Some of us might actually love where we live and regard it as something beyond material value. We would however be naive and self deluding in denying the significant contribution that being an owner occupier provides to our status, wealth and how our peers see us.
Many have been persuaded by the political ideologies but just as many have been deceived, demoralised and ruined in pursuit of the fulfilment of that particular dream.
It could be the case that everyone has their price when it comes to relinquishing their property but now and again a news story emerges that puts us all to shame.
One such individual, Edith Macefield, caught the attention of the world's media in 2006 when she declined a more than generous offer from a Developer for her 108 year old former farmhouse which took up a small but critical part of a large regeneration project in Seattle, USA.
The house, in which she had lived for many decades, was a quaint, characterful one and a half storey place although of reasonable size at 1000 square feet. More than likely given its agricultural origins it will have stood for much of that time in clear, open countryside .
Gradually the Ballard Suburb of Seattle grew with other residences before undergoing a further transition into a commercial district culminating in the attentions of big money backers and builders to create a huge five floor complex including Mall type shopping, leisure facilities and business operations.
Edith Macefield was 85 years old at the time of the offer to purchase and many would have encouraged her to take the $1million dollars as her just entitlement and with which to live out the rest of her days in comfort and security.
The house, at the time had been appraised by Realtors at around a tenth of its development value.
In declining the offer Edith attained folk hero status although her only motivation was to avoid being put in a Care Establishment. Her own mother had been mistreated in an Old Peoples Home and Edith had brought her home determined to look after her. As though just relived to be back with family her mother passed away within a couple of days.
The development progressed rapidly without the land beneath Edith's house and very soon outflanked it on three sides with towering blank elevations.
She soldiered on regardless living her life and tending her garden and was indifferent to the representatives of the developers who regularly called by to see if she was alright. Many were dismissed curtly but politely but a friendship was struck between Edith and the Site Construction Supervisor, Barry Martin to such an extent that he became in effect her carer providing her with three meals a day and even living in over a weekend. This continued until her death at home in 2008.
The unlikely alliance resulted in a book and the Supervisor was left the house as a bequest subject to the specific condition that it was not to end up in the hands of the developer.
Continuing the cult status established by Edith the Disney Corporation used the house as a publicity stunt for their animated film "Up" in 2009 and attached a large array of colourful helium balloons to the roof.
Local supporters of Edith's stand adopted balloon displays in the same way and a local tattoo artist received ten commissions from customers for his ink on skin representation of the distinctive house silhouette.
Barry Martin, following the instructions of his benefactor, sold the house in 2009 to a Seattle businessman who intended to use it as a training business for $310,000. It was hoped that a new owner would ensure survival of what very much a was a tourist attraction but the bank foreclosed on a loan and the vacant property was boarded up.
As recently as March this year the future of the iconic property was threatened when it failed to attract any bids at an auction by the mortgagees in possession. A few fans of Edith attended the sale clutching multicoloured balloons but to date the ongoing interest in all that she stood for has not resulted in the willingness of the community or a wealthy patron to continue the battle against the relentless pace of development.
Watch that space..........
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