4 ms·

I am sorry about your conclusion, but you're ignoring all the knock-on effects. These houses are utilizing prime locations and locations anywhere near the city

I am sorry about your conclusion, but you're ignoring all the knock-on effects. These houses are utilizing prime locations and locations anywhere near the city centers where the majority of jobs are. They're sitting there empty for large portions of the year depriving the local economy of patrons. They're owned by wealthy individuals who are driving up the housing costs in the entire area, which also benefits them as the value of their 'investment' increases and the ability for the average person to own a home diminishes. "Just build more houses".... where? at what cost? Are you going to tell people to stop trying to buy houses where the jobs are, where the modern services and utilities are? "We" are not a rich country, unless by "we" you mean the 10% of the population that is rich. I feel well compensated, I'm well within the middle class and consider myself lucky. I cannot afford a home, in the current market, in a location with the services and locality of my industry. I live in Florida. Vrbo, Airbnb, and properties purchased by institutional investors have directly increased my housing costs. That is objective, not subjective. Call it anecdotal all you want, the populated parts of the state have seen their housing options obliterated.

voidwtf 3y ago
While we're on the topic, let's not forget foreign investors. Most of the properties in my neighborhood were purchased by foreign investors. My block in particular has at least 4 houses that are owned by asian investors. I've met the families who live-in and rent those houses. The property management company also runs the HOA and votes by proxy for those investors, investors who don't care about the daily goings-on of the community. If we're going to use statistics for anything, let's look at it in the affirmative instead. How many homes are owned by the family living in them? The most recent data for Florida is for 2015-2019. Here are the owner-occupied housing for the most populated counties, starting with the one I live in. Hillsborough County - 58.6% Miami-Dade County - 51.2% Orange County - 55.4% Broward County - 62.1% Palm Beach County - 68.9% Duval County - 56.7% Pinellas County - 67% The National Average is 64.8%. In my county nearly half of the housing is not owner-occupied. As a nation, nearly a 3rd of available housing is not owner-occupied. I bet this is worse now, as this information is pre-pandemic and from the very beginning of the most recent housing rush. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/note/US/HSG445222#:~:text=Owner%2DOccupied%20%2D%20A%20housing%20unit,Person%201%20on%20the%20questionnaire https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/note/US/HSG445222#:~:.... https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/HSG445222 https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/HSG445222 https://www.florida-demographics.com/counties_by_population https://www.florida-demographics.com/counties_by_population https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/acs-percentage-owner-hu-2015-2019.html https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/ac... Edit to add some relevant information: https://cdn.nar.realtor//sites/default/files/documents/2023-international-transactions-in-us-residential-real-estate-08-01-2023.pdf https://cdn.nar.realtor//sites/default/files/documents/2023-...
- jeffbee 3y ago
  There is nothing ethically preferable about owner occupancy. In Switzerland, which I consider to be a highly developed society, they have a special tax that applies only to owner-occupants. I think we should adopt that. More people should rent, and fewer people should consider home ownership an investment strategy. Also, to be quite honest, your allusions about shadowy Asians has the whiff of racist tendencies.
  - voidwtf 3y ago
    I'm sorry if there was any implication of bias against Asians as a group. I don't think I implied that at all, when did I call them shadowy? That smells of your own biases and perceptions. I was simply referencing the region of those I'm aware of. My neighbors home is owned by an investor from the Philippines. Three other houses on my block are owned by investors from China and are rental houses. This information can be confirmed by a simple property tax search.
  - voidwtf 3y ago
    I don't understand this stance. I want to own so I can customize to my liking. I want to own so I can add that solar system and battery backup. I want to own so I can add 2 ft of pavers on both sides of my drive-way. I want to own so that 30 years from now when I'm preparing to retire, that my only housing costs will be utilities and taxes. What person wants to never be able to call something their own?
    - Podgajski 3y ago
      Everyone who runs the World Economic Forum .

voidwtf 3y ago

While we're on the topic, let's not forget foreign investors. Most of the properties in my neighborhood were purchased by foreign investors. My block in particular has at least 4 houses that are owned by asian investors. I've met the families who live-in and rent those houses. The property management company also runs the HOA and votes by proxy for those investors, investors who don't care about the daily goings-on of the community. If we're going to use statistics for anything, let's look at it in the affirmative instead. How many homes are owned by the family living in them? The most recent data for Florida is for 2015-2019. Here are the owner-occupied housing for the most populated counties, starting with the one I live in. Hillsborough County - 58.6% Miami-Dade County - 51.2% Orange County - 55.4% Broward County - 62.1% Palm Beach County - 68.9% Duval County - 56.7% Pinellas County - 67% The National Average is 64.8%. In my county nearly half of the housing is not owner-occupied. As a nation, nearly a 3rd of available housing is not owner-occupied. I bet this is worse now, as this information is pre-pandemic and from the very beginning of the most recent housing rush. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/note/US/HSG445222#:~:text=Owner%2DOccupied%20%2D%20A%20housing%20unit,Person%201%20on%20the%20questionnaire https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/note/US/HSG445222#:~:.... https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/HSG445222 https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/HSG445222 https://www.florida-demographics.com/counties_by_population https://www.florida-demographics.com/counties_by_population https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/acs-percentage-owner-hu-2015-2019.html https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/ac... Edit to add some relevant information: https://cdn.nar.realtor//sites/default/files/documents/2023-international-transactions-in-us-residential-real-estate-08-01-2023.pdf https://cdn.nar.realtor//sites/default/files/documents/2023-...

jeffbee 3y ago
There is nothing ethically preferable about owner occupancy. In Switzerland, which I consider to be a highly developed society, they have a special tax that applies only to owner-occupants. I think we should adopt that. More people should rent, and fewer people should consider home ownership an investment strategy. Also, to be quite honest, your allusions about shadowy Asians has the whiff of racist tendencies.
- voidwtf 3y ago
  I'm sorry if there was any implication of bias against Asians as a group. I don't think I implied that at all, when did I call them shadowy? That smells of your own biases and perceptions. I was simply referencing the region of those I'm aware of. My neighbors home is owned by an investor from the Philippines. Three other houses on my block are owned by investors from China and are rental houses. This information can be confirmed by a simple property tax search.
- voidwtf 3y ago
  I don't understand this stance. I want to own so I can customize to my liking. I want to own so I can add that solar system and battery backup. I want to own so I can add 2 ft of pavers on both sides of my drive-way. I want to own so that 30 years from now when I'm preparing to retire, that my only housing costs will be utilities and taxes. What person wants to never be able to call something their own?
  - Podgajski 3y ago
    Everyone who runs the World Economic Forum .