The Right to Own Real Estate Goes Back Centuries - Leave it to the French to fight for the right to own land.
July 14 is known as Bastille Day in France. It is that country’s national holiday and similar in many ways to our July 4th Independence Day holiday. Bastille Day commemorates the storming of the Bastille, which took place in the year 1789.
The Bastille was a prison and a symbol of the absolute power of King Louis XVI. By capturing this symbol, the working people of France sent a message that the king’s power was no longer absolute: Power should be based on the nation and limited by a separation of power. It marked the birth of a republic and freedom for its people.
So why am I talking about this, and how does it relate to real estate?
One of the reasons, among many, that the French revolted was that the middle class wanted the right to own land.
The arbitrary power of King Louis' ancient regime prevented people from owning land and real estate. The “Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen” was created during the French Revolution. The last article in this declaration lists property as a sacred right.
It is a reminder, like here in the United States, that owning a piece of land, a home of any type, is something to be proud of, and people should embrace the liberty it stands for.
Homeownership has its ups and downs, like anything. But owning your own home brings freedom to do what you want with your property. It should not be viewed solely as an investment instrument, but more as a place to call your own, enjoy the company of family, friends and neighbors, and as an enhancement to the foundations of a community.
We live in a region that fortunately is fairing better than other parts of the country when it comes to the sustaining of home values. Some would say we are “regionally buffered” with employment that holds up better than most in a recession or just after a recession because we have industries like pharmaceutical and education (colleges and universities).
In the Philadelphia metropolitan area, the risk of purchasing a home that will hold its value or appreciate in value is a much smaller risk. In Montgomery County, the average price of a single family home in June of this year is $310,000, which is down from a $321,000. in June of 2010. However, in June of 2009, the average price was $309,000.
~Gina
Bastille Day - The Right to Own Real Estate Goes Back Centuries By our team member and guest blogger Gina Wherry originally appeared in the Montgomeryville-Lansdale Patch.
Contact Scott Loper, Associate Broker, Realtor®, RE/MAX Realty Group at 215-513-1333 for help buying or selling a home in Lansdale, Harleysville, Hatfield, Souderton, Skippack, Collegeville, North Wales and the surrounding areas of Montgomery County of Pennsylvania. To Search for Homes For Sale in Montgomery County Click Here.
Bastille Day - The Right to Own Real Estate Goes Back Centuries - Copyright © 2011, The Scott Loper Team, All rights reserved.
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The Scott Loper Team
Scott Loper - Associate Broker
Lisa Loper - Sales Associate
Gina Wherry - Sales Associate
RE/MAX Realty Group
439 Main Street
Harleysville, PA 19438
Ph: 215-256-1200 x-213
