Why Your Home Isn't the Investment You Think It Is - WSJ.com

Why Your Home Isn't the Investment You Think It Is - WSJ.com


Hi Marlene,

Here was an interesting article in the WSJ that frankly scared me a little. I suppose the message is that a home isn't really an investment in the sense of stocks/bonds/etc, but I was interested in your take on it as well.

Kenny (name changed)

A young client of mine who is actually the son of former clients (boy – I must really be old!) is buying his first home and forwarded an email to me and this article (link above) from the Wall Street Journal. It worried him. The article is by David Crook, Sunday editor of the WSJ. It appeared a couple of weeks ago. I am providing you with a link to the entire article which is quite lengthy and a bit tedious. I felt that Mr. Crook's piece had significant inaccuracies and used isolated incomplete examples and “fear tactics” in order to make a point and help the author sell his books. I wrote a response to my young client and forwarded same to the author. In coming days read my response, Mr. Crook’s response, and my client’s final response.
Your feedback and comments are welcome!

Marlene the Real Estate Queen

Real Estate Trends

According to the current issue of Philadelphia Magazine (March '07), people are attempting to "reconnect with their inner Mayberry. There is a desire to be in more urban settings again in the sense of being able to walk to a stores, movies, shops and mini-downtowns. Suburban home ownership appears to have lost some of its luster. The center city condo boom is not only attracting empty nesters, but also families with young children. Back yards are being replaced by city parks. Communities that already have a mini-downtown and main street, such as Ambler, Glenside, Hatboro, etc, are likely to have somewhat of a rebirth over the next decade. How do you tell if an old town is on its way back? According to the article, if there is a parking problem, that is a sure sign!