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The fundamental problem is linking "home as a place to live" and "home as an investment". The two things aren't compatible. If you want to buy a place to live

The fundamental problem is linking "home as a place to live" and "home as an investment". The two things aren't compatible. If you want to buy a place to live so you don't have to work for a Lord, you want affordable housing. If you have a property which you want to be an investment, you want housing prices to baloon. Currently the latter is winning.

ARandomerDude 6y ago
Since you know that, go with the market. Sell your house every 2-3 years while it's hot and make money. When things slow down, stay in your house and enjoy it.
AlexandrB 6y ago
This. Contrary to this article, I think the biggest policy mistake was turning home ownership into an investment/retirement strategy. In the last 10 years, services like AirBnB have only accelerated the problem.
swiley 6y ago
You could have both if dense housing was allowed to be built and people bought condos.
- bradlys 6y ago
  How? If an asset goes up in value then that means someone is paying more for it at the end of the day. Thus, it’s less affordable... If your argument is about splitting up land use by building higher, it still is true. At the end of the day, that land became more expensive and you are less able to purchase the land. Appreciating asset and affordability are opposites by definition.
  - swiley 6y ago
    You're less able to purchase the same size of land but size really isn't that interesting unless you're planning to farm it.
- akomtu 6y ago
  Another solution is a ban on new office buildings in areas with insufficient housing supply. Right now the corps happily build new offices in cities that are already overcrowded to the tilt, and the city councils turn a blind eye to this. I realize that such a law would have no sponsors.
  - pdimitar 6y ago
    This started becoming bigger and bigger problem in Sofia (capital of Bulgaria, in the Balkan Peninsula, Eastern Europe). I live for 20 years here and now I want to get out because almost every plot of land eventually gets filled with the same faceless concrete and glass block that the office buildings are. Aesthetic sentiments aside, those office buildings bring stress to the local infrastructure in many ways. One win however is that local businesses that serve food and drinks at least survive which is not a small win during COVID-19 times.
Glyptodon 6y ago
I don't think there's a way to unlink so long as there are particularly desirable and undesirable places to live.
- andrepd 6y ago
  There are way yes, such as Georgism or Socialism. They require rethinking some things and shaking some powerbases, so that's why they appear impossible.

ARandomerDude 6y ago

Since you know that, go with the market. Sell your house every 2-3 years while it's hot and make money. When things slow down, stay in your house and enjoy it.

AlexandrB 6y ago

This. Contrary to this article, I think the biggest policy mistake was turning home ownership into an investment/retirement strategy. In the last 10 years, services like AirBnB have only accelerated the problem.

swiley 6y ago

You could have both if dense housing was allowed to be built and people bought condos.

bradlys 6y ago
How? If an asset goes up in value then that means someone is paying more for it at the end of the day. Thus, it’s less affordable... If your argument is about splitting up land use by building higher, it still is true. At the end of the day, that land became more expensive and you are less able to purchase the land. Appreciating asset and affordability are opposites by definition.
- swiley 6y ago
  You're less able to purchase the same size of land but size really isn't that interesting unless you're planning to farm it.
akomtu 6y ago
Another solution is a ban on new office buildings in areas with insufficient housing supply. Right now the corps happily build new offices in cities that are already overcrowded to the tilt, and the city councils turn a blind eye to this. I realize that such a law would have no sponsors.
- pdimitar 6y ago
  This started becoming bigger and bigger problem in Sofia (capital of Bulgaria, in the Balkan Peninsula, Eastern Europe). I live for 20 years here and now I want to get out because almost every plot of land eventually gets filled with the same faceless concrete and glass block that the office buildings are. Aesthetic sentiments aside, those office buildings bring stress to the local infrastructure in many ways. One win however is that local businesses that serve food and drinks at least survive which is not a small win during COVID-19 times.

Glyptodon 6y ago

I don't think there's a way to unlink so long as there are particularly desirable and undesirable places to live.

andrepd 6y ago
There are way yes, such as Georgism or Socialism. They require rethinking some things and shaking some powerbases, so that's why they appear impossible.