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These Are The People In Your Neighborhood The guy next door, the couple down the block, neighbor kids, dogs, passing cars--they're all, whether you like it or not, part of your homebased business.

By Geoff Williams

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Gladys Kravitz was one. Cosmo Kramer was another. And so was Mr.Bentley. As annoying as those neighbors from Bewitched,Seinfeld and The Jeffersons may have seemed, theywere entertaining, sometimes even lovable.

Charles Downey isn't so lucky. A freelance writer in BigBear City, California, Downey says his neighbor is from hell. Whenhe's in a better mood, Downey refers to him as "theneighborhood kook."

When this neighbor gets bugged by Downey's barking dogs, heroutinely leaves nasty notes on his doorstep. He also routinelyblasts the air with a loud buzzer, sounds an air-horn and aims aspotlight into Downey's office at night.