Sure, we're as eager as the next website to regale you with stories about zombies and ghost hunters on Halloween. But you know what's really scary in real estate? The foreclosed house next door that drags down your property value -- or, worse, tries to blow it up.So this Halloween, as you're unwinding toilet paper from the trees in the yard and cleaning egg yolk off the front steps, be glad you don't live next door to these scary neighbors from hell:
1. The Neighbor Who Advertises His Bad Behavior
One resident in Brighton, Colo. is doing his darndest to sabotage his neighbors' efforts to sell their house. His method? In bright red letters on the side of his RV, spray-paint a list of what potential buyers have to look forward to when they move in next door: "WARNING / 3 Rottweilers / Loud Parties / Loud Music / Loud Cars / Anti-Horse / Fireworks / Call for more info." So far the strategy has worked. "We have no legal recourse," the home's Realtor told AOL Real Estate.
2. The Neighbor Who Watches You Through Secret Cameras In Your Bathroom
This past July, two Bulgarian models living in Hillsborough, Fla., found hidden cameras in fake motion sensors and smoke alarms installed in their apartment. The roommates, who worked at a Wing House restaurant (those are some "Wing House girls" pictured above) found the Wi-Fi-connected cameras inside a locked closet.
3. The Neighbor Who Booby-Traps His Foreclosed Home
Since foreclosed homes are a drag on property values, the foreclosed homeowner has never been a particularly desirable neighbor. But a foreclosed homeowner who rigs propane tanks in a seeming attempt to blow up his evictors? That's a neighbor from hell.
4. The Neighbor Who Erects Giant Middle-Finger Sculpture
Perhaps taking a cue from the Colorado resident mentioned above, one disgruntled Australian decided to erect a sculpture of a one-finger salute following a series of disputes with his neighbors.
5. The Famous Neighbor Who Lets His House Go to Seed
Any neighbor who lets paint peel and debris litter their lawn isn't a choice one. But when a neglectful homeowner turns out to be a respected congressman, that just kind of makes things worse. Local media reported the sorry state of Democratic Rep. John Conyers' Detroit home in June. Conyers' has since dropped some cash to clean up the place. But if he wants to appease neighbors living next to his other Detroit residence, he'll have to spend more: Neighbors say the other house is in a similarly sorry state.
Also see:
A Real Horror House for Sale
Foreclosure Law Firm Mocks the Homeless for Halloween
AOL Real Estate's Totally Unscientific Trick-or-Treat Guide
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