Local author writes about Americans' obsession with their homes
By Ken Powers Community Reporter

Westborough resident and author Dan McGinn PHOTO/KEN POWERS

Westborough - Comedian George Carlin used to have a comedy bit about Americans and their propensity to possess in which he would deliver this punch line: "A house is just a place where people keep their stuff while they're out getting more stuff ."

Westborough resident Dan McGinn believes that those days are long gone and he accentuates the point in his book, "House Lust: America's Obsession with Our Homes."

McGinn, who writes about business and economics for "Newsweek" magazine, will be at Tatnuck Bookseller, Gift Gallery and Café from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday Jan. 26 signing copies of the 264-page book as well as discussing how he came to write it.

McGinn has lived on Armstrong Drive in Westborough for nine years with his wife, Amy, and his three children, Abby, 9, Jack, 6, and Tommy, 3.

"Discussing the book at Tatnuck will be fun because it's a routine stop in town for us," McGinn said. "I'm sure in today's economic climate owning an independent bookstore is a pretty challenging endeavor, so I think we're pretty lucky to have one of this scale in Westborough. We eat lunch [at Tatnuck] frequently; my kids are big fans of the grilled cheese."

McGinn said it took him two years to write the book, the idea for which came as he wrote about the housing market throughout America on a number of occasions for "Newsweek."

"When I wrote about the real estate boom that ran from early 2000 to late in 2005, it seemed like the stories really connected with readers," McGinn said, "and the more reporting I did, the more it seemed like, to me, that there was a change going on in the way people thought about their houses."

McGinn said he noticed a lot was being written about the economics of the housing boom, but not a lot about the behavioral changes that were occurring as a result.

"There wasn't a lot about what it's like to go through a renovation," he said, "what it's like to meet with your architect and contractor every day, the emotions that go into sculpting a new place to live."

The book also deals with how the real estate boom and home ownership has become such a fiber of the American way.

"When you're working on a project like this and you're interviewing people, they're curious about why you're writing the book or how you're writing it, and they'll ask, 'What's the book about?'" McGinn said.

"I would tell them I'm was trying to understand why, if you live in Boston or San Francisco or New York or Miami, every backyard barbecue includes a discussion about real estate," McGinn said. "Who's doing what, who's buying or selling, who's adding on or trading up. Real estate has joined sports and weather as the three easiest subjects to talk about."

McGinn said while it can't be underestimated how much the investment mentality has driven Americans' obsession with their homes, he also believes the media's role in making people more conscious of their homes has been underappreciated over the years.

"I don't think it's a coincidence that there's a cable channel [HGTV] completely dedicated to renovating your home," McGinn said, "and that the most popular show on the channel, by far, is about couples shopping for homes ['House Hunters']. Even the show's producers admit they're surprised how wildly popular the show is."