Turns out the Five Man Electrical Band was wrong when they sang “Sign, sign, everywhere a sign” -- signs aren't everywhere. Not "For Sale" signs, at least.

Some years back, Baltimore broker Margaret Rome picked up a listing for a vacant house that had been on the market for more than a year. “It was a high-traffic street adjacent to a church,” she recalled on the ActiveRain real estate site. But there was no sign out front because the seller didn’t want one.

The previous agent had been OK with that, but not Rome. “When I took the listing, they only had a choice of where to place the sign,” she said.

Within minutes of the sign going up, calls started coming in about the property. Some inquired about renting it, and others couldn’t afford the asking price.

“But then there was a call from the head of the adjoining church,” Rome said. “They had been praying about purchasing the property but did not know how to contact the owner.”

Within days, the church and Rome’s client had a contract.

The moral: “That property needed the sign.”

Some sellers have a good reason for not wanting one. But for most people, "For Sale" signs are a 24-hour marketing tool that shouldn’t be ignored.

According to the latest buyer-seller profile from the National Association of Realtors, a whopping 35% of last year’s buyers used yard signs to find their homes. And while nearly 75% of buyers now start their house hunts online, a third of all buyers still say they find yard signs useful. After finding a home they like online, 5% drive through the neighborhood -- perhaps looking for other nearby places with signs out front.

That’s why Michael Jacobs, a Pasadena, California, agent, calls signs the “silent salesperson.”

Sacramento agent Myrl Jeffcoat of GreatWest Realty wouldn’t have purchased her own place had it not been for the sign in the front yard.

“I wasn’t really in the market. However, I happened to drive by this house ... and fell in love with it,” Jeffcoat said. “Had there been no sign, I wouldn’t have even known it was on the market.”

There are situations when a sign is unnecessary. You may not want your neighbors to know you're selling, for example. Or you may not want a bunch of what retired Washington agent Carol Williams called “curious looky-Lous” traipsing through your house at all hours.

Not every place warrants a sign, either. Rome, the Maryland agent, once took on a house that had been listed for four years with four different agents, signs out front all the while. Her suggestion: Trash the sign and try something different, such as an invitation-only event. Even if the invited guests aren't interested themselves, they might know someone who is.

“Why continue to do the same thing over and over again and expect different results?” she said. “Isn’t that the definition of insanity?”

Still, for most agents, a sign is a key marketing tool. It can feel very limiting to have the option taken off the table.

Margaret Goss of Baird and Warner Real Estate in Winnetka, Illinois, once listed a house across from an elementary school, but the seller “absolutely refused to have a sign.” Goss felt like her hands were tied behind her back.

“With all the activity (going on) at the school,” she said, “no one knew the house was available!”

Said Sheila Anderson of the Referral Group in East Brunswick, New Jersey: “Playing 'I’ve got a secret' with selling never made any sense.”

That said, sellers who live in communities governed by homeowners associations must abide by their rules. Those rules can be daunting at best -- and potentially illegal at worst.

Association leaders tend to dislike "For Sale" signs because they believe signs make the neighborhood look undesirable, especially when several owners are selling at the same time. So some HOAs dictate the size and color of signs that can be used, as well as when and where they can be displayed.

Some HOAs go even further and won't allow agents to use their own signs at all; instead, they design their own and sell them, sometimes at inflated prices, to homeowners or their agents. This may seem like a small matter, but it adds up: According to WMBF-NBC in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, agent Rod Smith of Chicora Advantage has had to purchase more than 170 custom signs -- one for each of the HOAs in his area.

If your neighborhood has an HOA, check out its regulations on the matter. If you find them too cumbersome, try to determine if they are even legal.

Under California law, for example, an association can limit the number of signs and their dimensions, and it can also forbid signs from being displayed in common areas. But it can’t stop you from putting one in your window, on your property or even on someone else’s property -- as long as you have that owner’s permission.

You can't pick your neighbors. You can pick your neighborhood, though, and it is a good idea to give that as much thought as the house itself.

Apparently, not enough homebuyers do that. While living in a neighborhood can be a positive experience marked by lasting friendships and a sense of community, nearly two-thirds of 2,200 homeowners responding to a HomeAdvisor poll admitted to actively avoiding their neighbors.

Another, perhaps more telling, finding: Slightly more than half said they had moved or considered moving because of a neighbor. And nearly a quarter of respondents to a LendingTree survey said they'd called the cops on their neighbors.

Turns out, folks don't like being peered at from a neighbor's window or watched by security cameras. They don't particularly care for neighbors who gossip, either. Sometimes neighbors are just rude or noisy, their kids are unruly or their pets wreak havoc. Maybe they just "give off a weird vibe," many told LendingTree.

At the same time, more than 9 out of 10 respondents told HomeAdvisor they consider themselves to be good neighbors. And three-quarters of LendingTree respondents said they are buddies with the folks next door.

In a fast-moving market, homebuyers might just have to take the bad with the good.

"The unfortunate reality is that some people might not have any other choice but to live near someone they don't like," if it means buying the home they want, says LendingTree analyst Jacob Channel.

If you have the time, though, you can try to find harmony by taking a few precautions.

For starters, give the entire neighborhood a test drive. Pay attention -- not just to the places immediately adjacent to the one you're considering, but also those up and down the street and on the next block. Neglected lawns, overgrown shrubs and vehicles parked on the grass are not good signs. Ditto for wheelbarrows and other yard equipment that is not put away.

Other telltale signs include tall privacy fences, as opposed to the more friendly picket style; bars on grade-level windows; graffiti; broken or boarded-up windows; and "Beware of dog" signs. These should stand as warnings that the people inside don't feel safe.

While you're motoring around, pay attention to the streets on which you are driving. Are they smooth, or full of broken pavement? Are they clean, or strewn with litter? Are there sidewalks -- and if so, what shape are they in? Look for streetlights, and make sure they are working.

Check out the traffic patterns. Are the streets wide enough for cars going both ways to pass with ease? If the streets are too narrow, you might have to pull over every time another vehicle comes near. Similarly, see if there is room for on-street parking without impeding traffic.

You might even want to test-drive your potential new commute to work to see how long it takes during rush hour. If you plan to take public transportation, give that option a run-through.

Walking around your prospective neighborhood is also a good idea. On a nice day, people might be outside, so chat them up. Most folks are more than willing to discuss the good and bad points about where they live.

If the community has a homeowners association, try to obtain a copy of its rules and regulations. Read them carefully; if you can't abide by some, then it's not the place for you. If possible, attend an HOA meeting and speak to other owners about how the board operates.

Determine, too, if the community is in a flood zone. If so, you're likely to be required by your lender to carry flood insurance in addition to homeowner's coverage. (Even if you're not in a flood zone, it may be wise to obtain coverage. Water is extremely destructive, and floods are not always caused by a nearby body of water.)

Many real estate companies are no longer listing crime statistics, but you can check with the local police or sheriff's office for that information. You also can look online. Every area is likely to see some crime from time to time, but a high level of dangerous activity may be a bad sign.

When it comes to checking out the local schools, don't just settle for statistics. Visit the facilities where your little darlings will be attending, and sit down with the principal. If you can, take in a PTA meeting and strike up a conversation with a teacher or two, as well as some other parents. Find out what they do and don't like about the district in general and their school in particular.

Last, take a good look around the area to determine how far you are from the amenities that are important to you. Some people like living far from shopping centers that draw heavy traffic, but others want to be near the action. Ditto for churches, sports venues and the like.

The Atlantic hurricane season is upon us -- it runs from June 1 to Nov. 30 -- and it could be a big one. One agency is predicting almost two dozen named storms and six to 10 hurricanes.

It may not be as bad as last year, when the World Meteorological Organization ran out of alphabetical names for the storms and resorted to using Greek letters. Nevertheless, it's going to be a doozy for the 7 million-plus single-family houses and 253,000 multifamily units that CoreLogic says are at risk from water and wind damage.

Last year was the third most active year on record in terms of named storms. But of course, hurricanes aren't the only natural disasters we face. The National Centers for Environmental Information reports that in 2021, there were 58,733 fires that burned 7,139,713 acres. And tornadoes seem to be popping up more frequently than ever.

Against this backdrop, it's no wonder that 6 out of 10 Americans told pollsters they believe they'll be affected personally by a disaster in the next few years. Unfortunately, that same study of 2,050 people -- conducted by the Harris Poll on behalf of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) -- also found that 85% of us have yet to create a disaster plan to protect our homes and finances.

In the face of a natural disaster, protecting your family and your property from harm should be your top priority. But in the aftermath, access to financial resources and personal information is critically important.

There's much to do when a major disaster is afoot, and you can never be too ready. When flooding is imminent or predicted, National Flood Insurance Program policyholders are eligible to receive up to $1,000 to purchase loss-avoidance supplies like tarps and sandbags. And if Uncle Sam declares a disaster, special tax provisions may help you recover financially. The IRS can give you more time to file a return and pay your taxes, for example, and it can speed up refunds.

Beyond that, you are going to need cash. Banks and ATMs will likely be closed or damaged, so you'll want some money in your pocket. To get a handle on how much you'll need, run some calculations now: Factor in lodging, transportation, food and other expenses you're likely to incur.

Now's also a good time to review your insurance policies to be sure you have the right coverage. Make sure you know what is covered and what isn't, and don't be afraid to comparison shop periodically to see if switching makes sense.

Make copies of all your important medical, personal and financial records, including passports and birth certificates. Keep a set with you so you can grab them if you have to evacuate, and stash another set in a safe place at a distant location -- perhaps the home of a relative, or in a safe deposit box.

After a disaster, the IRS can help taxpayers reconstruct their financial records, which may be essential for documenting a tax-deductible loss or obtaining federal assistance. The agency also offers several publications about applying for help from Uncle Sam, determining your losses and other pertinent topics.

Write down the names, phone numbers and account numbers of your banks, mortgage servicers, insurers, lawyers and accountants, and keep the list in a safe place with your keys and other papers.

Take an inventory of all your belongings, too. This will make it easier to deal with your insurer, especially if the company questions your claim. Make a complete list, or use your phone or camera to film the contents of each room, top to bottom.

Beyond these financial steps, do whatever you can to protect your dwelling. Admittedly, retrofitting your place is an expensive proposition, but there are a few affordable things you can do: For example, trim your trees regularly to remove weak branches that can become window-shattering missiles. And make sure your gutters are clear so they can channel away as much rain as possible.

Because blackouts can set off a chain reaction of disasters -- houses fires often result from candles burned during power outages, for example, and pipes can freeze when the heat goes off -- consider installing a backup generator to keep your power on. Larger units are capable of running an entire house, but they are expensive, costing upwards of $15,000. But small, portable generators with enough capacity to run the HVAC system and the refrigerator for several hours start at about $300.

You also should plan an evacuation route well ahead of time, in case you have to skedaddle. Plan a second route, too, just in case your first option is blocked.

Try to figure out where you'll go and specifically where you'll stay. Only a third of those queried in the Harris/AICPA survey have such a plan, and only a third have assembled a disaster supply kit.

Speaking of which, your kit should include three days' worth of drinking water, batteries, candles or oil lamps with fuel, matches, prescription drugs, first-aid supplies, flashlights, a few basic tools and perhaps a tarp and plywood. If you need to evacuate, grab your kit and run, don't walk.