Strange Question: Why do some people park outside their garage? (Austin: attorneys, subdivision)

[FueledByBlueBell]

One thing you can't argue with though- the Stepford way does keep the values up.

[TexasHorseLady]

Except that I'm having more and more buyers come to me saying, "I'll buy anywhere BUT in a neighborhood with an HOA and lots of restrictions," which says to me that the pendulum is swinging and sooner or later an HOA is not only not going to keep the property values up but, depending on the HOA and how anal they are (your garage MUST be closed except when entering or leaving is a prime example I'm given), may lower property values because people don't want to buy someplace that controlling and would rather risk (gasp!) a neighbor who parks in the driveway than hand over their life to the HOA. I also find that those clients that will consider HOAs want to check out the restrictions before ever placing an offer to make sure that they're not overbearing. (And I'd insist that they do so anyway, but more often than not lately I don't have to insist, they're asking me where they can get them before they'll even look.)


I find this an interesting phenomenon, myself, all things considered.

[Jennibc]

Originally Posted by readymade

I guess the house itself and/or lawn doesn't count? Also, what does "true or not" mean? What a weird saying! "This isn't necessarily true (or false), but the first thing people see is the car!"

True or not, the world is flat!

Anyway, I have far more things to be looking at than someone's ugly driveway! Maybe we should ban driveways too! Personally, I like seeing people's cars. Cars are interesting. More interesting than driveways, at any rate... true or not.

I guess I'm just sort of fascinated/horrified by this thread. There are so many reasons that people judge people: clothes, hair, jewelry, where they moved from, how much money they have, where they live, skin color, voice, accent, etc... and now apparently there's one more: whether or not I park my car in the garage or not! Life is already stressful enough, sheesh. People need to get a life (says the person typing in this forum all day ).

I think I should probably stop coming on this forum... it's giving me a complex and making me feel like most people are just.... terrible. Is this what you all sit around thinking about all day? New and different ways to judge people?

One thing to consider is that there are just as many people posting here stating that cars in driveways are a nonissue- so not all people are "terrible" - no need for a complex - some people are kind of anal and judgmental , but you know that from living out in the real world so no need to avoid this board.

[texdav]

In most cases you would see if you opened thier garage doors the reason.Too much other stuff in the garages.

[woodinvilleguy]

Are there really HOAs that have rules that you park in the garage? I've heard of no parking on the street but no driveway?

[love roses]

Apparantly there are a few. Our HOA only requires that you don't have your car block the sidewalk. Us, we throw what we can into the attic and what we don't want to haul up and down the stairs we leave inside. If it's going to hail, we scoot everything to one side and put in our best car. Otherwise we leave our cars in the driveway. One of the trees in our front yard has grown big enough to throw shade on half the driveway now, so the heat is a little less of an issue.

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by readymade

I guess I'm just sort of fascinated/horrified by this thread. There are so many reasons that people judge people: clothes, hair, jewelry, where they moved from, how much money they have, where they live, skin color, voice, accent, etc... and now apparently there's one more: whether or not I park my car in the garage or not! Life is already stressful enough, sheesh. People need to get a life (says the person typing in this forum all day ).

I think I should probably stop coming on this forum... it's giving me a complex and making me feel like most people are just.... terrible. Is this what you all sit around thinking about all day? New and different ways to judge people?

Yes. This. It seems that some people simply MUST find something to judge other people on, and as other forms of prejudice as ways of making yourself feel somehow superior (emphasis on feel) to your fellow man become more politically incorrect, people seek new ways, absurd though they might be, to judge themselves superior to their fellow men.

[Jennibc]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

Yes. This. It seems that some people simply MUST find something to judge other people on, and as other forms of prejudice as ways of making yourself feel somehow superior (emphasis on feel) to your fellow man become more politically incorrect, people seek new ways, absurd though they might be, to judge themselves superior to their fellow men.

I wonder if there is some sociobiologic reason that people try to feel superior left over from the days when we were foragers. For instance, not everybody had enough to eat so some would perish. Somehow we had to justify that we got to survive because we were better, we were more entitled to what little food there was.... or maybe some people are just a-holes

[TexasHorseLady]

Interesting theory. I wonder if anyone has done any research on it, or at least a master's thesis? (Would make an interesting premise to do one on, I'd think.)

[oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots]

Originally Posted by Jennibc

I wonder if there is some sociobiologic reason that people try to feel superior left over from the days when we were foragers. For instance, not everybody had enough to eat so some would perish. Somehow we had to justify that we got to survive because we were better, we were more entitled to what little food there was.... or maybe some people are just a-holes

I'm going with the latter. (but please know I consider myself to be included in the a-hole section) So, I guess at least I belong.