Open house!

One of my hobbies, which I nowadays have very little time for, is to visit homes or apartments that are for sale and open for viewing. I always have to apologize up front to the staff showing the house that I have no intention of purchasing and that I would rather not give my address, because I'll soon be moving and I don't want to receive a lot of direct mail. However, once this is cleared up, I'm allowed to walk around freely.

I especially like open houses because it gives me an idea of what needs developers think that today's home buyers have. I am also able to talk with people who sell houses for a living and thus meet with home buyers on a daily basis. They say that most buyers are young families, usually with one or two children under the age of 4. Sellers say that young families have been saving up money by renting or living with family and that they want to buy a home before their children start school, so that they can stay in one school for the duration of their elementary education.

The house sellers are always fun to talk with. I find myself asking off-the-wall questions, like whether I can add another patio door in the back or what the loan rates are like (30 or 35 year loans at around 2 or 3 percent are common). They have to answer hundreds of similar questions each day, so I don't think that I'm bothering them too much.

I also enjoy just imagining life in this pristine spaces. They radiate with promise, sunny windowsills waiting to fill with houseplants, open counter space just waiting for a basket of fresh fruit, a balcony that could just fit a small table or a bbq set. The decorations tend to be black, white, beige, or grey - less warm and comfy than the open houses I've visited in the United States, which are colorful and sometimes overfilled with details.