Letters

We all should have known the real estate bubble would pop. That's what readers of our October 26 issue told us. They also weighed in on the value of staging a home for sale, keeping your virginity, and drilling for oil.

Bubble Wham

Terrific piece on the housing bubble (Perspective, October 26). The bubble was like crack: a short-lived, intense high, followed by an inevitable crash. Hopefully we won't become re-addicted to rising property values, whenever that happens.

Steve Tefft

Sandwich

This is my second housing bubble. I got burned in the first one in the early '90s. I bought a condo in early 1989; its value fell by more than 40 percent and took 10 years to recover. I stayed out of this latest bubble because I could see what was coming, but I had to endure pangs of jealousy as I saw my friends buying and their home values skyrocketing.

If we ever get to a bottom in this real estate market, the best realty investment (provided you have any money left to invest) would be the purchase of a multiple-unit project, the rent from which would cover all expenses, with 10 to 15 percent left over each month for your income. Then you should rent your own place, whether a condo or a house, and let someone else risk their cash on a non-performing asset while you enjoy positive cash flow on a real asset.

Joseph L. Russo

Costa Mesa, California

The Price of Selling As a decorator and stager who also has had fabulous results rearranging spaces to sell homes, I agree with and applaud the changes that Thomas Holmes and Maureen Reddy made ("Staged to Sell," October 26). The biggest challenge is to get the homeowner on board, as I'm not sure many clients will give up the TV and kitty's food in the family room, albeit just for the short term. Let's hope that now that they see the difference, they will.

Carol Iberger

Marblehead

Drill, Bay State, Drill? I retired in 1992 after working 37 years for a major oil company. Charles P. Pierce's opinion (Pierced, October 26) is so inaccurate as to be irresponsible. For example, he writes, "There isn't enough oil in the entire north Atlantic to supply the country even for a month." At 20 million barrels per day, that would be 600 million barrels. The Hibernia field off Newfoundland alone has produced that much, and the fields off Norway (as much fishing-based as Massachusetts) have produced many, many times as much. If Pierce's statement were true, he would have no reason to worry, for the economics would not support the required capital investment, and oil companies would look elsewhere.

Thomas W. Gillette

Jefferson, Maine

I absolutely agree with Pierce. What has surprised me during this debate regarding oil drilling off our coastline is the fact that very seldom have I heard anything mentioned about Georges Bank. Why hasn't the fishing industry been more vocal in this regard? Georges Bank should be off limits to any industry except the fishing industry. Keeping topics such as these in the spotlight is the only way we will keep oil companies and others in check.

Russ Robinson

Dartmouth

Diamonds Aren't Forever

Regarding Robin Abraham's answer about recycling stones from jewelry from marriage number one into a new ring for marriage number two (October 26): Ewww! There are just some things, like an engagement ring, that need to be for the new bride alone. Perhaps in the future the old stones could be worked into a new piece (such as a pin) that does not have as much emotional significance as an engagement ring.

Karen Crabtree

Annapolis, Maryland

Virgin Appreciation

A suggestion to the couple waiting until they are married to have sex (Coupling, October 26): Wait one more day. Your wedding night is the culmination of months of work, stress, and family drama and is the biggest social event either of you will ever put on. On your wedding night, go to bed, in your pajamas, and get a good night's sleep. Maybe in the morning. . . Loading your wedding night with the expectation of spectacular lovemaking, especially if you are both virgins, is a recipe for disaster and disappointment. I've given this advice to countless couples. Most of them ignore it, but a few have come back and said they wish they had listened, and a few have told me they are glad they did.

The Rev. James J. Olson

Meriden, Connecticut

My wife and I have recently celebrated our 52d wedding anniversary. Reading Mike Nagel's story, I could not help but remember our commitment to virginity and our feelings of anticipation long ago. I salute Nagel for his commitment and wish him a long and joyous life together with his future wife.

Sherm Palan

Sharon

Nagel's essay gives the world a glimpse into to the heart and mind of a new breed of young adults who are embracing virginity until marriage, and not because they can't get a date. Through Nagel's personal story, readers are introduced to a powerful, personal case for abstinence -- namely, deepening intimacy in marriage.

Kris Mineau

President, Massachusetts Family Institute

Woburn

In a day when many take their word and their commitment so lightly, I was very encouraged by your story. This is truly the most intimate way to enter into a marriage.

Rachel middleton

Albuquerque

Stroller Horror In the minutes after the police wagon hit the baby stroller in Jamaica Plain ("What Happened on Seaverns Avenue?" October 19), my friend and I were across the street. I feel the horror and post-traumatic fear of the mom. Even today when I cross a main street with one of my three sons (all young adults), I tend to grab him by his shirt or arm, glaring at oncoming vehicles. We will not win back the family who experienced this potentially life-threatening event, but for the rest of us, what is being done to calm traffic? Why does a new Ford F250 patrol wagon have blind spots, and what preventative measures will be put in place so another driver won't fail to see a stroller, pedestrian, or person in a wheelchair in a crosswalk?

Tolle Graham

Jamaica Plain

Fashion for All Why do I see so many sizes 6, 8, and 10 on the clothes racks at mid-range stores and almost no 12s and 14s (Perspective, October 19)? Because they've all sold out. Designers and manufacturers seem to be cutting off their noses to spite their faces in this sad retail season. Make something fabulous and wearable for all sizes, and we might want to part with our hard-earned money.

Beverly A. Cawley

Dedham