More on Real

Early in my blog's life, I had written about How Real Estate is Real to me, and to others. I found some more concepts jotted down in a lovely old notebook I found on my bookshelf today. I guess I was inspired to look through some past notes and files after my back-to-school school-supplies shopping trip with my daughters.

Real estate is real due to its immobility, it indestructibility, its uniqueness. True, one could technically move a house, usually for historic preservation purposes, but it is a rare occurrence. Also, houses can be sadly destroyed by fire or another horrible natural disaster, but outside of mining operations, the land part of the real property remains and cannot be destroyed, and most homes remain in use for generations. And even in the most banal cookie-cutter subdivisions, each piece of property and all its improvements maintain a unique combination of characteristics, especially over time.

Real estate is real because you can touch it, you can see it, you can drive by and circle the block, you can knock on the door, shimmy through the scrawl space or attic, photograph it, share it. And from a pure legal and taxation perspective, real estate is real because they know where to find you and it. Real estate is an asset, an investment, not just on paper but in tangible fact because you can use it. Its value does fluctuate with market forces, sometimes painfully so in a down market like this country experienced recently.

I love helping people with real estate transactions because real estate is home, enjoyment, family, perhaps income (if an investment property), comfort, shelter. Real estate is real and I appreciate and respect that.