Are bigger houses better?

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This just in: large houses are back. After coming out of the real estate bubble, supposedly home buyers are looking at building houses that are over 4,000 square feet. Yes, John Mellencamp, we have come a long way from our little pink houses in a big way.

On one hand, reports say that U.S. consumers are spending again, but quite cautiously. Then there are reports that home buyers are back to buying bigger TVs, cars and now, houses.

It seems to me that if consumers are jittery, it would hardly be known judging by the latest interest in the purchases of larger homes and those so-called "McMansions." Not that there's anything wrong with buying larger homes because we're free to buy what we enjoy in this nation.

I wonder if those type of home buyers are so elated about purchasing a large house forget about those lackluster items that come with a new house like property taxes and energy spending. Who came blame these home buyers? A spacious house featuring large bedrooms, kitchens plus an in-law suite combined with a low interest rate mortgage can overshadow the dull details like insurance costs. After all, it's more exciting to know that you have more space to have a home theater than thinking about how much the gas bill will be in February. Yes, that's not fun.

Witnessing trends like buying larger houses still fascinates me. Are we a nation that is more into short-term gratification who want larger things in their lives like houses or are we a nation that is filled with savvy home buyers who are wisely investing in real estate?

Let's not forget that there are a plethora of storage places throughout America where we put away our "overflow possessions" or in some folks' minds: junk. Is more space better so that we could house more of our own possessions in larger homes or would a bigger house mean simply more "junk?" Those are tough questions which do not have easy answers. The only thing that we know is that once things get a bit better, trends show that we tend to go with that "bigger is better mentality."







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