Fame

It’s only taken six weeks and I can officially get high on the smell of my own farts. This morning a North-West reader alerted me the local newspaper, The Advocate, had written a story questioning any housing shortage - going so far as to suggest there might be a bunch of empty houses around the state.

I ran out and grabbed the paper, in the process half expecting pig poop to land on my head at any moment. Upon reading the article I found myself as pleasantly surprised as anyone could be in this situation – don’t kid yourself, the weekly Domain real estate lift out is probably the ventilator keeping this newspaper breathing.

Now anyone who’s read this mangy mess of a blog would quickly realise The Advocate story had my fingerprints all over it. After all, it was only last weekend I drove a dagger into the heart of any spruiker cunning enough to suggest the North-West had a shortage of housing.

And a month earlier I suggested Tasmania was currently building a new dwelling for every 1.84 people added to the state’s population. Coincidently, similar information makes its debut in the article, only this time it’s 1.62 people – even worse!  (Different time frames).

Out of the blue, did Sean Ford decide it was time to investigate the shortage myth? I doubt it.

While I may make light, suggesting I’ve had twelve readers in the last six weeks, it’s not quite true.  I see the numbers and they’re building, which must frighten the hell out of determined spruikers and housing goons with a constipated supply of specs jammed up their back passage.   

Do I care about the credit? Do you see a name here; do you see any banners that I’m trying to make a buck off? No, this is nothing but awareness, or if you like consumer advocacy. Think of me as Ralph Nader, and this site as a seatbelt. I’m letting you in on the fact there isn’t any shortage and houses don’t always go to the moon.

The real estate industry despises the idea of a buyer having access to any information. They want the buyer blindfolded, tied to a chair, with electric probes clamped to their genitals, shocking them into submission, before the buyer finally accepts every ludicrous real estate myth peddled.

“Sign me up, here’s all the debt I could muster!”

I suspect Sean Ford knows this, he’s no fool and can see what is happening to his region.

With no hint of irony, his article was jammed between another on further jobs losses and an ad for the closing down sale of a carpet factory.

Keep scaring people into overpriced housing and you put an anchor around their neck, which is completely unproductive and diverts money away from other sectors of the economy – just what you want as the Tasmanian economy falters.

While Sean only saw fit to quote local real estate agents, I won’t hold that against him, he probably knew they’d swing from the highest branch on their own words – do any of those quotes make a sliver of sense?

 Deanne Lamprey of First National expected a more severe shortage was on the way.

Sigh, it’s going to be a long and hard road out of hell.