Canadian Capitalist Logo Dark
No Result
View All Result
Sunday, May 18, 2025
  • Login
  • Register
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Investing
  • Markets
  • Real Estate
  • Retirement
  • Tax Savings
  • Trivia
  • Resources
Subscribe
Canadian Capitalist Logo Light
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Investing
  • Markets
  • Real Estate
  • Retirement
  • Tax Savings
  • Trivia
  • Resources
No Result
View All Result
Canadian Capitalist Logo Mobile
No Result
View All Result
Home Uncategorised

Book Review: House Lust

by Ram Balakrishnan
June 9, 2008
Reading Time: 2 mins read
128 5
0
best performing mutual funds canada
152
SHARES
1.9k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Linkedin
[Front Cover of House Lust Book]

House Lust by Newsweek reporter Daniel McGinn is an eye-opening account of the obsession that many Americans have for their homes, which first led to one of the biggest boom in housing prices and later turned into a bust with far-reaching consequences. A Washington Post columnist quoted in the book probably defined the term best – “a house or an apartment becomes not just a place of shelter or an emblem of status or even a considered investment, but an obsession that haunts us no less intensely than Vladimir Nabokov’s nymphet Lolita tortured the imagination of poor, sick Humbert”.

As the author himself admits, this book is not a comprehensive analysis of the rise and fall of the housing market. Instead, it simply tells stories of (mostly well to-do) people who became fixated on their homes – constantly talking about it, checking out the prices of their friends and co-workers’ homes on Zillow or just endlessly renovating their properties. Consider the following vignettes:

  1. Some homes now have master bedrooms so large that they may need an “extreme ultra king” bed that measures 12 feet wide and 10 feet long.
  2. To deal with the emotional, financial and marital stress of renovating their homes, couples are engaging the services of a new breed of therapists who offer counselling at $90 per session, with a regular treatment lasting four to six sessions.
  3. Investors purchasing run down rental properties (for the “cash-flow”) in far-off places like Pocatello, Idaho, sight unseen. One economist estimated that in 2005, about one in three homes was purchased as an “investment property”.

If you even have a passing interest in real estate (who doesn’t?), you might want to check out this book. Mr. McGinn’s intrepid reporting from the front lines of the real estate bubble covers people buying McMansions, lusting for newly constructed homes, undergoing renovation hell, watching or reading “real estate porn” on shows like House Hunters, looking for cash flow in odd locations, rushing to become realtors, buying one (or more) vacation properties makes for an entertaining read. The book’s website features an excerpt, articles and a quiz.

Rating: 7 out of 10.

Related posts:

  1. Book Review: The Little Book of Common Sense Investing
  2. New Canadian Money Blogs
  3. Profit From Employee Stock Purchase Plans – I
  4. Fidelity’s ‘Scary’ Retirement Findings
Share61Tweet38Share11

Get real time update about this post categories directly on your device, subscribe now.

Unsubscribe
Previous Post

ETFs, but at what cost?

Next Post

The Conservative Tax Trick

Ram Balakrishnan

Ram Balakrishnan

Related Posts

Why you cant afford a house in Canada

Why You Can’t Afford A Home In Canada?

January 24, 2022
558
investing benefits
Investing

Finding a Financial Advisor, Part 1

June 19, 2021
2.2k
investing in bitcoin

Is it time to invest in Bitcoins again?

May 13, 2019
2k
when do reits liquidate
Uncategorised

Performance of Currency-Neutral S&P 500 Index Funds

January 19, 2014
2k
is mortgage interest tax deductible
Uncategorised

The 2013 Sleepy Portfolio Report Card

January 12, 2014
2k
how to buy individual stocks in canada
Uncategorised

Asset Class Returns for 2013

January 5, 2014
1.9k
Next Post

The Conservative Tax Trick

Please login to join discussion
Canadian Capitalist

© 2022 Canadian Capitalist

Navigate Site

  • Home
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertisement
  • Contact Us

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Investing
  • Markets
  • Real Estate
  • Retirement
  • Tax Savings
  • Trivia
  • Resources

© 2022 Canadian Capitalist

Welcome Back!

Sign In with Facebook
Sign In with Google
Sign In with Linked In
OR

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Sign Up with Facebook
Sign Up with Google
Sign Up with Linked In
OR

Fill the forms below to register

*By registering into our website, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
two man and woman standing on doorway
The man who does not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read - Mark Twain