Letter of the Day (Sept. 2): Real estate

September 2, 2011 at 2:21AM
In this May 12, 2011 photo, a real estate sign announces a pending residential home sale in Wayland, Mass. Pending home sales fell in April with regional variations following increases in February and March, with unusual weather and economic softness adding to ongoing problems that are hobbling a recovery, according to the National Association of Realtors(R).
In this May 12, 2011 photo, a real estate sign announces a pending residential home sale in Wayland, Mass. Pending home sales fell in April with regional variations following increases in February and March, with unusual weather and economic softness adding to ongoing problems that are hobbling a recovery, according to the National Association of Realtors(R). (Associated Press/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

I found the Aug. 31 headline "A sliver of good news on local home prices" to be quite biased.

The Star Tribune seems to tacitly consider it axiomatic that high house prices (or "home" prices, if you like cutesy journalese) are good and low house prices are bad.

That doesn't make sense for anyone looking to buy a house.

Maybe it makes sense for those who regard houses they already live in as investments.

But shouldn't it be clear by now that treating one's house as an investment rather than as a dwelling is a mistake?

MICHAEL HARDY, MINNEAPOLIS

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