Property Virgins

Quote of thee day:
"One can acquire everything in solitude except character."
--Stendhal

If you’ve been reading this from time to time, you probably know about my weakness for real-estate shows. Some people prefer the History Channel, the Weather Channel, the Travel Channel, or ESPN. Me, I prefer the HGTV and TLC shows where people are shopping for real estate.

The “flip” shows are way past their peak, but they have their moments, too. I especially enjoyed TLC’s “Property Ladder,” in which people who almost never know much about what they’re doing buy houses and attempt to fix them up and sell for a profit. It’s now shown a couple times a week in reruns.

I’m not sure why I watch programs like “House Hunters,” “Property Virgins,” “My First Place” and “Buy Me.” I used to think it was because they gave me a chance to see inside so many houses. That’s part of it.

These are very real reality shows. They tell us a lot about our culture--we learn about people’s taste, finances, expectations, and how they live from day to day. On daily display are attitudes about family, money and privacy.

The decisions people make about which houses to buy are endlessly fascinating. There are some common patterns, but each person uses different criteria. Sometimes the two people moving in have different criteria from each other.

There are lots of essential decisions to be made. Close to work, or farther away? Big yard or small yard? Two or three or four bedrooms? Condo or house? City or suburbs? Vintage or new? Ranch or split level? In perfect condition or needs work? Big house or smaller house?

Watching people make these decisions is fascinating and revealing. It tells me a lot about how we Americans think about ourselves.