Monday Morning Quarterback
(Merry Christmas)
Christmas Exclusive: Inside Santa Claus's Home. Is Santa Clause real? The next time you hear that question, you can answer with “yes, in Finland.” That's because real-estate databases now include Santa's house in the North Pole, complete with photos and a breakdown of its features. Santa Claus's official home is in Rovaniemi, Finnish Lapland, on the Arctic Circle, where you can visit the year-round “Santa Claus Village” complete with his office, elves, reindeer, and post office. A legendary home in a legendary village. Considering his celebrity status, Santa Claus enjoys an apparently modest lifestyle in a 2,500-square-foot old-growth timber cabin (“a toy-lover's paradise nestled on 25 idyllic acres") according to the listing. Inside the vintage log house, which was erected in 1822, you'll find three bedrooms and two baths. No inch of space is wasted in the cozy residence, which of course has plenty of room for a fully functional toy workshop (accessed through an "Elves Only" door). Inside, there are "workstations for 50 diminutive craftsmen." The home also features a study with a writing desk "flanked by the same sewing table Santa used to make the original teddy bear." As the listing touts, there's also "substantial built-in shelving" that "stores toy prototypes." No home is complete without a garage, and at Santa's, there's one that offers sleigh-size parking (a highly prized Arctic asset these days). Other amenities lie within an open-floor plan living room and kitchen, which were renovated in 2013 (possibly by elves?). "A welcoming entryway leads to the living room with a floor-to-ceiling river rock fireplace for roasting chestnuts. The gourmet kitchen is a baker's dream, boasting an oven with 12 different cookie settings. Cookies are served directly from oven to table in the adjoining dining room." The most magical part about the home, however, may be that its value is estimated at only $656,957, which would be a steal for any homeowner based in a major city. In the North Pole, though, it's "a Santa premium" compared to other "homes in Finland’s Lapland." You could say Santa is “living large.” In other holiday news, let’s dance around the Christmas tree…
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What Are America’s Favorite Christmas Movies? Whether you’re into so-bad-they’re-good Christmas movies, anti-Christmas Christmas movies, or even semi-horrifying Christmas movies, there seems to be something out there for even the least festive film fans once the holiday season rolls around. Perhaps that’s part of the reason that a full 64% of US adults say they plan on sitting down to watch one this year, per a new YouGov survey. However, as anyone who’s managed to get halfway through a particularly bad (which is really saying something) Hallmark holiday movie can attest, not all Christmas flicks are created equal, with the same YouGov poll revealing America’s favorites. “Home Alone,” the 1990 home invasion comedy classic starring a 9-year-old Macaulay Culkin, sits atop the tree, with some 56% of respondents who’d seen the movie saying they loved it. The film hauled a mightily impressive ~$286 million when it was released some 35 years ago, meaning it’s not only the most loved American Christmas film, but also the top-grossing, per Box Office Mojo figures. “A Charlie Brown Christmas” from 1965, with its soft-jazzy soundtrack, which has become a favorite among vinyl-hoarding music aficionados the world over, sits in second place, while other decades-old movies like “White Christmas” (1954) and, maybe controversially, “Die Hard” (1988) round out much of America’s list of favorites. But is Diehard really a Christmas movie? Indeed, you have to get down as far as “The Holdovers” from 2023 in 10th place to find the first holiday movie made in the last 20 years, suggesting that it takes quite an effort to break into America’s Christmas movie royalty.
When the Man in Red Returned. As this is my Christmas Quarterback, I end this week in the holiday spirit with a reprint about Santa Claus from my friend and incredible writer Ken Rutkowski:
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Santa Claus is not one man. He never was. He is an idea that migrates. A myth that adapts. A cultural shapeshifter that bends itself to geography, belief systems, economics, and climate. To some, he is a saint. To others, a spirit. To many, a story told just convincingly enough that we choose to believe it again every year. And that choice—that willingness to suspend disbelief in favor of generosity may be Santa’s greatest contribution. In Europe, Santa’s roots trace back to St. Nicholas, a 4th-century bishop whose quiet acts of charity became legend. In England, he evolved into Father Christmas, less a gift-giver and more a symbol of abundance, feasting, and seasonal renewal. North America eventually fused these threads together folklore, poetry, commerce, and mass media into the red-suited icon we recognize today. It’s familiar. Comfortable. Almost expected. But Santa does not belong solely to snow or chimneys. In Japan, where Christmas is more cultural than religious, the spirit of Santa blends with figures like Hoteiosho, a benevolent monk associated with happiness. In India, he is affectionately known as “Christmas Baba,” woven into local festivals with vibrant color. Across the African continent in Ghana, Kenya, and Nigeria Father Christmas arrives not through fireplaces but through community gatherings and music-filled streets. In South Africa and Australia, he appears under summer skies on surfboards, reminding us that the spirit of giving has never required snow to survive. Santa, it turns out, is not a destination. He’s a reflection. So if the man in red were to return today not as a mascot, but as a thinking observer what would he lean into? What ideas would intrigue him? In 2025, we live in an era of one-click fulfillment and predictive algorithms. We get what we want before we even know we want it. In a world of instant gratification, Santa represents the radical act of anticipation. He is the “glitch” in the supply chain that requires patience, mystery, and faith without a tracking number. While we see the magic, we often miss the management. Santa runs the ultimate global operation. Here is what the modern world could learn from the North Pole method:
- The Franchise Model: Santa figured out “decentralized scaling” centuries before the blockchain. By licensing his likeness to mall Santas and street corner volunteers, he is everywhere at once—a masterclass in brand ubiquity without diluting the core IP.
- The Original Big Data: “He sees you when you’re sleeping; he knows when you’re awake.” Long before cookies and targeted ads, Santa built the original “Naughty or Nice” data lake. But unlike modern tech, he uses surveillance for benevolence, not profit.
- The Reputation Economy: Santa doesn’t trade in currency; he trades in “belief.” His entire supply chain runs on the social capital of being good. In the trust-starved 2025, he is the ultimate proof that reputation is the only asset that matters.
Ken continues:
But what if Santa were here now, browsing Amazon, binging TED, listening to podcasts, and updating his playlist? Based on his history (his global adaptability, his focus on generosity, and his quiet observation of humanity) here is what would make him say, “That’s the spirit.” That Santa Claus isn’t about the merchandise. He isn’t about the cookies. He is about the permission to be irrational in a world that demands data for everything. In 2025, we are conditioned to optimize. We track our sleep, we measure our productivity, and we demand an ROI on our interactions. But Santa? Santa is the ultimate inefficiency. He visits billions with zero overhead trans-parency. He gives without expecting a transaction. He represents the beautiful, rebellious idea that joy does not need to be justified. If the Man in Red stood before us today, he would remind us that we don’t outgrow him—we just change sides. We move from the ones lying in bed waiting for the sound of hooves to the ones eating the cookies and filling the stockings. We graduate from the audience to the production crew. So, what’s your plan for this Christmas eve? Be the mystery. Be the unexpected kindness. Be the reason someone else starts to believe again. Wrap the gift. Light the candle. Sing the song even if you don’t know the words. Because the world isn’t fading into the dark. It’s just waiting for you to turn on the lights. Believe. Give. Become. And always (always!) leave a little room for the impossible.
"Hot Investing Trends for 2026" is our first event of the new year. On Thursday night, January 8, 2026, 6:30 to 9:30 pm, we have a panel discussion featuring four real estate all-stars discussing trends for 2026. Join us for our first meeting and vendor expo of 2026. Iman Cultural Center, 3376 Motor Avenue, Culver City. Free admission. Valet parking. RSVP: www.LARealEstateInvestors.com.
This Week. On this Christmas eve, investors will continue monitoring comments from Fed officials for hints about monetary policy next year. With the end of the shutdown, the schedule for the release of delayed government economic reports continues to be gradually updated. GDP, New Home Sales and Consumer Confidence are scheduled to be released tomorrow. Markets will close early on Wednesday and will be closed on Thursday for Christmas.
Weekly Changes:
10-Year Treasuries: Fell 005 bps
Dow Jones Average: Rose 200 points
NASDAQ: Fell 100 points
Calendar:
Tuesday (12/23): Gross Domestic Product
Tuesday (12/23): New Home Sales
Tuesday (12/23): Confidence
For further information, comments, and questions:
Lloyd Segal
President
Los Angeles County Real Estate Investors Association
