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Single Family Home
Every year Webster’s dictionary adds new words, changes or adds new definitions to words, and on a few occasions, deletes some words or phrases. In this case, let us treat the words “single family home” as a phrase…one from the past.
As our national and local elections grow closer and closer, so do our living conditions. The economics of 2008 has touched every one of us in some way or another. Whether one has lost their job, had to take a pay decrease to keep their job, or have just seen their bills grow, money is tight. Some may say that they have not seen this “adjustment,” but like Ostriches, they need to take their heads out of the sand and look around.
Now, back to the name of this article, quite a few of our single-family homes are being changed…by the economy. I am not old enough to remember World War II, but I am told that in an effort to make “ends meet,” many people took in boarders, folks who rented one or two bedrooms in a home with bath and kitchen privileges. Those situations helped many people, the owner, and the renter; it gave people a decent place to live, and kept the home out of foreclosure.
After World War II, the average size home offered 900 square feet of finished living space. Many of us, with our siblings, were raised in those homes, with one bathroom, and we all seemed to make out just fine. Well, guess what: although our homes may not have decreased to the 900 square foot size, many people are “sharing” their homes with their family members, or others, just to be able to pay the bills. In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with this situation as it is a win-win, except for the neighbors. The neighbor sees too many children, too many cars, too much noise…it’s just not the American way! Well my friend, get used to it, it is the 2008 American way!
In an effort to co-exist, we must first exist, and hopefully, with a shingled-roof over our heads. Although the foreclosure rate appears to be decreasing, hundreds of thousands of people are either living with family or friends, or out on the street. In February of 2008, I posted, in this blog, that homelessness would increase, and guess what? For once, I was correct. Am I happy about being correct, no, but a blind man could have seen this coming. Some of you even responded to my blog and said that they had places for these people to rent. Guess what, there are more people than affordable places to rent. In Nevada, they now have tent cities for “those people” to live in, with government-installed plumbing. As grateful as they are, these families are still struggling to make ends meet; hopefully they will do well.
Therefore, now we must change the zoning laws. In 2008 single-family homes are not for single families, they are for human beings, whether they are related or not, as many as can live comfortably in a home. If a homeowner decides to rent out part of their home, that is a sign of the times. It is their choice, not ours, and we should respect that fact.
Comments or questions please email me info@realestatephd.com
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