You won the bidding wars and you got the house. Congratulations!

Dear Investor,

When we moved into the outskirts of a blossoming frum neighborhood, I was nervous about the fact that there weren’t a lot of frum families around. I was worried I wouldn’t have company and that my children wouldn’t have neighbors to play with. Our broker joked that we’ll be the ones who will welcome all the new families with a tray of homemade cookies.

And he was right.

The people in the neighborhood were getting older and they were all looking to downsize or move somewhere warmer. Houses were going up for sale on a daily basis, and new families were moving in. It was just a matter of time before the neighborhood would become a frum community. Every time a house came up on the market, we’d watch with bated breath to see who our new neighbors will be

The potential was so exciting!

And then you came along….

You outbid all the people who wanted to settle in this up-and-coming neighborhood. You won the bidding wars and you got the house. Congratulations!

But you didn’t move in. You filled up the house with the highest-paying tenants. You may think it’s not that big of a deal, it’s only one house. You’re right. However, the next frum investor also only bought one house. And so did the next one. And the next one. Within a very short period of time, we got a lot (and by a lot I mean A LOT) of frum neighbors, but none of you moved in. The houses are all rented out to local families.

I don’t know if you have a large investment portfolio or if you scratched together every last cent to afford this investment property. I’m happy for you that you’re in a stage in life where you can invest, I truly am!

I just wish you would have picked a neighborhood that wasn’t becoming frum yet.

I hear your argument. No, you aren’t doing anything wrong. Legally and halachically, you’re fine, but I wish you would have considered the people already living in the neighborhood. You didn’t consider us when you invested in the neighborhood, and you didn’t consider us when you chose your tenants. If you had moved in or had not outbid the families that really wanted to live here — making it impossible for the average frum home buyer to buy a residence here — we could have had a thriving community. You took the wings of a fledgling Jewish community that was just starting to soar and you clipped them.

It’s disappointing in a way that you won’t understand until you’re in our position.

My children cry that they want friends to play with and my stomach twists into a million knots. Did we make the wrong decision moving out here? Do we need to move back to the center of the unaffordable and congested cities because you saw our leap of faith as your investment opportunity?

I close my eyes and picture frum yingelach riding their bikes and scooters up and down the block. I envision little girls playing jump rope and writing with chalk on the pavement. But when I open my eyes and I look out the window, my reality is starkly different.

Now I stand with a tray full of homemade cookies but no one to welcome.

Your Frustrated Neighborless Neighbor

(Originally featured in Family First, Issue 928)