, you have no idea who will move into the neighborhood after you buy. At least in this case the neighbors gave you the courtesy of a "head's up."

I wouldn't worry about it myself. Keep your doors locked, which is common sense in every ZIP code in California and probably everywhere else as well. If anything goes missing, at least you have a suspect.