Cocktail Chatter

Back in the Go Go days of the early 2000's, when residential real estate gained popularity fanned by the ownership society ideal, cocktail talk increasingly included talk of houses as an investment. I've noticed that people with square jobs, regular jobs if you will, at get togethers, tend to talk about three businesses or industries that they fantasize about going into: opening a restaurant, writing a screenplay or going into real estate. None of which they have the slightest clue as to how these things operate. Well, all good and fun as party banter over a couple of cold lite beers, however the civilian class in this case had one small problem, they could actually get into the real estate world by buying a house, an investment, a shrewd move. They typically would talk about fringe neighborhoods and up and coming subdivisions where they would want to buy and in several years turn around with nice tidy little profit, and this is where the saw blade meets the flesh. Your house is not, repeat, is not an investment. A house is many things, it is where you cook dinner, sleep, have sex, raise children, argue with your wife, watch movies, grow old, mow the lawn, it's the place you get the phone call that your mother died but it is no more an investment than a new pair of tennis shoes. My basic philosophy concerning where to shop for a house is very simple, answer this question, where do you like to live? I will give you some hints.. what restaurants do you like, coffee shops, where does your family live, where do you go to church, your favorite cleaners, your friends where do they live? Then after you answer the question, without thought of resale value or turning a profit (you like where you live remember) then find a place for yourself in that neighborhood. Meanwhile I am going to try to find the cocktail waitress.Cheers!