Housing Situation

I was sorting through mails and came across two shiny flyers. The kind made in glossy card stock paper from No. 1 sellers agents in the sought after area where we live – rather where we rent. Both flyers were screaming loud that they sold most of the homes for much more than the listed prices. Some prices were over 100 K or 150 K than the listed price. Some of them say cannot disclose how much more. The factor that got my attention was two words in green, in most of the transactions -  ALL CASH.

So who can buy a home for 1.5 Million in all cash? And why? How does this impact the economy? My simple knowledge about the US economy is that the financial institutions need to generate loans and revenue though interest to create a sustainable economy. Is that not true? What triggers the home pricing hike? Did a simple search for “United States Economy”. The following is a statement I found in one of the articles.

“A central feature of the U.S. economy is the economic freedom afforded to the private sector by allowing the private sector to make the majority of economic decisions in determining the direction and scale of what the U.S. economy produces. This is enhanced by relatively low levels of regulation and government involvement,^[as well as a court system that generally protects property rights and enforces contracts.”

Economic freedom has made a United States a highly sought after land for living from people all around the world. With the abundance of natural resources and opportunities, this country became home to millions of hardworking individuals who thought they could realize the American Dream and live happily ever after. It is a pity that at least three fourth of those who made this country home, cannot really afford to own a home for themselves. Just thinking a little more on this situation, what causes this? Is this governed by the law of supply and demand?

A recap of the law of supply and demand: “The law of supply and demand defines the effect that the availability of a particular product and the desire (or demand) for that product has on price. Generally, if there is a low supply and a high demand, the price will be high. In contrast, the greater the supply and the lower the demand, the lower the price will be.”

Personally I think US housing in some parts is governed by Surplus Money + Controller Demand + Opportunistic Greed, than the actual Supply and Demand in the market. Buyers with a lot of money from stock options or whatever, and out of country buyer who desperately wants to invest in the US are always willing to pay anything more than the listed price for a house. The hard working families with normal income pattern can only dream of a dream home forever.

Should there be some regulations in place? Should someone look at this situations? Or is this a situation created for a reason?

Change….

A tornado from nowhere, tsunami, hurricane, accident. Soil erosion, water levels, seasons, growth and aging.

All of these factors cause change. In human life. We change, grow, develop for better or worse in the process of life. Until one fine day, the eternal change removes us and then the traces, from being human on this earth. That again causes change in lives of our loved ones...and change. They move on.

What kind of change is more sustainable and digestible? The tornado type or the soil erosion type? From my perspective, it would the soil erosion type. It is not sudden, not drastic, not supremely disruptive. Yet, we are aware, it happens, is disruptive to the existing thing, and one day, in time, there will be something different than what is. New sand on the beach caused by erosion. Increased water levels and melted snow peaks. Hotter summer and warmer winters. We do see/feel traces of the change as it happens….right?

What makes me think about change today? A change that is not happening.

Well I had been discussing some potential proposals that could change stuff for the better. People listen, agree, understand, sympathize and are not going anywhere. So what happens when we are stuck in the past, a 15 years earlier time frame, style and presentation, and the rest of the world is sprinting onto 2015 with vigor and enthusiasm? When we hit stagnation in growth, and do not plan to change with time, a negative change, deterioration starts happening. The history that built momentum becomes the historical past.

What can we do? Any monumental change is not possible in a day. Start slow. Look around. Listen. Start little. Alexander the great conquered nations by starting at the peripheral territories. Start changing small peripherals, move slowly forward. When the peripheral change gains visibility, that becomes the proof of concept for the bigger change. Do not hold on to something that worked for you 15 years ago.

Revisit, review and revamp to rejuvenate. Embrace change.

பிரிவின் வண்ணம்

சற்றே இருளாய் -
கருமை படர்ந்த மாலை பொழுதாய்
தனிமை தொடர்ந்த அந்த நேரம்
எண்ணம் கலங்கி வெறுமை படர்ந்து
தூரிகை எடுத்து எண்ணம் வரைய
வண்ணம் குழைக்க -
எண்ணம் போலே குழம்பிய வண்ணம்
கோடாய் குயிலாய் மரமாய் மடுவாய்
எங்கோ சென்று எதிலோ முடிந்து
பொருளே புரியா புதிய படமாய் ...

கண்ணாமூச்சி

வாழ்க்கை பாதையில்
ஒரு பொம்மலாட்டம்-
சொல்லாத எண்ணங்களில்
தெரியாத வண்ணங்களில்
தொலைந்த கனவுகளை
தேடும் குருடர்களாய் ...
எங்கோ என்றோ நிரடிய எண்ணங்களை
இங்கு இன்று தொடாமல் தொட்டுக்கொண்டு
வார்த்தை விளையாட்டில்
வாழ்கை தொலைப் போமோ?

Morning Musing

I woke up this morning. Have roof over my head, a job, family, and more family back home that care for me and I care for. Have great friends. I am blessed. Thank God for these blessings in life.

There are times when life looks gloomy, hopeless and fearful. We are born and we die. We, as in us do not decide when we are born. Same way we do not decide when we die. So why would I let anxiety take over? Fear cripple my way?

Work honestly, communicate openly, appreciate little pleasures, live on, until the day we are ready to move on and make space for those lives that'll happen after us. That day can be anywhere - just a few feet away or miles. Waiting for that to arrive takes away the present.

Living in the present - thoughtfully, appreciatively, joyfully and thankfully, at the same time counting the little blessings, hoping for a future - not fearing for the future would be very helpful to find way through life, living it.
 

Relaxation...

A little farther way
Beckons the elusive relaxation
I'll reach you soon
Just one more chore
I'll finish and start.....
Relaxation listens and moves a little farther than that
Fold the cloths.
Do the dishes.
Tidy up kids room.
Vacuum the carpet.
Sweep the floor.
Just one more chore
I'm coming to you relaxation...
It seems to listen-
Ah the stove top.
Mop the floor.
Make the bed.
The bathroom?
Just one more chore.
Relaxation exasperated
Moves one step closer.
Oh no... not today...
I can't relax.
I am not completely done with my chore.
Its pickup time.
I'll pursue you tomorrow, relaxation.
Go relax.
Don't wait for me.
 

Winning Together

How do we want to spend time working on cross functional teams on a project? ‘A project’ is a key term. When the outcome of ‘a project’, the product - ships, and when the customer uses it – they look at the product as a whole. They do not care who developed, which team from which geography contributed to which feature etc. The perception one product. The life of this product and reputation of the company depends on whether it works or not. Features, functionality, usability, support and documentation – all of these factors contribute to one goal – user’s experience with the product.

From conception to deliverable, ‘a product’ is chunked into multiple components for development and testing by sometimes hundreds of skilled engineers. Everyone works to make their part perfect. And take of making all the parts work together as expected. Someone steps in to test if things are working as expected. And someone starts documenting the functionality to enable the user navigate through or use the product without going through much frustration.

There might be issues and glitches everywhere. Of course we are all human. So when we find an issue of a glitch, try to bring it up and help the owner fix. If we don’t and start finding faults at the last minute, instead of spending time in resolving the problem for a better quality, we spend more time in finding reasons to defend ourselves. How does that help us being productive? We lose track of the common goal, and start chasing our individual interest that may not contribute to a common goal.

It is common knowledge that team work is all about working together, complementing and helping each other to succeed as a team. To achieve a common goal.