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When Housing Blogs Throw Stones

Ths is a must-read article for anyone who reads real estate blogs, a Bible for anyone who writes one. Thought I might take this as a sweet opportunity to talk about how mean people can be on this, and other, blogs.

Here? On DallasDirt? Just read some of the posts, you’ll see that Thorazine must not be getting covered by a lot of HMO’s these days.

(See? I’m being mean! Bad blogger!)

“Everything inside is nothing but beige and barf”: what one commenter wrote about a home on the Real Estalker — I won’t even repeat what the Real Estalker wrote about Phil Romano’s home.

(Hate to be picky, but barf is not always beige.)

Why do we have to be so mean and put down other people’s homes? Are we just envious? Maybe some people like their homes all huge and purple, like a bruise. (Slap me!) We cannot all afford the Taj Mahal one of the Ten Most Beautiful Homes In Dallas, nor can we all afford to hire the likes of Trisha Wilson, Emily Summers, Neal Stewart or Michele Nussbaumer to create exquisite, tasteful home environments. (Maybe some of us would rather be altruistic with funds and buy back a foreclosed home for a sobbing woman.) We are all to do this tasteful decorating on our own? (Hello, why do you think Pottery Barn was created.)Well, what if we cannot? Is that why we offer up snarky opinions on photos of homes that are not to our liking, or remind us of (give me sunglasses) pre-school?

But who would be stupid enough to leave an exercise bike smack in the middle of the room he was trying to showcase for sale? 

I guess we have all become critics.

This article blames the housing crisis, but I disagree. The nasties were sky-high last year right here when Dallas was buying up props like a drunken sailor. I have friends who admonish me  and say I should be doing something much more productive with a Columbia degree. (Mail-order, of course.) I wish I could trail a president, find Sarah Palin’s sordid past. But I truly love real estate, so I trail homes, agents, and all that it entails in Dallas. I feel there is so much to be gained from these blogs — a chance for greater transparency in the marketplace in a non-disclosure state. This is a chance for buyers to dig past the canned PR pitches. Years ago, it was said that Dallas Realtors ruined the Dallas public schools because whenever a family moved to Dallas, they would steer them towards Highland Park, University Park, or a suburb to get the better school district. Have no idea if that is true. (But we can discuss.) A blog is a place where the public can say no, that’s not the truth, here’s what our experience was. Like the woman who emailed me the other day detailing a awful experience with a home builder. A blog is a place where we can share ideas and experiences within the realm of journalism: a town-hall meeting, a group discussion. 

As for the comments, when they get out of control, they will be deleted.  Out of control means defaming someone, making accusations, hurting people. If we do have to spill public-record facts, I want to give people a chance to voice their side of the story. We can all be critics, but we don’t have to be mean. I like the example of the woman who fought back negative comments about her “obsolecent” kitchen. Few months back, I posted a friend’s home to see the reaction it would get, and it was awful. Very hurtful. The truth was, however, her Realtor had taken shoddy photos. It showed. If you want to sell a home (or anything), you showcase it — what single woman goes out looking for love without makeup? I felt so badly about the nasty comments, I offered to help stage her home for another round of photos. But… her home sold despite the bad photography! See, somebody loved it after all!