3 ms·

> Sure, the housing market in Europe is struggling as well, but it's not even close to the situation in the US because so much affordable housing in mixed-use m

by mcntsh 3y ago

> Sure, the housing market in Europe is struggling as well, but it's not even close to the situation in the US because so much affordable housing in mixed-use middle density buildings is available. Housing affordability in Europe is, in most places, way worse than in the US. Not sure where Americans get this idea that it's better there.

kuschku 3y ago
I'm not an american, I actually live in Germany. And as long as you rent instead of buying hohsing affordability is okay in most cities, and in those where it isn't the transit network is good enough that you can easily commute without an expensive car.
- mcntsh 3y ago
  Yeah I also live in Germany and housing affordability is much much worse than in the USA. The ratio of the median income to the median housing cost is significantly worse: https://www.numbeo.com/property-investment/rankings_by_country.jsp https://www.numbeo.com/property-investment/rankings_by_count... Renting in the US also is very cheap outside of cities. You can rent in New Jersey and take the train into NYC, or rent in Vallejo and take the train into San Francisco. Over all the income/rent or mortgage ratio, in my experience having rented and purchased in both countries, is much more favorable in the US. Quality of life is a different story.
  - kuschku 3y ago
    > The ratio of the median income to the median housing cost is significantly worse You're again quoting income vs the price to buy property. You're arguing against a strawman with that. The argument is about the cost to rent, combined with the monetary and opportunity cost of commuting associated with that.
    - mcntsh 3y ago
      It was easier for me to find a rental in NYC than in was in Berlin so I wouldn't really say Germany is ahead there either. Maybe if you got a rental 10 years ago? German rental markets are price-controlled which means extreme shortages because... surprise surprise... Germans don't build either.

by mcntsh 3y ago

kuschku 3y ago

I'm not an american, I actually live in Germany. And as long as you rent instead of buying hohsing affordability is okay in most cities, and in those where it isn't the transit network is good enough that you can easily commute without an expensive car.

mcntsh 3y ago
Yeah I also live in Germany and housing affordability is much much worse than in the USA. The ratio of the median income to the median housing cost is significantly worse: https://www.numbeo.com/property-investment/rankings_by_country.jsp https://www.numbeo.com/property-investment/rankings_by_count... Renting in the US also is very cheap outside of cities. You can rent in New Jersey and take the train into NYC, or rent in Vallejo and take the train into San Francisco. Over all the income/rent or mortgage ratio, in my experience having rented and purchased in both countries, is much more favorable in the US. Quality of life is a different story.
- kuschku 3y ago
  > The ratio of the median income to the median housing cost is significantly worse You're again quoting income vs the price to buy property. You're arguing against a strawman with that. The argument is about the cost to rent, combined with the monetary and opportunity cost of commuting associated with that.
  - mcntsh 3y ago
    It was easier for me to find a rental in NYC than in was in Berlin so I wouldn't really say Germany is ahead there either. Maybe if you got a rental 10 years ago? German rental markets are price-controlled which means extreme shortages because... surprise surprise... Germans don't build either.