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Zoning laws. And existing owners who staunchly oppose increasing density by building larger buildings. A lot of people who bought their single-family homes yea

Zoning laws. And existing owners who staunchly oppose increasing density by building larger buildings. A lot of people who bought their single-family homes years or decades ago now live in appealing low-density neighborhoods with home values that are sky-rocketing. They don't want their neighborhoods to change into concrete canyons, and the ever-rising values of their homes fund their retirements very nicely. They therefore fight any attempt to increase density by loosening zoning laws. This behavior is exacerbated by how California handles its property taxes. Essentially, the property taxes on a home are fixed at the value of the home when you bought it, meaning people living in homes that have increased in value are paying disproportionately low property taxes. This tends to discourage people from moving, thereby reducing the liquidity of the home market.

jandrese 10y ago
It is also one of the big reasons California can have such an enormous theoretical tax base, but still manage to run a massive deficit. You can bet there would be more pushback on those skyrocketing home values if people had to pay the taxes on them. Its too late for a lot of people in the valley, they couldn't afford to pay anything close to what their homes current access at. It is the epitome of Got Mine, Fuck You.
- TelAviv_1 10y ago
  Why do you think I should pay crazy property tax values on the Sunnyvale house I paid $250,000 for in 1988 just because some nut paid $2,000,000 for the identical house next door to mine last year? Why do you want to see my pushed out of my home with a $45,000/year property tax bill? You are pure evil, plain and simple.
- ojbyrne 10y ago
  While the point is somewhat valid, California hasn't had a budget deficit (let alone a "massive" one) since 2012.
codemac 10y ago
The people who bought their houses 30+ years ago I really feel for. The change the area is experiencing is brutal, and imagine if everyone just kept asking you why you don't sell and move away from the very place you built? It's futile for them to fight things, and honestly it ruins a lot of people's lives that they do. However I completely understand why they would push back on density, most people don't have to deal with growth at these types of numbers over their lifetime.
- flubert 10y ago
  >it ruins a lot of people's lives that they do. Honest question. How does Party A, living in a house that Party B wishes to replace with an apartment, ruin the life for Party C? Or is it B whose life is ruined? Or A's? Or am I misunderstanding you?
  - codemac 10y ago
    Because now Party C can't get affordable housing. Party A blocks Party B (builders/real estate people) from builing more housing which would make things more affordable for Party C.
- hx87 10y ago
  > most people don't have to deal with growth at these types of numbers over their lifetime. I used to live in Houston, and my parents still live there, and the growth (in construction, not price) they'd dealt with (and enjoyed) puts anywhere in the SF Bay Area to shame.
  - codemac 10y ago
    That's surprising! I think the big difference between Houston's sprawl and the Bay Area's increase in density is that the style of life your parents lead is probably the same they did before. Do you think that's true?
    - hx87 10y ago

jandrese 10y ago

It is also one of the big reasons California can have such an enormous theoretical tax base, but still manage to run a massive deficit. You can bet there would be more pushback on those skyrocketing home values if people had to pay the taxes on them. Its too late for a lot of people in the valley, they couldn't afford to pay anything close to what their homes current access at. It is the epitome of Got Mine, Fuck You.

TelAviv_1 10y ago
Why do you think I should pay crazy property tax values on the Sunnyvale house I paid $250,000 for in 1988 just because some nut paid $2,000,000 for the identical house next door to mine last year? Why do you want to see my pushed out of my home with a $45,000/year property tax bill? You are pure evil, plain and simple.
ojbyrne 10y ago
While the point is somewhat valid, California hasn't had a budget deficit (let alone a "massive" one) since 2012.

codemac 10y ago

The people who bought their houses 30+ years ago I really feel for. The change the area is experiencing is brutal, and imagine if everyone just kept asking you why you don't sell and move away from the very place you built? It's futile for them to fight things, and honestly it ruins a lot of people's lives that they do. However I completely understand why they would push back on density, most people don't have to deal with growth at these types of numbers over their lifetime.

flubert 10y ago
>it ruins a lot of people's lives that they do. Honest question. How does Party A, living in a house that Party B wishes to replace with an apartment, ruin the life for Party C? Or is it B whose life is ruined? Or A's? Or am I misunderstanding you?
- codemac 10y ago
  Because now Party C can't get affordable housing. Party A blocks Party B (builders/real estate people) from builing more housing which would make things more affordable for Party C.
hx87 10y ago
> most people don't have to deal with growth at these types of numbers over their lifetime. I used to live in Houston, and my parents still live there, and the growth (in construction, not price) they'd dealt with (and enjoyed) puts anywhere in the SF Bay Area to shame.
- codemac 10y ago
  That's surprising! I think the big difference between Houston's sprawl and the Bay Area's increase in density is that the style of life your parents lead is probably the same they did before. Do you think that's true?
  - hx87 10y ago