It’s always interesting to review the data compiled on things important to us, and in this case, it’s interesting to see where we in Clay County compare with the data on how housing has changed for us over the past decade. Of course, while many of our current neighborhoods were not even built yet, we did live somewhere before moving to Fleming Island. And for those neighborhoods in Clay county that were established a decade ago, many are reflected in the changes reported here.

 A Decade of Change in Housing Patterns Survey shows that we're living larger and paying for it:

 By Bill Briggs

msnbc.com contributor

Housing Changes In The Last Decade

 Published every two years by the Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development, the exhaustive analysis pokes into everything from what you owe on your abode to whether you’ve seen a mouse in your house. Owners and renters are equally dissected.

Msnbc.com compared key elements in the latest survey, covering 2009, against the same variables in the 1999 edition and discovered that we’re living larger and, as a nation, collectively way cooler. But when it comes to home style, most of us remain stuck in Mike Brady’s vision of architectural beauty — the 1970s.

A data-dredging journey through the past 10 years also finds that we’re spending extra domestic time outside and that we’re a tad more careful about protecting what’s ours. Of course, the recent mortgage crisis colors some of the numbers in bright red. Below are nine ways in which America’s housing has grown — and groaned — since 1999.

 Visit MSNBC to read the full article: http://tinyurl.com/2ff7voo

 We invite you to follow the link to the msnbc.com article above, and then tell us what changes you made from 10 years ago – and what changes you anticipate in the coming year. We look forward to hearing from you!