Finally out to mow the lawn as I had been letting it grow long to protect the grass seed I had planted after some chemical lawn damage when a single older lady came up and asked about a house for sale in the neighborhood and how the neighborhood was. Saddenly, I told her the truth. With home ownership just on my block at only 9 homes out of 30 with 9 vacant homes and with the remaining rentals only 8 of those are long term renters. These are not good odds in reviving a neighborhood especially when the rental properties are not managed well and properties kept up and the fact that with the 31% owner occupied less than 10% of those are even being cared for and maintained to sustain those properties for the next 10-20 years. Not good odds in reviving or at best sustaining a neighborhood. At once I believed that at least we were maintaining and not sinking further as other neighborhoods in the area are but with only a two year upswing back in 2014-2015, the neighborhood is losing ground again. I fear that I no longer have the patience, faith, and energy to remain in my home especially when one envisions when buying a home that it is their sanctuary, their pride, and safe haven from the ills of the rest of the world. But when those ills start hitting your street and you’ve done your best to fight and hold it back, you realize that perhaps it’s time to move on.