Shared housing: How to live close to, and remain close with, the neighbors

Melissa Danielson doesn't mind hearing the occasional dog barking on the other side of the wall. She enjoys the chance to bump into neighbors as they come and go. And she laughs when little ones toddle up to the wrong house because they all look alike.

"That's townhouse living," said Danielson, a stay-at-home mom who lives in Piney Orchard, a planned community in Anne Arundel County.

The ease of living in a townhouse or condominium building, which often boast amenities such as swimming pools and need less maintenance than a house with a yard, appeals to many buyers. But sharing a wall or roof with other households might require adjusted expectations if everyone is to live harmoniously.

Such communities come with rules that affect your lifestyle -- whether it's where you can park, the hours during which you can play music or how promptly you should make home repairs -- that can catch new residents unaware.

Legal experts, property owners and real estate agents offered this eight-point plan for living happily in close quarters. And you should embark on the plan well before you move in.

1.Find out about your neighbors.

Real estate agent Nancy Gretz always advises clients considering buying to first look at the neighborhood's Web site or Facebook page to get a sense of the community. Is this a place where residents socialize? Are there lots of small children? Or are most of the messages about parking violations and complaints about landscaping?

"It's good insight," said Gretz, who works out of Long & Foster's Bethesda office.

Part of what Danielson loves about Piney Orchard -- which has a mix of apartments, townhomes and single-family homes with recreation centers, walking trails and shopping areas -- are her neighbors.

"It's easy to make friends," said Danielson, whose three young children have plenty of playmates. Living in 10 nearby houses are 17 children, all second-graders or younger. They frequently have block parties, meet for dinner at the pool and gather at a nearby tot lot.

2.Know the rules.

"You have to do your homework," said Greg Mesack, president of the Arlington Village Condo Association, which governs the community of brick townhouses off Columbia Pike.