The author shares their transition from writing about real estate to focusing on creating a board game, expressing a diminished interest in the industry and concerns about their blog's audience.
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HouseRat is a snarky blog covering homebuyer tips, house flipping, and real estate ramblings. The author enjoys home renovation, photography, and collecting rocks.
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The author reflects on their long gap in writing, deleting old posts, and shifting focus to producing a board game. They express their determination to complete the game despite financial risks and the potential impact on their so...
The author is designing, researching, producing, and self-publishing a children's board game. They are also considering shipping and fulfillment options and are dreading the social media aspect of marketing. Additionally, they are...
The author recounts a funny incident where their child accidentally texted their dance teacher instead of a school friend using Siri, leading to an embarrassing situation. The author reflects on how parents will inevitably be emba...
The text discusses the concept of home-ownership as the American Dream and its universal appeal. It also delves into the history of REITs, their tax incentives, and the role of Sam Zell in their development. The post raises concer...
The text discusses the importance of friction and convenience in various aspects of life, such as processed foods, shopping, movie tickets, online shopping, and real estate. It highlights the unintended consequences of convenience...
0Resisting the urge to edit old posts - HouseRat
2025-01-12 •
The author reflects on feeling embarrassed about their old posts and the urge to delete or edit them. They question whether this feeling indicates improvement in their writing and express a desire to ignore conventional writing ad...
0Dirty Little Pocket Listings - HouseRat
2024-12-21 •
The blog post discusses the concept of pocket listings in real estate, the controversy surrounding them, and the perspectives of sellers, buyers, and agents. It highlights the benefits and drawbacks of pocket listings from each pa...
The blog post discusses the unintended consequences of the Dodd-Frank Act, which has led to the affordable housing crisis. It explains how the act has dis-incentivized banks from lending for small mortgages, making it difficult fo...
Realtor.com has removed the 'contingent' status option from its listings, which previously indicated that a house had an offer with contingencies. This change means that only 'active' (no offer) and 'pending' (offer without contin...
0Happy Friday 13th
2024-09-13 •
The author shares their excitement for the fall season and begins reading 'A Discovery of Witches' by Deborah Harkness, hoping it will be an escape from recent disappointments. They recount a recent job application process that in...
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0Fanfare Friday
2024-08-30 •
HouseRat blog post featuring cool, weird, interesting, and inspiring things stumbled upon during the week. Includes an animated wonder, a Christopher Walken dance video, a nostalgic snake-wrangling story, a visual reminder of foll...
0They Say You Should Never Sell
2024-08-23 •
The author discusses their experience with flipping houses and the challenges of being a landlord, particularly with a 5-plex property. They question whether holding onto the property for long-term gains is worth it or if they sho...
The blog post discusses the importance of finding the sweet spot in home pricing to avoid coming off as greedy. It covers common mistakes made by both buyers and sellers, such as pricing too high or low, and provides strategies fo...
0A Birthday Letter to Myself
2024-07-09 •
The author reflects on their hopes and wishes for the next chapter of their life, including entrepreneurial growth, finishing a board game, overcoming sales fears, expanding social circles, and focusing on personal growth.
0The Copper Fox Treehouse
2024-06-19 •
The Copper Fox Treehouse is a handmade home built with salvaged windows that inspired a fox-shaped building. The owners used 3-D modeling software and sustainable materials to create a 520 square-foot treehouse powered by solar el...
0The Transformation of Our First Little Bungalow
2024-06-07 •
The blog post details the renovation journey of the author's first house, purchased in 2010, including exterior updates, bathroom additions, flooring changes, and more. The post also includes insights into the budget, challenges f...
0The Coolest Rock Wall in the World
2024-06-05 •
The blog post discusses a unique rock wall surrounding a house in Decorah, Iowa, which was built by Adelbert F. Porter over several years. The wall is made up of various rocks and includes a Japanese-inspired fish pond. The post a...
0Why Blog Anonymously?
2024-05-22 •
The author of HouseRat blog discusses the reasons for blogging anonymously, including concerns about privacy, fear of judgment, and the desire to maintain freedom. They also express gratitude for a fellow blogger who helped promot...
0Book Review: Handmade Houses
2024-05-21 •
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0Property Taxes Might Financially Kill You
2024-05-04 •
The blog post discusses the impact of property taxes and insurance rates on homeowners, using a real-life example of a woman who could no longer afford her home due to increased taxes. The author emphasizes the importance of resea...
0This House Raises a Brow to Interior Design
2024-04-17 •
The blog post discusses an inspiring new-build house with unique design elements like eyebrow dormer and quanset huts. The designers, Anne and Richard De Wolf, own Arciform, a design-build firm in Portland. The house features timb...
0What Will Zillow Do?
2024-03-22 •
The author speculates on what Zillow will do now that real estate commissions have been de-coupled, suggesting they could become a one-stop shop for listing homes. They discuss the roles of listing agents and buyer agents, potenti...