stefaniabrao

Lust is defined as a passionate desire for something, which just about describes the yearnings of many of the people who appear in this book. Whether it is lust for an addition that costs as much as the original house; a kitchen with an eight-burner stove (I would die before cooking a meal that required eight burners); a McMansion for which the occupants can not afford furnishings because they are so overextended; or an overpriced tract home. What you cannot see in the above photo is that this house is probably only 15 feet from its neighbor....but at least there was enough space to turn the garage so it does not face the street. Houses like that are often called "snout houses" and some cities, like Portland, have moved to ban them. "House Lust" is exceptionally well-researched, informative, and interesting. It never lags and never bores the reader with statistics like Snoop: What Your Stuff Says About You ---which basically was haphazard and disorganized, whereas McGinn's writing was organized and engaging. He proceeds logically from one topic to another, making for easy reading. I especially enjoyed McGinn’s personal involvement in his research - as when he spent the night in a model home, got a realtor’s license, and also when he bought a rental property so as to get firsthand experience. These things gave him a lot of credibility. McGinn was writing this book as the housing bubble was bursting and he adjusted his writing accordingly. I am a real fan of Sarah Susanka’s “not-so-big” values and really loved it when McGinn asked her to accompany him on a tour of a Toll Brothers house - she did not like it! No surprise there - not only because many of these houses are so overdone, but also because the quality is certainly nothing Susanka would ever approve of. This was a great look at the psychology behind house lust and our most recent housing boom.

2020-08-26 23:22