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Earthquakes and house prices

Ed the Editor's personal blog corner

I was once on the phone to a guy who was caught in an earthquake, the one in 1989 on the West Coast, where part of the Oakland bridge fell down. The phone conversation pre-earthquake, was quite entertaining, but then took an hysterical turn. He burst out laughing for no reason and between guffaws managed to describe how he had just seen a jogger fall headlong onto the sidewalk - and there had been nothing in his way.

Then the line went quiet and I thought we had been cut off. The next thing I get this earful of effing and blinding coming down the phone. Beep, ber beep beep, beep - He blurted out that the whole road was like a black ribbon being flicked by a giant hand. Then it dawned on him that he was in an earthquake and he said he would call me back.

Fortunately he did call me when he got home, safe, and explained that he had been near the epicenter of the biggest tremor since the 1906 quake. A great relief for us all that he was OK, and a relief for the jogger that he had fallen over for a good reason. It was also good news for my mate because he was in the construction game and everywhere he pointed a finger there was new-found work. But I guess, not such a happy result for the casualties and the insurance companies.

Anyway, he has since moved to Nevada, and invested in a property. He wasn't too keen on the desert weather, but according to his shaky logic, when the big one finally sinks California and leaves him on the beach, his house will quadruple in value overnight.

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