Why we love our land so much - what it says about who we are and who we want to be.
It always amazes me at how tied to the homesite, lot, whatever you want to call it people can be. In all of my years of working with buyers and sellers, I'm always pleased to hear a customer talk about the direction the lot faces, the way the sun will come up in the morning, is it in a cu-de-sac, on a corner, away from the main entrance, close to the entrance, rid of road noise, too close to the highway, sloping too much, not enough, perfect for a garden, plenty large enough to play a game of catch with a child, has views of the mountains, and the list goes on and on. What I've realized is that the home is important; the floorplan needs to work, the amenities need to feel good to the buyer, but in the end, I've seen the land win time and time again.
Why is that? Is it because it's easier to describe than solid surface counter tops and an split bedroom plan? Or is it because it defines us a person? Man is territorial, right? In the Treasure Valley, we love to be able to say, "oh, I'd only live on the South side of the Freeway, or in SE Boise. We love to tell someone, "I live in the cul-de-sac, on a 1/2 acre, no less". I learned a long time ago, give someone a little bit of the dirt from the homesite they choose in a plastic bag, and you'll see the pride and excitement on their faces as they leave. I guarantee you, they're showing off their dirt.
The Pioneers staked their land across the West and claimed their future. Do we do the same? I did. I'm in this wonderful business and have had the ability to look at all kinds of different neighborhoods, homesites, etc, but what did I do? I sold my house, rented for a year, while I WAITED for my perfect piece of land be paved, graded and perfectly platted for my new home. We LOVE our land, it has a Northeast facing back yard, views of the mountains,sits on that ever important cul-de-sac, has no rear yard neighbors and on and on. I wanted to take home my dirt in a plastic bag and say this is the Fitzgerald Claim.
I talked builder, Craig Roth of Timberline Builders Group, the other day, and he said, I'd rather invest in the land all day long instead of the stock market because I can jump on it, touch it and feel it. It's not a piece of paper it's LAND! I loved it - he's so right! Our land defines us. It's says who we are, what we like, where we like it. It's solid, trustworthy, won't go anywhere. It's our blank slate, ready to be made into whatever we want it to be. Talk about pride of ownership...we are proud of our land and our ability to claim it.
Man and his land. Cavemen, Pioneers, and those of us today - WE LOVE OUR LAND.