Anyone Ever Heard of This Tradition?

We're having our house spruced up a bit with some paint. It was a last painted eight years ago and with all those Michigan winters since, it needs a bit of touch up.

One thing we're deciding is what color to paint the door. It was red when we got the home, we painted it hunter green, but now we're wonder what color works best.

Anyway, as we discussed the door colors, we also talked about an "old tradition" that we didn't know was really a tradition or just something we heard around but that wasn't true. Here it is:

When people pay off their mortgage, they paint their front door red.

I searched the web and found lots of speculation on this tradition, but nothing definitive. Anyone out there heard of this before and/or can you find something that says it's either a real tradition or not?

Comments

[Kevin]

Never heard of that, but wouldn't it make more sense to paint it black when it's paid off?

[mymoneypf]

Never heard of it, but my door is currently red and I am a LONG way from paying off my mortgage :-)

[Mark]

I just did a few quick google searches, didn't find anything concrete either...it's always "I heard from someone who heard from someone." The only thing I saw on a couple sites was that the concept originated in Scotland.

[Rick]

I haven't heard of this tradition. However, I do know a realtor (pardon me... Realtor®) who always paints the doors red of the houses she's trying to sell. She claims increased sales due to a psychological effect it has on the people who view the house. Apparently it makes it look more attractive. I can't say whether or not she has in fact experienced increased sales, but it's an interesting point to consider.

[rwh]

Our front door is painted blue. It isn't a political statement either. It's just blue.

I agree that painting it black would make more sense.

[CB]

Haven't heard that. I know the Sig Ep fraternity houses all paint their doors red though....

[ToughMoneyLove]

We are paying off a mortage at the end of 2008. I may not paint the door red but I will paint the town red to celebrate. I'm sure you are a familiar with that phrase!

[Matt]

I know a red door, or a red symbol on the home's front door is an Asian tradition that is thought to ward off evil. Had a Vietnamese neighbor for a while who painted his door red... of course the HOA went ballistic.

[Matt Reeves]

I heard of this tradition from my mother before. Two of our last three houses have had red doors and weren't paid off (at least by us). Our current house has a red door and we're accelerating our mortgage payments to try to earn that red door as fast as possible! Maybe then we'll take some of our spare money and get a new door, because I don't like the look of the red one.

[Brandon Wertz]

I have always heard that a red door represented prosperity. But have yet to hear of it related to paid off mortgage. I think the black,once again, makes more sense for the paid mortgage though

[Dodge & Weave]

That's a new one on me ... my house wouldn't look so good with a red door, though.

[Cynthia]

I've never heard that, however, when i was growing up red steps were very common in my neighborhood. I never knew why. The house I group up in has been white, blue, green but it always had red steps as recent as 8 years ago. When my mom finally painted them to match the house, it seemed out of place. ;-)

[L]

I always heard a red door was for good luck.

[Katy McKenna]

Fantastic discussion!! I was raised Catholic and my Scottish father insisted that the red-doored homes were all Anglican (or Episcopalian).

[EC]

I have not heard of that particular tradition but I do know about different color front doors having meaning...I painted my front door red just by chance and a friend shared with me what having a red front door means...if you are into feng shui...check out this link
http://fengshui.about.com/od/fengshuicures/qt/fengshuicolor.htm

[Jesse]

I'd never heard of it.

Nevertheless, can't wait for my door to be red.

[Nora]

I have never heard it associated with a paid off mortgage. The use of a red door in UK is common along with Asia. The color red has many meanings from good luck to prosperity to fertility. The Methodist usually have red doors on their churches as it is the color for the Holy Spirit. I say have fun painting whatever color you like to celebrate it finally truly being yours and not the banks. :)