_{SOURCE: theclose.com}

I knew it! You’d be back for more! Well, here you go!

1. Barns Are Traditionally Red for a Reason: Cheap Paint

Farmhouses and barns across America are traditionally red, but that’s not by accident. Farmers, ever a thrifty bunch, experimented to find cheap ways to make paint. They used what they had on hand: lime, milk, and red iron oxide (what we commonly call rust) and mixed it all together. Why iron oxide? It turns out that it discourages the growth of fungi and mosses, making it a more effective sealant than lime alone. Voila, they made a nice red paint—and at a bargain!

2. It’s Bad Luck to Give a Knife as a Housewarming Gift

Superstition says that if you give a knife as a gift, you risk severing the friendship. But if you really want to give a knife as a housewarming gift, tape a penny to the blade. This way, the recipient can take off the penny and hand it back to you. Then they’re paying you for the knife, so it’s not technically a gift!

3. Housewarmings Come From Burning Mortgage Paperwork

In the early days of the mortgage, interest rates were pretty high (sometimes up to 15% or 20%), and the loans would often culminate with a “balloon payment,” similar in size to today’s down payment. This made paying off a mortgage an even more momentous occasion, and homeowners would celebrate by throwing a big party and burning their mortgage documents.

4. Architectural Eagles Symbolize Freedom From Mortgages

There are many ways that homeowners used to celebrate the full payment of their mortgage. But one of the more popular (and deeply American) ways was to put a cast iron eagle on the outside of a home. This announced to the world that the homeowner was free from mortgage payments.

5. Real Estate Wire Fraud Caused Losses of $6.9 Billion

Wire fraud is one of the most prevalent cybercrimes we face today, and scammers are only getting more sophisticated in their approaches. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), more than 2,300 complaints were received daily in 2021, leading to a staggering $6.9 billion in victim losses.

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