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Ever since I discovered the website zillow.com, which theoretically tracks the value of your house on a daily basis, I have watched my home plummet in value. Clearly I am not alone in this, most homeowners in Michigan, and across the country, have watched in despair as their biggest investment fell off a financial cliff.
That got me thinking, when did homes become investments? I asked some people that have lived through many more financial downturns than I, and they all seemed to share the same sentiment about homeownership past and present. Homes, they told me, used to be where people lived and raised a family; it wasn’t until the last 15-20 years that houses were treated like business investments (and we all know how that turned out for us).
One of the many lessons this recession has taught me is that my possessions mean more to me than how much money I can make off of them. My home is the best example of this. It’s where I rest. It’s where I share my life with family and friends. It provides safety, stability and comfort.
Homes are almost like living breathing entities. They absorb the energy of the lives that have unfolded within their walls.
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People live, love, argue. Children run, laugh, cry, chase their siblings and wrestle with their dog. Sometimes people even grow old and die in the homes that they love.
Have you ever walked into someone’s home and immediately had a good feeling? It had nothing to do with the square footage, the quality of the furniture, or whether or not the appliances were stainless steel - it had to do with energy. Homes are extensions of our lives. They absorb what goes on inside.
One danger of capitalism is that everything becomes quantified in terms of how much money it can make us. With that view we start to lose the true value of things. How do you quantify the beauty of an old tree or the loyalty of a dear friend? And how do you quantify the life that is lived inside the walls of your home?
So, yes, maybe your house is worth less, but your home, and the energy of the life that you have lived inside, just keeps gaining each day.
Jeffrey Mindell can be reached at jmindell@gmail.com
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