OT - Gas to hit 4.00

[Andy Bradford]

Thus said Dave Smith on Sat, 21 Jun 2008 00:25:35 MDT:

> Homes are more  expensive today than they were 30  years ago. And yet,
> they are made with less quality (by others' and my admittance).

And the  reason for this is  greedy developers coupled with  high demand
(or  low supply,  but that  hardly seems  the case  because I  see homes
all  over  the place  in  land  that  was previously  undeveloped)?  Are
entrepreneurs  in other  industries  made of  a  different calibre  than
developers?  Or  does  the  housing  industry have  a  monopoly  on  the
greed+demand factor?

> That's  my answer.  What's yours?  Here's the  question, restated:  If
> houses really are more expensive  today (even inflation adjusted) than
> they were in days past, why isn't the quality higher?

Higher than what?  To which standard of quality are  you referring? They
average home they build today is  certainly better than the average home
from colonial America  right? Is it better than the  average home in say
the 19th century? How about the early 20th century? How about we look at
the number of homes actually owned now  vs then? I'm of the opinion that
generally speaking our  standard of living has gone  up considerably ---
in spite of governmental tampering with the market --- and that includes
in the  housing industry. If the  quality of homes has  been going down,
what is your frame of reference? Certainly they haven't always gone down
in quality.  And certainly  greed is  nothing new.  So when  did housing
quality begin declining?

Andy
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