Author: David Dumont (12/08/2023)
What is a stop sign home? It’s another detail of buying a home that you should consider when making such a large decision.
This is one more point where Real Estate Agents need to advise our buyers. If you’re working with one of the Best Agents in Broken Arrow, I hope this is something they talk with you about. Stop sign homes are abundant, obviously, but you should know what you’re getting into before you purchase one. An experienced Agent should talk with you about the pros and cons. It’s a factor that buyers might use when considering 2 very similar homes.
When shopping for a home, it’s typical for buyers to drive around neighborhoods they like. If you find yourself doing this, you also find yourself stopping at stop signs as you drive through communities. Every time you stop, you have to accelerate again. This is where the rub comes in. If your vehicle is quiet, nobody knows you were there. If you’re driving a large truck, moving truck, motorcycle, a project car with intentionally loud muffler noise because it’s just so much cooler than quiet cars, or any other loud vehicle, everyone nearby knows you passed thru. Not a big deal if noises don’t bother you. Stop sign homes are a big deal when the homeowner works nights or an off shift, and they’re trying to sleep during the time that everyone else comes home from work. It’s a big deal if you have a baby that just can’t sleep well, and the stop sign in front of your home is where the school bus stops to pick up and drop off the neighborhood kids. Stop sign homes are not terrible as long as you know what it means to live in one, and it doesn’t bother you. Having 9 elementary age children stand in front of your home at 7:00 AM waiting for the bus might be a blessing for you when one of those children is yours!
Living in a corner home is similar to stop sign homes when it comes to an added security risk. When driving around a corner, the driver naturally has to slow down. If that driver is a thief, it gives them an excuse to slow down and view your lot, look into your garage, scope for cameras, and pay attention to your vehicles. Stop sign homes are similarly susceptible to being scoped out by would-be crooks. You combat this by being the homeowner that DOES have security cameras and motion activated lighting. Be proactive and never leave your garage door open, even when you’re out front cutting the grass. Park your cars in the garage so others don’t know if you’re home or not. DO NOT have large shrubs around your home, giving thieves a dark place to lurk. When you leave town, have light timers set up. Don’t have your privacy fence installed with the posts and rails facing outward, because this gives the bad guy (or girl), a quick and easy ladder into your backyard to peek into your windows.
To summarize, a stop sign home is all about perspective and personal tastes.
Major factors involved with stop sign homes:
- Stop and go traffic noise
- Possible school bus drop off/pick up, so potentially children present every morning and afternoon
- Having to wait for vehicles to pull away from the sign before you can leave your own driveway
- Security