Real Estate Comes in a Distant Third at Dinner
We missed this in last Sunday’s Times. John Tierney and Christopher Buckley polled 1,000 New Yorkers on a variety of subjects. Counter to our own experience, real estate was not the most-discussed topic at dinner parties. The results: 1. Politics (32%) 2. Work (29%) 3. Real Estate (17%) Does anyone else think this seems a…
We missed this in last Sunday’s Times. John Tierney and Christopher Buckley polled 1,000 New Yorkers on a variety of subjects. Counter to our own experience, real estate was not the most-discussed topic at dinner parties. The results:
1. Politics (32%)
2. Work (29%)
3. Real Estate (17%)
Does anyone else think this seems a little off?
NY States of Mind [NY Times]
Anyone that reads this blog is by definition obsessed with real estate, and that is not a good or rational thing. There is more to life folks, honestly!
4. Surreptitious flirting between married guests (12%)
5. Rationalization of planning to vote for Bloomberg, even though I’m still a liberal, really (8%)
6. Gratuitous reference to newly-purchased expensive kitchen appliance used in meal preparation (7%)
7. Envy, financial (5%)
8. Envy, social/sexual (3%)
9. Reality TV (2%)
10. Frenzied, gesticulating attempt to convey that you are choking (1%)
Wife and I had dinner last night with another couple.
Topics (in order of dominance):
1) Work
2) Volunteer work
3) Kids
4) Real Estate
5) Wine
In my opinion it seems most people do not really want to have discussion about RE, they simply want to have a hand holding cheerleading session. I’m a currently a NYC housing bear. I’ve thrown cold water on quite a few dinner parties. You should see the dirty looks i’ve gotten when i point out how rents do not support current prices or buyers over reliance on Interest-Only and ARM loans may cause potential payment shock in future years. I’ve had two couples come up to me a literally call me a party-pooper. I’d dont know if i was pooping on their dinner party or pooping on everyone’s housing party. Notice how the stock market wasn’t on the list.. 5 years ago, ‘The Market’ topped everyones list of conversation. 5 years from now, no one will want to talk about RE either.
I don’t know if I have EVER had a conversation in NYC that didn’t touch on real estate at some point. (This is party talk of course, and not what I talk about with people I know well.)
Probably a bit off for all of us brownstone obsessed nutjobs!