Good blog tip for writers low on ideas: find some infographics and talk about them.
This week I’ve stumbled across two very interesting infographics relating to real estate and – something dear to our hearts – real estate photography. The fact they both came out this week gives me reason to combine them into one decent sized blog post, thus keeping the pay cheques rolling in. Good times.
So without further ado, or padding…
House buying makes you greedy??
Today’s New Zealand Herald contains a ‘report’ into which New Zealanders are the most naughty, using the Seven Deadly Sins as criteria. In a conclusion that will delight many south of the Bombays, Auckland was declared ‘Sin City’ for winning in four of the seven categories.
Although the Herald described it as a ‘lighthearted look’, there is one section where they missed the mark entirely.
In their citation for Auckland’s win in ‘Greed’, the Herald wrote:
An insatiable demand for real estate in Auckland is helping to grow a widening gap between the rich and poor.
Couple this statement with their definition of greed as the “excessive desire to possess more than one’s needs” and one can sense a theme: buying property is greedy and keeping the poor down.
Data from Statistics New Zealand, in plain English, show those richest 20% of Auckland households earning 4.22 times more than the poorest 20%.
It would certainly be good to reduce this gap. But blaming that on people buying houses makes as much sense as blaming the All Blacks for winning the World Cup by scoring more points than the French. That jerkface McCaw has a lot to answer for!
The article almost seems to suggest the answer to reducing inequality is to stop people buying houses. The real answer is to bring everyone up – not hold anyone down.
Buying a house, so long as it is for a reasonable price and with a sensible mortgage plan, is about the best thing you can do to improve your lot in life. It gives you an asset to borrow against if need be, and best of all it provides a roof over your head that can’t be swiped away by some landlord.
And with the lower quartile rent for a three-bedroom Auckland house $163 above the rest of the country, renting isn’t exactly a cheap alternative. Far better to pay off your own house than someone else’s.
People buying a house – not greedy. Investors buying property – pretty hard to call that greed when it’s a far sounder investment option than most others. No, the Herald needs a far sounder way to measure greed than by singling out those trying to achieve financial security.
Using a pro makes you smart!
Meanwhile, here’s an infographic Open2view can agree with:
![Professional Photos Net More For Your Home]()
Source: RuxtaReality.com
As we have said here and here, professional real estate photography means better marketing, more attention and higher sales prices. This information comes from data collected by Redfin and while the numbers are American, the principle is universal.
So what do you reckon – are Auckland property buyers committing a sin? Are you telling your real estate agent to use a pro photographer? Are infographics great or what? Share your thoughts below or on our Facebook page.
One thing everyone can agree on though: nothing beats a decent pie chart.
