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5 Types of Neighbors and How to Handle Them
You can pick your friends, but not your family -- or your neighbors. Here's what you need to know.
By Geoff Williams, FrontDoor.com | Published: 9/22/2008
Control your envy of neighbors who seem to have it all. Even the most royal of families have their problems.
The Richer Than You Are Neighbor
Who they are: These are the Joneses who you try valiantly to keep up with, but can't. They're always getting a new addition onto their home. They have the perfect blades of grass treated by a team of dedicated lawn professionals. They have the new Maserati parked in the driveway. And, of course, what's so maddening is that they're doing nothing wrong. You can't walk up to their front door and say, "Excuse me, but you're being too rich."
How to handle them: "The best you can do is learn to cope," suggests Long Island novelist Saralee Rosenberg, author of Dear Neighbor, Drop Dead (HarperCollins, July 2008).
Rosenberg, who did a lot of nonfiction research for the tale of a harried mother who often feels inferior to her wealthier neighbor, says it's important to remember that "every family is dysfunctional to some degree, and that just because a lawn is beautifully maintained and a house is immaculate, doesn't mean that trouble isn't brewing. Not that you'd wish that on someone, but if you find yourself envious, it's important to remember that you probably don't know the whole story."