Homeownership is Emotional : a REALTOR’s take on Miranda Lambert’s “The House that Built Me”

In reading a recent REALTOR Magazine I saw the interview with Tom Douglas who wrote the lyrics to Miranda Lambert’s hit “The House That Built Me”. I am not much of a country music fan, so this song had gone under my radar, but his answers in the interview intrigued me to go find the song and give it a listen.

You conceived of the song during the housing boom times, but it wasn’t released until 2010. Did the dramatic changes in the market affect the song’s meaning in any way?

Douglas: A house is not simply four walls or a financial investment. It becomes your heart. It’s still the dream for most people, regardless of whether the real estate industry is booming. Having our own home is what we aspire to, whether it’s a trailer or a mansion on a hill.

Home ownership is so emotional and Douglas gets it right when he points out that it isn’t four walls. We all bond with our homes for different reasons. People often choose a house because it “feels like home”. Over the course of my 23 years as a real estate professional in Western MA, I have seen this time and time again. For reasons unknown to me, one house speaks to the buyer and gives them that “warm and fuzzy” feeling that tells them they want this to be home.

I grew up in Southwick and Westfield, MA and still drive by my childhood homes to catch a glimpse of my youthful memories. It is amazing how imagining my homes at certain points in my life is evocative of so many emotions. When I drive by I see the lilacs that my grandfather planted and the pool I loved to swim in. I see the lawn I mowed each week as a teenager and the spot where I parked my car. I remember the family room that hosted so many slumber parties and my lavender bedroom with the most expensive carpeting in the house. Just thinking of these spaces brings back a rush of memories and my mind’s eye can see things the way they were.

As Miranda Lambert sings her song, I realize that we all share those attachments to our homes and I am humbled to be part of the process that puts people into their home.

Here is the video for Miranda Lambert’s “The House that Built Me”…enjoy!