I like our house

You know, sometimes I think the biggest problem our party/movement has is the fact that once people get a big platform, they completely fucking forget what it's like to be an ordinary American.

Thereisnospoon--whose postings I really like, usually much better than Digby's because a) he still has hope, and b) (at least I think) he understands that our philosophy is as much about heart as it is brains--had a piece today in which he asks if we (meaning the government) really want to be incentivizing home ownership so much.

The short answer?  Fuck yes!

I'll be the first to admit that an ordinary American like me was a little lost as I read the piece--there seemed to be something about how wage stagnation sucks (it does!), how we shouldn't be letting the rich buy up all the houses (hear, hear!), how renting a place to live has been given an unnecessary bad name (lost me on that one), and how we Americans like cheap mortgages (no shit, Sherlock). 

I might not know much about the ins and outs of our housing policies, but I do know a few things about calling a place home.  Renting sucks--I'm willing to grant that there are those for whom renting is ideal.  Young people starting out who don't want the responsibility that comes with home ownership, older people who no longer want the hassles of yard work and shoveling snow--hell, after my first marriage ended renting was great because I was busy with a career and when the kids visited I really didn't feel like spending what free time I had with them painting walls and cutting the lawn.  But for most of us, it sucks.  It's expensive as hell and you get zero return on your monthly check.  Having your upstairs neighbor drop a can of Progesso soup on the kitchen floor which wakes your two year old up from his afternoon nap isn't a whole hell of a lot of fun.  Climbing three flights of stairs with the weekly groceries is a good waste of your time.  If you're lucky enough to be in an apartment complex that allows barbecuing, it's kind of a pain in the ass having total strangers stroll past as you're cooking dinner (face it, you wouldn't let them walk through your kitchen while you're making spaghetti, why the fuck would you want them there just because you're cooking outside?).  And don't even get me started on renting a home--most of those letting homes take most of their cues from slumlords.

The government is helping me get a better mortgage rate--because we couldn't make a 20% down payment (well, maybe on a cardboard box we could have) the government is guaranteeing our loan.  I pay a little more for it, though less than was our rent at the last apartment we lived at.  For this I get the chance to play catch with my son and not have to worry about one of us beaning the neighbors' kid who's pretending to be an airplane in the middle of us--I can tell him to get the fuck out of my yard and play airplane in his own fucking yard.  I can crank "Baba O'Riley" as high was it will go on our stereo and the neighbors won't be calling the apartment owner to have me turn it down.  If our neighbors are having an argument in their home, we don't have to share it.  This year we planted daisies because our son loves them and tomato plants because we don't want to drive to the Farmer's Market once a week to get good tomatoes.

Our house is a long way from perfect--it was built when JFK was President and most of the house still has fixtures and electrical outlets from that era.  It's an igloo in winter and a sauna in the summer (shit you not, no exaggeration).  The appliances were new when my wife was in high school (class of '95).  But it's our home--it may be an investment to Wall Street and the wealthy, but it's not to us.  It's where we live.

I honestly cannot think of anything that is uniquely more American than owning one's own home.  Just ask the Martinis--the Bailey Plan was a whole hell of a lot better than the Potter Plan.

Peace,
emaycee