We need to talk about how the last two centuries reshaped escrow into the complicated mechanism we contend with now, and why it's so dang hard to unwind.

Real estate developers are taking bets on small subsets of these tribal values. Whether the bets will be a flash in the pan, or be a catalyst for the next century of building trends, is yet to be seen.

The current way we transact, using an escrow company, making large deposits, and hoping a lender approves a large loan amount, seems like a good way to go about things.