One commonality I've seen no matter what city, no matter what country I'm in is the use of "lifestyle graphics" on slick billboards, posters and websites to sell overpriced condos.
You've seen 'em too very likely - fresh faced young singles laughing, sharing a glass of wine. Two couples having a blast in their new $800,000 loft. Four pretty girls not worrying about their jobs, their mortgages and their cheating boyfriends. A retired couple perfectly groomed and tanned celebrating over a cheese plate and glass of bubbly. 
So my question is, what percent of folks were so dissatisfied with their lives that they disregarded the wildly overinflated prices and bought in mainly because they wanted to buy into "the lifestyle", and would pay anything, and I mean anything, to get it?
July 21, 2006
Condo sales and the use of "lifestyle graphics"
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It was discussed blog-elsewhere (maybe even here) last year; that people bought in to the bubble out of a subconscious fear of losing their economic livelihood.
In that sense, this bubble is worse than a tulip bubble, or a stock bubble, because you are being sold a lifestyle AND untold riches, all in one package.
Has any other mania had that?
Those fresh faces will be sipping Franzia once the pain kicks in...
Franzia? Hell, more like wild turkey out of a paper bag.
They do that with SFH advertising, too. How many times have you seen a billboard for a house with a green yard and several kids playing, or a passel of lab puppies, or a swimming pool filled with happy people?
That's lifestyle marketing too...just aimed at people whose life situation is different than the target market (young, single, or DINKs) for condos.
Those fresh faces will be sipping Franzia once the pain kicks in..
Yup and drinking Boone's Farm apple wine($4.99) instead of the $30 bottle of the good old days..here in mass i see nothing selling..house across the street from me been on the market 1 year today
This is a picture of a condo flipper in Miami, FL.
http://static.flickr.com/39/84559338_23bdeb50f3_m.jpg
Well I have something for the young lady to sip on after her divorce because hubby could not pay the bills.
They'll be swiggin' Cold duck out of a paper cup, sleeping under a bridge mumbling under their breath something about Suzanne and it only goes up and why did I ever buy when I could have stayed in my apartment?
You know what, I've always believed that love (meaning romantic love) was an illusion and now, with this housing mania, I think it's true.
Romantic love, as suppose to agape (unconditional), was sold to the public with key notes like "if you love me then you'll want to buy { X, Y, Z } for us and our life/future together" as oppose to 'in sickness a/o health, rich a/o poor' and I think this collective belief system is coming home to roost.
What are moms and dads for? They will be back living with them - temporarily.
"What are moms and dads for?"
Is this like a nationwide version of 'Failed to Launch' or Chris Elliot's 'Get A Life'?
Living the La Vita Lifestyle in San Diego. . .RENTING!!!
While my landlord looses $1000 a month, I sit on my balcony watching the ships sail into the sunset, sipping a glass of wine, and deciding which restaurant to dine at later in the evening. . .meanwhile the depreciation of SD condos continues more "for sale by owner" and "price reduced" signs appear daily. . .and those old "foreclosed property" signs have recently sprung up near freeways. . .yes, and great lifestyle for the renter.
I cant stand the fake smiles and the phoney lifestyles they are trying to portray as real life. How about those Lexas commercials to go buy a $50,000.00 car for Christmas!! Ha ha who are these idiots?? Who lives this way?? Not normal people but then again normal people have been living this way and are in for a big awakeing when the party is over and its time to pay the piper!!
There is a great Hummer commercial out right now. A young woman is told by another woman in the park that her kid had to wait his turn to go down the slide.
This upset and embarrassed the first woman so much that she immediately traded in her minivan and bought a Hummer.
The new form of the skinny weakling getting sand kicked in his face.
I love this blog.
Do you think the Board of Bimbo's will get theirs, too?
http://victimordeal.blogspot.com/
That's the funniest thing ever....I've always felt the same way.
Here's my favorite:
http://joulecondo.com/
If you click around this site you'll laugh for days...that is if you're able to get past the sunglasses-wearing model on the front page without puking.
I drive by this place every day and laugh when I notice it is nestled around a run-down body shop and surrounded by such lifestyle enhancing shops as Jiffy Lube, Pio Pio's (a shitty chicken joint) and 7-11.
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