Manifesto
a written statement declaring publicly the intentions, motives, or views of its issuer
– Merriam-Webster Dictionary
The truth about housing is that there are few things that we all have in common quite like our universal need for our own housing. There is nothing that offers each of us a greater sense of peace than we can find in the housing that we have turned into our home. There is little that compares to the sense of relief from an exasperating day that we feel when walking through the door of our home and closing that door behind us. We all would welcome a source of information and insight that speaks truth in love about that precious thing that we desire to call home. The Primer on Housing is a site that is passionately devoted to truly permitting you to understand what your housing choices are and what challenges you need to manage.
Perhaps you’re here because you are in the process of having to make a decision about housing for yourself or your family.
Perhaps you’re here because you are trying to plan for a change in your housing and wish to learn more about pursuing the best course.
Perhaps you’re here because you are an investor hoping to optimize your return by obtaining critical information about the alternatives and what your customer, the housing occupant, is truly seeking.
Perhaps you’re here because you are the owner or operator of housing that you provide for others to enjoy and want to provide them with the most fulfilling experience you can, which will enhance your performance.
Perhaps you’re here because you are one of those special people that have devoted your career to serving others by participating in what I have called the profession of Professionally Managed Housing and you want to learn what you can about doing that better.
Perhaps you’re here because you are a regulator that is responsible for adopting and enforcing laws and regulations that affect the value of housing for the public you serve and desire to do that in the best interest of that public.
Whatever brings you here, welcome! I am truly blessed by having you here.
I sincerely believe the best way for you to meet me and to determine that you can trust me for insights and information is to focus on this picture. I am Howard Primer and this picture was taken of me with my Beloved Bride, Marcia, in 2015. This photo represents the event that compels me to deliver The Primer Ethic™ to you. It was taken shortly after we sold our last house so that we could begin the difficult process of preparing for the dramatic changes that were coming for my Bride. Some tragic medical events resulted in her enduring damage to important portions of her brain. We moved into an apartment so that I could devote my life to be her caregiver. Just prior to launching this site I was forced to say goodbye to her owing to the disease taking her life. Why is that important?
Why is That Important?
During the many days that we spent together managing her illness we had the opportunity to review our rich and wonderful life. She consistently demanded that we both honor our passions and pursue our callings. Therefore, after I became a lawyer and discovered that I was more a serial entrepreneur than a lawyer, she encouraged me to follow that calling. In return, I encouraged her to give up her career to honor her passion and calling to be the mother of our children. In the final months when we had the opportunity to talk about the future before her disease stole her mental functions, my Bride demanded that I promise that I devote the balance of my life to pursuing my passion for housing. We spent many hours discussing our personal dissatisfaction with the housing experiences provided during our life together. She expressed profound remorse when I decided to discontinue the delivery of The Primer Ethic™ to dedicate myself to her care. She fought me when I chose to declare bankruptcy rather than fight the legal actions of a business investor that sued me for making her my only choice. She shared my views about how our experiences informed our conclusion that the needs and perspectives of the housing occupants were ignored in favor of the enlightened self-interest of the sources of money housing had to consume. She kept on reminding me that I proved that I was able to make both of those interests align and made me promise that I would not rest unless I tried again. Now, whenever I reflect on the memory of my Beloved Bride, she does not hesitate to ask if I am honoring my promise to her. Her personal presence may be impossible, but she finds a way to hold me accountable. This pledge to my Beloved Bride, among other things, is why I refer to this as My Manifesto rather than simply a page about my history and background.
Why is That Important?
I assure you, as I did my Beloved Bride, that I will devote myself to providing you with:
- A commitment that integrity drives each and every action or position that I take, and
- An assurance that I communicate openly and honestly with compassion, and that I foster an atmosphere in which opinions and ideas can be shared without threat, and
- An unrelenting duty to full transparency in all matters that will guide me.
Earlier I went through and recognized the various interests that may motivate you to be here. Let me assure you that I not only appreciate each of them, at one point I lived them. During the course of my marriage I have:
- lived in 4 houses we have owned,
- lived in 4 houses we have rented,
- lived in 5 apartments,
- thoroughly planned for each housing change,
- invested in rental houses and apartment communities,
- owned and operated both rental housing and apartment communities,
- managed rental housing, while supervising the management of apartment communities, and
- worked as a regulator at the Federal and state levels.
I promise you that I will have a dedicated and forthright commitment to exploring our present housing condition. I promise you that I will be an advocate for housing solutions that reward both the housing occupant and the housing provider. I firmly believe in that potent Power of “AND”. I promise you that I will unpack the true cost of housing and seek options that do not force housing to confine our financial freedom and undermine our quality of life. I promise you that I will evaluate whether owning is a better investment than renting when choosing a home. I promise you that I will be an unbiased resource to everyone interested in housing.
I Want Your Help
I have shared what motivates me and why I have created this site. Now it is your turn. Let me know what your views about housing are. Let me know what questions you want me to address, if not answer. I am convinced that we all have this as a primary interest, so take the time to tell me about you. I promise that my Bride will know that you validated my promise to her.