Although in some cases this may be grossly unfair, you will be immediately classified by the approaches and front elevations. Or if an apartment house or block of flats by the lobby or stoop of your building. Every foot folk have to ambulate, motor, or limp over your property or your management’s to get to you is an invaluable social exaltation and safety precaution.
If you’re just making it out of lower middle or middle class, the mansion and walled private estate will in most cases have to be left for a later date in your life. However, go house hunting among the really swell places anyway. It is good practice to waltz through magnificently appointed spacious period residences of many exposed timbers, chimneypieces of character and other dignified touches, and which enjoy fine mature unspoilt views in the preferred directions with their additional landscape features. Then when you finally move into your overly boxy more modest residence and your neighbours stand around thinking you’re just like them you can let them know what you nearly bought. This will also drop the hint that they should be prepared for the moment of your future socially upward departure.
As much as a dump makes them steer clear, a really nice place makes folk like you better. A leafy suburban district among the lawn mowing class with a solid yeomanry is to be preferred. These areas are easily recognised by the chaps you see in the lighter shades of gabardine raincoat, catching the train at the local station and on Saturdays pressing into service their Bermuda shorts to dump their garbage, skiing outfits to shovel their snow, or old school sports attire in raking their leaves. However, in order not to be tricked by some imitator mowing his lawn in old school equipment from a no account school, some brief interrogation may be required. But be considerate when you glide up in your suitably nifty motor to an inhabitant you spot outside his house.
"Hey, excuse me fella. Gee I don’t know how to preface this but what school did you go to."
"I beg your pardon."
"You know, your school, I’m thinking of buying a house and I want to be sure I don’t move in among a lot of phonies."
Most folk, conscious in the extreme of their neighbourhood status, will take your forthright approach for what it is, a grossly presumptious impertinence, and in case a deserving umbrage is taken, remain in your car for speedy departure.