Standing on the curb with my client and his real estate agent, we were all discussing the house he was interested in buying. Out of nowhere, a woman came dashing across the street and she obviously knew we had just viewed the property we were standing in front of. She then blurted out, “Just want you to know that anyone who lives there WILL get harassed and sued by the neighbor next door.” She then ran back into her house. For whatever reason, she was compelled to tell us and at that point my client said, “Let’s get out of here; I already have enough legal problems.”
If you have bought or sold property you will be familiar with disclosure laws or “surprises” that can be realized after purchase. Even I once lived on a street where a crazy elderly lady regularly threatened and sued the neighbors on either side of her house. This unassuming grandmother also slashed tires and poisoned neighborhood pets. The rap sheet on her got so thick that anyone living next door who put their house up for sale (often), actually had to disclose to prospective buyers that this person would likely cause them trouble. The disturbed woman eventually had to do community service and I think she was also court ordered to get mental health services.
But what about problems not disclosed? One of my clients only realized after she bought her condo that the main security gate for the underground parking garage was right under her unit, opening and closing a hundred times a day. Another client found out from fellow tenants, after signing a lease that a freight train rumbles by the building between 3 and 6 a.m. every morning.
In a Feng Shui analysis, we are not psychics, so if there is an objectionable noise or smell or something else offensive happening on a regular basis, we won’t necessarily be aware of it, if it doesn’t happen while we’re doing an assessment. Checking out the exterior environment thoroughly before you buy or lease is critical because there can be circumstances you might not be able to change at all. Living near an airport? A fire station? An auto-mechanic shop? Try your best to make sure you won’t be bombarded by obnoxious sounds, smells, or views.
Other things happen beyond our control after moving in. More than once I’ve had a client consider moving when a neighbor added on a second story that either blocked a great view or even cast a chronic shadow on their house, making it too dark in a room frequently used.
These disappointments are not necessarily omens for more troubles to come; they are just annoying on a mundane level and it can certainly be viewed as a Feng Shui problem if chronic or severe. In a classical Feng Shui analysis, we can tell if an occupant may encounter legal problems, although hardly can we be so specific to predict that the legal problems would come from a neighbor.
Usually a home inspection will reveal a number of flaws that can translate into Feng Shui problems if they are not attended to, such as asbestos, plumbing, electrical or roof problems. Whenever there is something in ill-repair, there can be a correlation on a metaphysical level. For example, if the foundation is cracked in the northwest sector of the house, this could indicate problems for the father in the house or also create head or lung problems for any of the family members. If there is a serious plumbing problem, it could affect the occupants’ digestion or urinary tract. When someone is just renting, they may not be given the same rights as a buyer to find out about flaws in or around the home.
One of the more serious disclosures, recognized by the real estate industry, is telling a prospective buyer when there has been a violent death on the premises. This disclosure must be relayed if it happened within three years of selling the property. I happen to have a neighbor who may or may not know that a man killed his wife in her house because it happened about 5 years before she bought and the disclosure clause had expired. Lingering “yin” energies and even hauntings can result from violent deaths on a property.
Some Feng Shui practitioners provide house hunting services, specifically so people can avoid certain situations where they may be no satisfactory solution to the problem. Some circumstances just need to be avoided. One of my ebooks, Feng Shui Tips for House Hunters, could be helpful to you if you are trying to weed out certain properties right away.
Author: Kartar Diamond
Company: Feng Shui Solutions (R)
From the Architecture & Design Series
