Ground Zero: Real Estate Reduced to Rubble
Oh dear, there has been such an unfortunate rash of news in real estate. Foreclosures, short sales and bank repos are just some of the expected fallout related to worsening economic conditions in this country. But what I’m talking about is beyond the fiscal mess. Perhaps you heard in the news yesterday that four homes in Seattle (Redfin’s headquarters), were torched by environmental arsonists. According to official speculation and the Earth Liberation Front’s own claims, these crimes were committed by the same people who also caused the huge fire in University Town Center last year. So, architecture and great real estate writers aren’t the only things that have a San Diego-Seattle connection. Now we share an arsonist too…just ducky!
You know that whole six degrees of separation thing that comes along and makes your head spin every so often? Well, this is one of those times. It has to do with the fire theme. Just a couple of weeks ago I read an article about a homeless man in Orange County who had been burning land and homes. He was not an environmentalist. He was just a psycho. Who knows his reasoning? Maybe he figured if he didn’t have a home that no other human, tree or possum should either. More likely, there was no reasoning. Just the result of extreme stress and a wandering, hopeless mind. Shortly thereafter, I wrote about desperate homeowners who are at their wits end trying to salvage something from their sinking ships in the face of foreclosure. And now this.
Ironically, the so called green arsonists actually destroyed homes built by a contractor who was making an effort to incorporate environmentally friendly building practices in his developments. Green building is gaining popularity and there have been some great advances throughout the industry in recent years. In sheer ignorance of forethought, the arsonists actually created many more pollutants than they cured. That is unless their true motive was to save the earth one lung failure at a time. Imagine the gratitude of all the ducks who live in the nearby lake for the fact that their food source is now completely contaminated with runoff. What will happen to their unhatched chicks left behind in search of a clean habitat somewhere else? Oh, nevermind, I’m not going to stand on this soap box forever. I just wanted to point out that we are all touched by the actions of others in some way; tragedy and triumph are always close to home, no matter how far away they may seem.
Recent San Diego Sweet Digs Posts:
Check it Out: New Redfin Features Have Arrived
Unsold in 60 Days? What are You Complaining About!
Real Estate Death Match: Martha Stewart vs. Oscar Madison
Monday Madness: Luxury East of Interstate 5?
