Another alternative that used to be popular in many American cities are coops. Instead of buying property you buy shares in a corporation which give you the rig

Another alternative that used to be popular in many American cities are coops. Instead of buying property you buy shares in a corporation which give you the right to occupy a unit. The large, low-rise apartment complex on Geary Blvd across the street from Japantown is a coop. Regarding the effect of 99-year property leases on home prices, there's a condominium tower at 946 Stockton St/950 Washington St in Chinatown that has a 99-year ground lease (expiring in 2069, I believe). Units in both developments regularly sell for a fraction (~ 1/3 to 1/2, IIRC) of comparable units in the area. You'd have to know the details of the shareholder rights (coop) or accession rights[1] (ground lease) to know how the prices compare to freeholds or rentals, but it shows how alternatives aren't new, just merely coming back into fashion. [1] That is, whether ownership of the tower transfers to the landlord without any renumeration for the improvement; whether the condominium owners have a renewal option, etc.