Anyone who follows the news even sketchily has noticed that houses are selling for incredible amounts of money. It isn’t unusual for a home in decent condition that was purchased for $250,000 five years ago to go for $500,000 these days.
I have several local friends who have benefited from the hot real-estate market – not just sellers, but also agents. I’m happy for them all.
But thinking about property takes my mind on a journey. In our country, as we delve into the subject of systemic racism, reporters and authors have been unveiling countless stories about redlining and other measures that have kept Black Americans from achieving the wealth that white Americans have achieved. It’s pretty sickening.
But another situation that has held my attention is the conflict in the West Bank. I was lucky enough to visit Israel in 2012. I’d really had no desire to go there, but I got an offer I couldn’t refuse, as they say.
As I rode around the countryside in a comfortable, air-conditioned tour bus that wasn’t even a quarter full, I stared out at the hilly, often-barren terrain and thought, “Who in their right mind would fight for centuries over this pile of sand?”
Seriously, without any context, a real-estate agent wouldn’t have looked twice at selling most of the property I saw. I’m not saying there aren’t some beautiful homes, and the beaches in Tel Aviv were great. Haifa is the most beautiful city I’ve ever seen.
I didn’t see more than some checkpoints to enter Palestinian territory, but I remember the sadness and stress that I felt. And I was fortunate to be in the country during a time of relative peace – missiles were being fired again a few days after I left.
I wish I had a solution to the problems there, but I don’t. Politicians certainly do not. I know we just celebrated Father’s Day, but my suggestion is, let the mothers work it out. The fighting would end in no time.
◊ Someone wants to build an apartment complex with 200-250 units on Maloney Road in South Knoxville, across from the north entrance to Sevier Heights Baptist Church. If you’ve been living with the nightmare that is Alcoa Highway construction, you know that adding any traffic to that area is a nonstarter.
But there is a housing shortage, and developers are looking for any pocket of land big enough to spit on, so it may happen. There’s a meeting at 6 p.m. today (6/22) at Mount Olive Baptist Church, 2500 Maryville Pike, for people concerned about the project.
◊ A friend pointed out that Monday (6/20) was the anniversary of the debut of the 1975 film “Jaws.” I was visiting cousins in California that summer. We went to the beach my first day there, and I fell asleep and got a horrible burn. But that night we went to see “Jaws.”
We didn’t go back to the beach the entire time I was there. Thanks, Steven Spielberg.
Betsy Pickle is a veteran reporter and editor who occasionally likes to share her opinions with KnoxTNToday readers.