Housing Market in Perspective

Walking down the street today on First Street, northeast, DC, I had a conversation with a
colleague Matias, on housing market in America. Foreclosure and consumer confidence, plus job
loss have plagued us over the last three years. Sad as these are, they are not endemic to us in the
United States alone. The world over in their individual sovereign states, were shivering with this
economic pandemic.

It is sad that families are finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet at our time. Even
though I have no immediate family to care for, financially, I feel the heat too. Credit cards and
bills and differed school loan, year after year. I can barely say when I shall get through. Seems
like a classical case of a man sold out unknowingly or knowingly to the corporate world: 'just
work and pay month to month'...Wal-Mart will hire you at retirement.

I do have a problem here. That has to do with the housing market. Living in DC, seeing
those beautiful condos springing up at the speed of light and oh God; they are sight to see.
Admirable. I asked the price for a 2 bedroom recently on the Southwest end, and Lord, it goes
for $600,000.00 plus. At that price, I felt dizzy, and shrugged it off. I will rent until I cannot
afford rents anymore. To keep this narration short, housing is over priced in America. This was
the core of my conversation with Matias.

Food, shelter and healthcare are a triad that is necessary for humans...and animals alike.
Compromising one may jeopardize the other(s) and lead to a violation in fundamental human
existential needs. And of course...RIGHT. Housing for all, good healthy food for all, and
Medicare for all; sounds like asking for too much. Not just in America, but anywhere in
the globalized economy. But should we loss our sense of responsibility for one another, for
personal prosperity and self aggrandizement? Or is this question worth asking as it betrays
capitalism? Sure not. Market oriented economy is a natural way of life, even favored by God, in
His majesty. What is un-natural is for corporate(s) to go unregulated and exploit the common.

The cost of construction of a two bedroom condo in southwest DC is certainly not $300,000.00
not $100,000.00, I bet it is much less. I agree with location determining cost but not to that
magnitude of 1/2 million plus dollars. I wonder what retirement will be like for me and how
many of my kind are out there, with graduate degrees and huge school loans, enough to take a
third of your work life. I feel enslaved, and there is no way out!