Real Estate Porn

In a tight housing market, many potential homebuyers <link to feature> are sitting on the sidelines, wistfully driving by the home they might be able to have someday or looking at homes for sale in the paper and online.

Another guilty pleasure for home fanatics is the real-estate reality programming taking over cable channels. HGTV’s viewership has grown by 11% already this year and nine of its top 10 shows are real estate based. Several more are planned for next year, both catering to the struggling homebuyer and home seller. TLC is also in on the action with the new shows “Date My House” and “Should I Stay or Should I Go.”  Bravo—who could use a little boost after the loss of top-rated “Project Runway”—plans to bring back “Million Dollar Listing” and “Flipping Out.”

What all these networks have in common is that they have all adjusted the tone of their shows to reflect the desire an average person has to simply make it through the market unscathed. Even if you’re not selling or buying a home, these shows can be great fun to watch and keep you updated on market trends. [USA Today]