Real Estate Information

Youre Not Paranoid: The House Really Hates You


If you've just bought a house, you may be able to relate to a fascinating essay in Maya Angelou's book, Even the Stars Look Lonesome.

When Ms. Angelou moved into a designer house in California, she says, nothing worked. Her pictures didn't look right on the walls. Cakes fell in the oven and curtains fell off the rods.

The house, she concluded, hated her. And it wasn't much consolation to realize the house hated her husband, too.

What I want to know is, how could she tell?

Let's face it, most houses hate their new owners. They have adapted to the rhythm of one family and resent being sold.

Like most cats that you rescue from the pound, your house probably believes, "If I'd waited awhile, a better owner would have come along. So I'm going to make this one's life miserable."

When you move

Those who are trained in modern research methods will be skeptical, but there's plenty of evidence. Everyone knows what happens when you move into a new house.

"You'll see a lot of repair services in the first six months," I was warned. "When a house hasn't changed hands in five years or more, lots of little things will happen when you move in."

Now, you'll notice this doesn't happen when you rent a house or apartment. Some friends of mine rented a house while they saved to buy their own property.

For two years, the refrigerator purred and the air conditioner hummed contentedly. The plumbing flowed silently and the insect life remained hidden. Encouraged ("see, a house isn't so bad after all!") they took the plunge and bought their own home.

I'd like to say they're doing great but in fact they've dropped out of sight. They can't take phone calls any more. "Sorry, we can't tie up this line. We're holding the phone open till we hear from the handyman..." Or the pest control guy, or the electrician. They considered Call Waiting but were afraid to jinx the only object in the house that seemed to be working.

If you seem particularly gullible, (e.g., the house senses that you're new to this game), your appliances may join the fun. I am absolutely positive the once-faithful refrigerator sent out a message: "How about this, guys. Let's really confuse everybody. I'll put out a leak, send the water over to the sink, and they'll think it's a big pipe in the wall. After they've poked a few holes they'll realize it's time to wake up that sleeping repairman!"

And one day my security system kept getting an "Open Door" signal even when the door was firmly locked. The tech found nothing wrong and it never happened again.

My lawn service person knew how to work the system: Let Them Know Who's Boss. After he cut back the hedges and pulled some over-aggressive vines, the bushes stopped sulking and started putting out nice flowers. They knew what would happen if they didn't.

Making Peace with the House

Soon you've emptied your bank account to create a peace offering -- a new floor or a paint job or a screen door."Every so often," I'm told, "you even get thirty days with no service calls. But after six months or so, the house gets bored and it'll start all over again."

One thing is certain. In your house's "Lose the Owner" contest, there's one simple rule. Whoever costs the most, wins.

For serious advice about moving, download Making the Big Move.

About The Author

Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., is an author, speaker and career/business consultant, helping midlife professionals take their First step to a Second Career. http://www.cathygoodwin.com.

"Ten secrets of mastering a major life change" mailto:subscribe@cathygoodwin.com

Contact: cathy@cathygoodwin.com 505-534-4294


MORE RESOURCES:

Sydney Morning Herald

Real-Estate Executive Found Dead in Apparent Suicide
Wall Street Journal - 13 hours ago
By TIMOTHY MARTIN and KEVIN HELLIKER CHICAGO -- Real-estate executive Steven L. Good was found dead of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound Monday in ...
Chicago real estate executive kills himself, police say Chicago Tribune
Real estate tycoon found dead Straits Times
Real estate mogul found fatally shot in suburban wildlife preserve Chicago Sun-Times
WBBM780 - The Courier News
all 36 news articles


New York Times

Tough '09 Is Seen for Commercial Real Estate
Washington Post, United States - Jan 5, 2009
By Dana Hedgpeth This year will be among the worst for the US commercial real estate industry, as unemployment leads to a drop of as much as 30 percent in ...
Commercial Real Estate Miami Daily Business Review
Commercial real-estate market faces worsening slump San Bernardino Sun
Debate over a commercial real estate bailout Journal Record (subscription)
NASDAQ - New York Times
all 95 news articles


Washington Post

Real estate activity rebounded in Nov.
Bizjournals.com, NC - 1 hour ago
Philadelphia-area real estate activity in November rebounded from a low point during the height of the global financial crisis in October, but was still 23 ...
Bailing out the real estate market Boston Globe
Pending home sales plunge to record low in Nov. BusinessWeek
Pending home sales rose in November in Philadelphia area Philadelphia Inquirer
Dividend.com - istockAnalyst.com (press release)
all 650 news articles


Boston-area commercial real estate sales plunge
Boston Globe, United States - 13 hours ago
Now, real estate investors don't have data to guide them in pricing properties in the soft economy, making it less likely that buyers will come forward out ...
Office vacancies rise south of Boston The Patriot Ledger
all 4 news articles


The Age

Tom & Katie Are Not NYC's Next Real Estate Moguls
E! Online - 19 hours ago
Are Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes trying to give Donald Trump a run for his New York City real estate money? If a new report is to be believed, ...
Katie Holmes spends $14m in six months in New York Telegraph.co.uk
Katie Holmes: Final Week On Broadway! The Gossip Girls
all 114 news articles


New York Daily News

New York City neighborhoods with the best real estate bargains
New York Daily News, NY - 9 hours ago
Now the tides may be turning, according to a new real estate study by Streeteasy, a website that tracks real estate trends. The good news: there are a lot ...
Manhattan housing up in 4Q, but luxury market down BusinessWeek
Streeteasy study finds home sales in Manhattan drop 34% New York Daily News
all 40 news articles


Overseas Property and Investment News

Striking Declines Seen in Manhattan Real Estate Market
New York Times, United States - Jan 5, 2009
By JOSH BARBANEL For those New Yorkers who wondered what the Manhattan real estate market might be like without the ever-rising bonuses of Wall Street’s ...
Manhattan's Sterling Real-Estate Market Begins to Tarnish Wall Street Journal
NYC real estate defies gravity - so far CNNMoney.com
More Confirmation Real Estate Market is Tanking Gothamist
AHN - Sun-Sentinel.com
all 102 news articles


PerezHilton.com

Shaquille O'Neal boxed in by drop in real estate values
Los Angeles Times, CA - 23 hours ago
As everybody knows, the real estate market has tanked since then and Shaq just relisted his Miami home with a dramatically reduced price of $25 million. ...
Shaq' home back on market Bizjournals.com
all 13 news articles


New York Times

International Real Estate For Sale in Mexico
New York Times, United States - 18 hours ago
Oceanfront homes on Cozumel start at about $1 million, said Nancy Edwards, a broker with Cozumel Living Real Estate; condominiums sell for around $500000. ...


Real estate power broker dead of apparent suicide
CNN International - 1 hour ago
Steven L. Good was found dead of an apparent gunshot wound in his car Monday CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) -- One of Chicago's most well-known real estate moguls ...

Real-Estate - Google News

home | site map | Contact Us | Privacy policy | Disclaimer
Copyright © 2006 realestategainer.com - contact us:- info@realestategainer.com