Fun with the Internet

While clicking through an article about a parody tee shirt and a cease and desist order, I came across a link to "Behind the Mortgage," the Twin Cities (Minneapolis) Real Estate Blog and the Church Sign Generator.

Needless to say, the latter allows me to ironically express my concerns about city churches that buy houses in the immediate vicinity of their churches. All too often they go on to manage the properties poorly, which destabilizes the surrounding neighborhood. It took me some time to realize that this is merely a real estate acquisition strategy (comparable to that discussed in Arson as a(nother) Redevelopment Strategy and A further thought about arson and commercial property management).

If the area is distressed it reduces the demand for property in the immediate area, making it easier for the church to acquire additional property more cheaply.