Looking at our local classified ads, there are two 1997 Honda Accords for sale, both around $10,000 (fully loaded with low mileage, they say). Your mileage is kind of high, but $3000 sounds low for an Accord to me. Have you checked your local listings for what people are willing to pay for Accords in your area? If I had seen a '97 Accord for sale for $3000 when I was car shopping, and it was in reasonable condition, I would have bought it ASAP.
I’m guessing the neighbors aren’t complaining enough. 
I would never accept a personal check for selling a car, as I know they can still be returned quite a while after “clearing”, but I was always under the impression cashier’s checks were safe because they were issued by the bank, and so won’t be returned. Am I wrong? How do I know when it’s cleared?