A Home with a Name

As the steward of those homes, I learned that they had a life, a personality, a heartbeat. A home built in 1982 has a different heartbeat than that built in 1915. So, while we travel, we look for the heartbeats of old homes because “old” has a different connotation in Europe. A home built in the 1700’s has a different heartbeat than that built in the 1200’s.

Home ownership has been in the news for a while because it has gotten ridiculously expensive. In fact, there are “Institutional Investors” that will “Invest” in your home by paying you to become a partial owner in your home. It started when the government got involved with backing failed financial investments in the fallout after the 2008 financial crisis. Institutional Investors currently own 2-5% of the single-family home market depending upon which statistical survey you read. Historically, the home was a family investment. It was purchased with hard-earned money by one generation and passed down to future generations with or without mortgages. That’s why the 30-year mortgage was developed in the 1930’s says BeBusinessed in an article about the history of mortgages.

When Greg wrote, “Where Is My Home” while we were in Portugal, I reflected on the homes I owned, or they owned me? I had the pleasure of owning three homes in my life. Two of them were neglected and needed significant rehabilitation. One had been built in 1982, the other in 1915. I became the steward of those properties. Through sweat equity I spent 7 years bringing each of them back to life. From yardwork to painting, re-siding to patio installations, I gave my heart to those homes, and they gave me pride of accomplishment and a place to call mine. Each home gave me warmth and comfort, as my daughter and I shared our joys and sorrows in them.

HAVE you ever named your home? or What WOULD you name your home? Tell us more...

Old and new homes in Europe have a common feature not utilized in the United States. The houses were given names. Originally, the home, manor, cottage or castle was named as a location because they predated addresses. But the naming of a house was also a sign of the family’s prestige as it defined lineage and built a family legacy. Whether the name of the home related to the name of the family living there or a characteristic of the home itself, we’ve been delighted by the simple and ornate signs throughout our travel.