JFB's new digs

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

I see what you did there.

Missed Merritts reference but got yours. I never thought asking what someone paid for a house was off limits. Good to know for the inevitable, future dinner parties.

[jsglow]

I'll respectfully disagree.  Home prices are nowhere the level of "personal" information that salaries are.  Salaries are (right or wrong) an indicator of, or at least commonly tied to, one's personal worth... a home, on the other hand, is simply property. 

There's absolutely no pride in what you paid for your home.  And there's no joy to be found in what your neighbor paid.

The only person who should be put off by a discussion of what he/she paid for his/her home is one who defines their self-worth by material possessions.

Hey Ben, the fact that it's 'public record' is a red herring.  You purposefully made the lady uncomfortable as did your neighbor.  That makes it rude by definition.  Your statement that she's kind of a b*tch is also irrelevant.  Please examine your conscience.

Let me see if I can draw an extreme parallel.  Let's say that you're at your 15th MU reunion and you run into your old girlfriend, her husband and their two children ages 10 and 8.  Your with a bunch of guys who lived on the same floor in McCormick who all know you two were together back in college.  Isn't it your obligation to try to make that situation as easy and painless as possible for everyone there?  Doesn't failing to do that make you the biggest a-hole at the reunion?

[4everwarriors]

What if the kids were 16 and 18 yrs old and looked like Benny? Shouldn't he high tail it outta the whole 15 year Reunion thing, hey?

[NavinRJohnson]

All the public record stuff is weird too, but I was more asking about the gawking (stalking) about Jimmy Butler's house, or any other athlete/celebrety's house for that matter. Who cares? It's creepy.

[MerrittsMustache]

All the public record stuff is weird too, but I was more asking about the gawking (stalking) about Jimmy Butler's house, or any other athlete/celebrety's house for that matter. Who cares? It's creepy.

Many people like to see "how the other half lives."

Many people also channel their inner Uncle Rico and think they could be living in a mansion like that if only the coach had given them a chance!

[Benny B]

Hey Ben, the fact that it's 'public record' is a red herring.  You purposefully made the lady uncomfortable as did your neighbor.  That makes it rude by definition.  Your statement that she's kind of a b*tch is also irrelevant.  Please examine your conscience.

Let me see if I can draw an extreme parallel.  Let's say that you're at your 15th MU reunion and you run into your old girlfriend, her husband and their two children ages 10 and 8.  Your with a bunch of guys who lived on the same floor in McCormick who all know you two were together back in college.  Isn't it your obligation to try to make that situation as easy and painless as possible for everyone there?  Doesn't failing to do that make you the biggest a-hole at the reunion?

Let's put the issue of "how" aside for a moment and discuss the "why."  My friend was hosting a party, there was a pleasant conversation going on amongst him and his friends/neighbors.  He asks an otherwise innocuous question - with no ill intention - to a neighbor, and he is publicly scolded by this lady.  If she didn't want to talk about it, she could have said so, or a simple "I don't know" would have sufficed.  Instead, she decided to make it an issue, which caught everyone else off guard and put a blanket over everyone in ear's reach.  As far as I know, nobody else had a problem with my friend's initial question, but I wasn't going to sit there and allow someone else ruin my friend's party.  Yes, I have examined my conscience, and to have said nothing at all would have been the "greater evil."  While it wasn't my intention, sure, I probably ran her off.  But from there on, it was a great party and as far as I know, everyone had a good time.  I even apologized to my friend later, and he told me it was all good.  I don't like - and consistently avoid - having to put people in their place, but I will stand up for friend/family when it becomes necessary, and if that means an egg has to break, so be it.

Plus, I had a couple beers in me.  Big deal.  So did everyone.  Even the female, whom I earlier - and inappropriately - referred to as a term for a canine female (for context), did.  But no one I know could ever stay mad at beer.

As to the topic at hand... again, that might have been the only time I've ever discussed home prices (that weren't my own) at a social gathering, and it's not something I look to discuss at every opportunity.  My point was merely that there are no secrets when it comes to real estate prices, and while acting like it's some sort of personal/private information is illogical, to lambaste someone for asking the question with no malice is completely out-of-bounds.

Of course, everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion, but I'll be happy to put my money where my mouth is:  I paid $225,000 for my house with a 3% credit toward closing costs and 3.5% down (FHA), 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, unfinished basement, fireplace, covered patio and a bunch of Ikea millwork and flooring... if anyone wants to paint some sort of picture about me based on that, by all means do so.  If not, someone please explain what the problem is with discussing such without resorting to an "it is what it is" argument.

Nevertheless, I would be remiss if I didn't respond to your parallel; regardless of my "obligations," I needn't do anything at all, but if one of my floormates starts making inappropriate comments about my past relationship (it's not much of a parallel if I'm party to the subject matter... since my original involvement was as a bystander, it should be my floormate's past relationship, but I'll play along) in front of the ex's husband, you can be damn sure that I am going to nip it in the bud if no one else does... the situation itself will dictate whether that requires a subtle "knock it off" motion with the hands or a "shut the f--- up, T-Dogg" (we all had nicknames that ended with Dogg... it was the late 90s, Snoop was still Snoop, and we weren't really that creative).  Context dictates what's appropriate... but if I were to prejudge someone based simply on their  response, actual or hypothetical, without any regard for the context, indeed, I am the one who should be examining my conscience. 

Replace "response" in the preceding sentence with "home price," and it works just the same.

[jsglow]

That was a long read Ben but I don't think we disagree.

[Chicos' Buzz Scandal Countdown]

I'll respectfully disagree.  Home prices are nowhere the level of "personal" information that salaries are.  Salaries are (right or wrong) an indicator of, or at least commonly tied to, one's personal worth... a home, on the other hand, is simply property. 

There's absolutely no pride in what you paid for your home.  And there's no joy to be found in what your neighbor paid.

The only person who should be put off by a discussion of what he/she paid for his/her home is one who defines their self-worth by material possessions.

thanks for being so open, Benny. How much is in your bank and investment accounts? Also simply property.

[Benny B]

thanks for being so open, Benny. How much is in your bank and investment accounts? Also simply property.

But not public record.