I Have Arrived

I’ve always been interested in real estate. This was long before HGTV (Home and Garden Television) muddied the waters of reality and made real estate seem like a sure bet every time. My first exposure to real estate investing was back in 1965 in San Francisco at the Presidio of San Francisco.

I can remember sitting around a table in the middle of our barracks, talking to a couple of entrepreneurs who were soon to be discharged. They wanted to stay in San Francisco and get involved in real estate. Their objective was to start a business that focused on flipping old Victorian side-by-sides in a neighborhood they felt was on the upswing. This idea of flipping, outside investors, capital outlay, financing and ROI was totally foreign to me but intriguing nonetheless.

This was long before real estate became a speculative sport like gold and silver and antiquities. Now the field includes collectables (American Pickers, anyone), Bitcoin, Meta, NFTs, etc. I was transferred to Louisiana shortly afterwards and never kept track of those two fellows. If they were successful, I’m sure they retired early and are now lounging on some Hawaiian Island.

So I don’t watch a lot of HGTV. The cable channel is really like Oxycontin for the masses – stimulating but it makes outcomes appear more believable than they really are. My own experience with real estate investing was a lot more plain vanilla. Never a lot, never very fancy, but solid and reliable. For your average HGTV watcher nowadays, it would have seemed boring as heck.

The one show I do enjoy watching is ‘House Hunters’, both national and international. It gives me a pretty reliable gauge of home prices around the country, assuming the show isn’t a repeat from years past. The home buyers seem pretty average and believable. None of the individuals or couples seem to stand out from one another. Until now.

Something is going on with the series and I can’t put my finger on it. Whether it’s a trend, deliberate subtle messaging, or a new direction; the series has, on four separate occasions, shown couples of a certain demographic deliberately seeking out their ‘dream home.’

That, in itself, is nothing unusual. What is unusual is their very pronounced (loud and vocal) desire to find a home that speaks to their success. They want a home that says: 'I (We) Have Arrived.' These house hunters have been very focused and deliberate in stating that the house they seek must show status among their peers, wealth (supposed), and a brick and mortar façade that stands out in the neighborhood.

Unfortunately, it sometimes feels like a 60’s television version of the ‘Beverly Hillbillies.’ Nouveau-rich status seekers wanting to make a statement. It is simplistic and dumbed-down; often bordering on unreal or sketchy scenarios. There seems to be a message here, but I guess I’m too daft to get it.

‘House Hunters’ is probably the most realistic show on the channel even if some of the real estate agents shown seem to be competing for attention right out the clown car.

On one episode, the real estate agent changed her outfits seven times during the house hunting process, each outfit more revealing than the last. I was certain by the time they got to ‘closing’ it could have been held in a clothing-optional resort. I guess if she couldn’t make it to the ‘Bachelor’ or ‘Survivor’ or ‘Big Brother,’ then HH might have been a suitable consolation prize for her. I know there is always an entertainment value added to these shows but sometimes it can be a little over the top.

Another series ‘My Lottery Dream Home’ falls into the same kind of trap. ‘My Lottery Dream Home’ follows lucky lottery winners seeking to buy their first home. The host (my wife loves this guy) dresses like a clown and acts the same way. His primary job is to remind these lucky folks that they are now millionaires and can do or buy whatever they want. And, more importantly, that they deserve it.

I still haven’t figured out the motivation behind these deliberate attempts to send subtle messages in the shows themselves. Of course, I’m not a producer and I don’t care about ratings. Still, it would be nice to have an honest presentation instead of a structured, manipulated storyline.

We seem to be at a point in this country where many consider housing to be an inalienable right along with education, public health and protection from harm (fire and police). It’s an interesting perspective and one that deserves further discussion and debate. I’m just not sure that housing as status and gambling as deserved earnings is the right approach to take. But then again, that’s me, Mr. Plain Vanilla.