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A homeowner recently turned to Reddit after a neighbor made an uncomfortable request: remove the garden flag until the house next door is sold.
According to the Post, the seller rang the homeowner’s doorbell and told the prospective buyer he was uncomfortable with the flag because of his religious beliefs. The request, they said, would only be temporary, until the sale closes.
At first, the landlord thought. “I’m fine with helping out and being a neighbor,” they wrote. “But I can’t help but feel a certain way about it.”
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The flag was not political or profane. It was religious, not mainstream. When commenters pressed for details, the homeowner clarified that the flag said, “This house is protected by witchcraft,” featuring a pentagram. “I’m a pagan. I was raised a pagan. This is my faith.”
Many argued that removing the flag would create temporary confusion for the seller while setting up the homeowner for a long-term conflict. As one highly upvoted answer wrote, “As a buyer, I want this to last. That way I can determine if I want to buy another house.”
Others echoed the same idea: Visual cues, whether flags, decorations, or yard treatments, help buyers decide whether a neighborhood is a good fit. One commenter said, “If you take your flag down, you might get unwanted neighbors.”
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Many buyers shared personal stories of walking away from homes after seeing Confederate flags, extreme political banners, or aggressive signs nearby. “I didn’t even get out of the car,” wrote one. Another added, “There’s nothing worse than having neighbors you don’t really care about.”
A recurring theme was fairness. Commenters pointed out that the seller would benefit from the request, while the homeowner would be left to deal with the consequences. “It’s just confusion for the buyer,” said one reply. “And a long-term issue for [original poster].”
That reality is also the reason why some people are choosing a different way to gain exposure to real estate. Platforms like Arrived allow individuals to invest as little as $100 in a rental home share, providing potential rental income and long-term appreciation without worrying about who lives next door or whether the neighbor’s flag will be a problem.
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Real estate agents also stepped in. One broker wrote, “This is something I never think about. “It could potentially get the agent into a ton of trouble. It should be.” Another commenter questioned whether there was even an actual buyer involved, suggesting that the request may have come from an agent trying to clean around.
Religious double standards also arose again and again. “If it had been ‘bless this mess’ or some Christian iconography she wouldn’t have asked you to take it down,” one commenter noted.
Eventually, the homeowner decided to leave the flag up. In an edit, they explained why: “I’m concerned about who moves in next door and don’t want to deal with neighbors who are afraid of my family’s safety.”
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Building a flexible portfolio means thinking beyond single assets or market trends. Economic cycles change, sectors rise and fall, and no investment performs well in every environment. That’s why many investors seek to diversify into platforms that offer access to real estate, fixed income opportunities, professional financial guidance, precious metals, and self-directed retirement accounts. By spreading exposure across multiple asset classes, it is easier to manage risk, achieve stable returns, and create long-term wealth that is not tied to the fortunes of just one company or industry.
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Image: Shutterstock
This article asked the seller to take down their garden flag until the house was sold because the buyer didn’t like it. The flag is rather unusual though as it originally appeared on Benzinga.com
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