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Love 'em or hate 'em, neighbors are a part of life in New Jersey. Unless you're going to live in a predominately rural area like Hunterdon County, you're bound to encounter your neighbors on an almost daily basis in the Garden State, especially in congested communities like Middlesex and Union counties.

Now, if you're neighbors are as cool as ice cream on a hot, summer day you'll probably relish a quick sidewalk talk when taking trash to the curb, but if they're not, you'll probably find yourself making a beeline for the privacy of your home.

Neighborhoods come in all shapes and sizes, and the personalities of neighbors can either jive with yours or not. If you've experienced a difficult neighbor, we sympathize with you. Your home and your neighborhood should be your sanctuary, and the last thing anyone needs is to feel anxious about coming home at night after a long day in the office.

Whether you're dealing with a busybody or a neighbor that holds band practice in his garage at 1 a.m., there are plenty of people that have trouble with their neighbors. A 2016 National Neighborhood Study by Homes.com surveyed 2,000 Americans to find the type of neighborhood issues people are experiencing.

The survey reveals there are plenty of neighbors at war with each other. In fact, 36 percent of those surveyed indicate that they had issues with their neighbor that developed into full-blown arguments. For some, 1 in 4, the problems are so bad that they report having a long-running feud with their neighbor.

So what are the issues that get people fired up the most? According to the survey, these are the top five things that cause neighbors to argue:

  • Noise
  • Parking
  • General noise
  • Trash/mess
  • Animal noise

Clearly, noise is a big factor in whether you're going to have war or peace in your neighborhood. Our advice ... keep it down!

Do you know your neighbors' names? A Trulia survey of over 3,000 American adults finds that only 53 percent of those polled know the names of their neighbors. Maybe we should all start wearing nametags! The Trulia survey also finds that 74 percent of homeowners and 58 percent of renters like their neighbors.

And while there are plenty of people that do experience issues with their neighbors, the problems aren't so bad that they're thinking of picking up and leaving. The Trulia survey finds that only 5 percent of people are thinking about leaving their current home due to a conflict with a neighbor.

In this episode of Forever 39, we turn the segment over to all things neighbors. Click on the podcast player above to find out what type of neighbors we have and whether our relationship with them is similar to the one you have with your neighbors.

Also from this week's Forever 39 podcast — Distracted driving behaviors increase. PLUS: What annoys you about your co-workers? Click on the podcast player above to hear the entire episode. Share your thoughts on all of them below, on Twitter, on Facebook or at forever39@nj1015.com.

— Annette and Megan, Forever 39

Join us for next week's podcast when we discuss getting fit in your 40s, Airbnbs vs.hotels, and hating on your friend's significant other.

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