Fifty years ago, the goal for the average American was to buy a house, pay off the mortgage, and live happily ever after.  At the same time, divorce rates were at an all-time low. Life was good! But today we live in a disposable society. From our house to our spouse, our culture seems to have developed a very short attention span. Everything is replaceable, and even the statistics seem to indicate we are more willing to replace and move on than we are to stay committed and try to repair whatever it is that’s ailing.

To prove my  point, consider this: A survey conducted by independent research firm Market Facts based in Schaumberg, Illinois, found that more than 1/3 of Americans have broken it off with a significant other and moved on in the past 10 years, citing the top three reasons as:

1) Infidelity!

2) Lack of Desire!

3) Grew Apart!

Now compare these findings to that of real estate expert, Elizabeth Weintraub of About.com, who identified what motivates a homeowner to end the relationship with their house including:

1) Longing to upgrade to a better product. (Infidelity!)

2) No longer attracted to the features of their home. (Lack of Desire!)

3) The house is no longer meeting their needs. (Grew apart!)

The same reasoning a person will use to dump a significant other, is the same rationalization a homeowner will use to unload their house. Interesting stuff, don’t cha think?