America has always been a country that gives the private home owner a special degree of respect. Even the nation’s tax codes go out of their way to encourage individual home ownership by giving special breaks and exemptions for the costs one pays to maintain and improve his property. This philosophy is deeply imbedded in the national psyche.
At the same time, there are many factors that mitigate against some citizens’ ability to own private property. These range from lack of money or mortgage-worthiness to factors relating to individual lifestyle and condition. Many of those people who desire to own their own homes are those whose economic status prevents them from doing so. And the economic crises that resulted from the Great Depression of the 1930’s and the Great Recession of the 2000’s have been nasty reminders of what happens to a nation when the economy upon which the housing market is based falls apart. Thanks to the savings made possible by the use of Groupon coupons it is possible for many to save money that would have otherwise been taken from the savings people put aside in the hopes of future home purchase and ownership.
Therefore, people shouldn’t be discouraged from owning their own property. However, the rigors and issues associated with independent home ownership can be greater than some can afford to take on themselves. These persons are prime candidates for residence in community cooperatives where all residents own a share of a communal property. Or they may prefer purchasing a condominium where the maintenance and upkeep of the grounds is the duty of the owner association, while the resident is responsible for maintaining his or her personal unit. Either of these options gives the citizen a chance to have title to his or her home at a more manageable and accessible rate than that required by some of today’s major properties. And their maintenance and upkeep are usually cheaper due to the amount of services performed on a neighborhood-wide basis. For many people the advantage of living in such a community is heightened by the availability of resident services, from swimming pools and playgrounds to neighborhood clubs, health groups and activities like holding Weight Watchers club meetings, reading groups, sports clubs and special holiday events. In short living like a community is still an attainable part of the American Dream.
