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Most of Canada is being actively price fixed by a handful of large real state companies that have purchased huge patches of housing and tend to do the minimum t

Most of Canada is being actively price fixed by a handful of large real state companies that have purchased huge patches of housing and tend to do the minimum to maintain or improve and act more like litigious predators who price fix and remove all ownership from the experience

ysofunny 2y ago
you've unwittingly described the real source of the fabulous status of the british royal family
- tomrod 2y ago
  Indeed, the very notion of feudalism and royalty is based on land barons.
- kibwen 2y ago
  That "lord" in "landlord" ain't there for no reason. Are people finally prepared to understand that landlords are just the modern incarnation of parasitic aristocracy?
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
  - mrangle 2y ago
    One might think. But common and even corporate landlords are not that powerful. See the fact that the FBI is raiding them for price fixing. Which they should, as rent prices are a major political instability pressure point and a major factor in the unspoken social contract. Private landlords exploiting tech to destabilize housing needs to be checked without quarter. Federal Police virtually never raid actual aristocrats in such a public manner, and especially not with a focus in their livelihood. Remember that the aristocracy was traditionally a powerful position: collectively challenging the King and often winning. The aristocracy actually morphed into parliamentary government, which is the dominant government throughout the West. That's where you find the legacy that you thought resided with modern landlords. While some might still earn a living in that manner: making and wielding the law long ago became more attractive.
    - ysofunny 2y ago
      I think this has led to parliaments being confused with legislatures; a similarly sublte distinction exists between prime ministers and presidents. I worry this kinds of apparent loses sublte distinction will be politically abused in the coming election under the scenario were the direct vote count and the electoral college suggest different winners
      - mrangle 2y ago
        I think that you are unnecessarily getting lost in semantics. Regardless, I'll clear up my meaning. By "parliament" I'm indeed referring to a legislature or a body of lawmakers that passes law. Often, that body is named "Parliament". In the US, it's Congress. My meaning would exclude any body with the name of Parliament that does not make laws. Though, I'd acknowledge that such a system would likely be a proto legislature and carry lawmaking influence. Prime Minster and President are just titles. Their function in any one government would reveal their role, from diplomat to commander to figurehead. The "direct vote count" does not suggest a winner because it isn't a thing in the US except at the State level and in the minds of wishful thinkers. I have no idea what you mean by the relevance of a "subtle distinction" in that context.
  - hn_version_0023 2y ago
    Fortunately the solution to this problem is the same in the future as it was in the past.
  - cscurmudgeon 2y ago
    So the 50 year old who rents out extra space in his house (built or purchased through his hard work over decade) is an aristocrat? https://junehomes.com/blog/2023/01/19/who-are-todays-landlords/#generation https://junehomes.com/blog/2023/01/19/who-are-todays-landlor...
    - defrost 2y ago
      A minority. While it is asserted in your link that: 35% of landlords were between the age of 55 to 64 years there is no such claim that all were merely renting out an extra room. It's more fruitful to look at the landlord power distribution of number of properties per landlord and cast those renting two or more houses toward the "(small a) aristocrat" category .. with those renting out multiple million dollar plus houses in dense inner city upscale suburbs likely being very well heeled.
- astrange 2y ago
  High housing costs in the UK are not caused by the royal family. They're caused by the UK (and Ireland) having the worst planning system in the world which makes it illegal to ever build any new housing. It's actually even worse than the US - at least zoning implies you're allowed to do something by right. The US also has a better tax system since it uses property taxes more often, which reduces land values.
metadat 2y ago
In the United States, isn't this called Private Equity?
- astrange 2y ago
  Average landlord in the US owns like two properties. This is not happening. There is a conspiracy theory it's happening though - a funny thing is that the people repeating it can't decide if it's caused by "Blackstone" or "BlackRock", which are two different companies that sound the same. More importantly you can't enforce a cartel in housing without legal force, because every participant is motivated to defect. So the way landowners enforce one is through zoning laws. Just get rid of those!
  - crmd 2y ago
    There’s nothing wrong with, say, buying a two family home, living in one unit, and renting out the other to help pay the mortgage. But corporate landlording, where an organization owns multiple buildings and runs it as a profit-maximizing enterprise, is a cancer on modern society and needs to be phased out.
    - wdh505 2y ago
      Did you just say HOAs for all in order to have ownership of apartment units?
      - inetknght 2y ago
        HOAs are a completely awful concept.
        SoftTalker 2y ago
        No they aren't. Some are awful, because awful people get on the boards. But an HOA is just a management organization for all the shared property and amenities in a neigborhood or condominium development. Some people like living with well defined rules, mandatory property and exterior appearance standards, some people don't. If you don't like the idea of an HOA then don't buy property that's subject to one.
pstrateman 2y ago
The cost of housing in Canada is high because demand exceeds supply by a significant margin. It really is that simple.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- arrosenberg 2y ago
  These are not mutually exclusive conclusions.
- Teever 2y ago
  This is absurdly reductionist to the point of uselessness. What are you trying to convey with this tautology?
  - selfmodruntime 2y ago
    Maybe the fact that being critical of mass immigration and its consequences would've labeled you as an extremist in the past decade?
  - pstrateman 2y ago
    Who owns the buildings is irrelevant if demand exceeds supply and the occupancy rate is reasonable. The focus on building ownership is just a distraction from the disastrous immigration policy.
datahack 2y ago
Are you suggesting the FBI should raid Canada? Because I’m increasingly convinced they would do it if you asked, if for nothing more than just a change of scenery.

ysofunny 2y ago

you've unwittingly described the real source of the fabulous status of the british royal family

tomrod 2y ago
Indeed, the very notion of feudalism and royalty is based on land barons.
kibwen 2y ago
That "lord" in "landlord" ain't there for no reason. Are people finally prepared to understand that landlords are just the modern incarnation of parasitic aristocracy?
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- mrangle 2y ago
  One might think. But common and even corporate landlords are not that powerful. See the fact that the FBI is raiding them for price fixing. Which they should, as rent prices are a major political instability pressure point and a major factor in the unspoken social contract. Private landlords exploiting tech to destabilize housing needs to be checked without quarter. Federal Police virtually never raid actual aristocrats in such a public manner, and especially not with a focus in their livelihood. Remember that the aristocracy was traditionally a powerful position: collectively challenging the King and often winning. The aristocracy actually morphed into parliamentary government, which is the dominant government throughout the West. That's where you find the legacy that you thought resided with modern landlords. While some might still earn a living in that manner: making and wielding the law long ago became more attractive.
  - ysofunny 2y ago
    I think this has led to parliaments being confused with legislatures; a similarly sublte distinction exists between prime ministers and presidents. I worry this kinds of apparent loses sublte distinction will be politically abused in the coming election under the scenario were the direct vote count and the electoral college suggest different winners
    - mrangle 2y ago
      I think that you are unnecessarily getting lost in semantics. Regardless, I'll clear up my meaning. By "parliament" I'm indeed referring to a legislature or a body of lawmakers that passes law. Often, that body is named "Parliament". In the US, it's Congress. My meaning would exclude any body with the name of Parliament that does not make laws. Though, I'd acknowledge that such a system would likely be a proto legislature and carry lawmaking influence. Prime Minster and President are just titles. Their function in any one government would reveal their role, from diplomat to commander to figurehead. The "direct vote count" does not suggest a winner because it isn't a thing in the US except at the State level and in the minds of wishful thinkers. I have no idea what you mean by the relevance of a "subtle distinction" in that context.
- hn_version_0023 2y ago
  Fortunately the solution to this problem is the same in the future as it was in the past.
- cscurmudgeon 2y ago
  So the 50 year old who rents out extra space in his house (built or purchased through his hard work over decade) is an aristocrat? https://junehomes.com/blog/2023/01/19/who-are-todays-landlords/#generation https://junehomes.com/blog/2023/01/19/who-are-todays-landlor...
  - defrost 2y ago
    A minority. While it is asserted in your link that: 35% of landlords were between the age of 55 to 64 years there is no such claim that all were merely renting out an extra room. It's more fruitful to look at the landlord power distribution of number of properties per landlord and cast those renting two or more houses toward the "(small a) aristocrat" category .. with those renting out multiple million dollar plus houses in dense inner city upscale suburbs likely being very well heeled.
astrange 2y ago
High housing costs in the UK are not caused by the royal family. They're caused by the UK (and Ireland) having the worst planning system in the world which makes it illegal to ever build any new housing. It's actually even worse than the US - at least zoning implies you're allowed to do something by right. The US also has a better tax system since it uses property taxes more often, which reduces land values.

metadat 2y ago

In the United States, isn't this called Private Equity?

astrange 2y ago
Average landlord in the US owns like two properties. This is not happening. There is a conspiracy theory it's happening though - a funny thing is that the people repeating it can't decide if it's caused by "Blackstone" or "BlackRock", which are two different companies that sound the same. More importantly you can't enforce a cartel in housing without legal force, because every participant is motivated to defect. So the way landowners enforce one is through zoning laws. Just get rid of those!
- crmd 2y ago
  There’s nothing wrong with, say, buying a two family home, living in one unit, and renting out the other to help pay the mortgage. But corporate landlording, where an organization owns multiple buildings and runs it as a profit-maximizing enterprise, is a cancer on modern society and needs to be phased out.
  - wdh505 2y ago
    Did you just say HOAs for all in order to have ownership of apartment units?
    - inetknght 2y ago
      HOAs are a completely awful concept.
      - SoftTalker 2y ago
        No they aren't. Some are awful, because awful people get on the boards. But an HOA is just a management organization for all the shared property and amenities in a neigborhood or condominium development. Some people like living with well defined rules, mandatory property and exterior appearance standards, some people don't. If you don't like the idea of an HOA then don't buy property that's subject to one.

pstrateman 2y ago

The cost of housing in Canada is high because demand exceeds supply by a significant margin. It really is that simple.

deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
arrosenberg 2y ago
These are not mutually exclusive conclusions.
Teever 2y ago
This is absurdly reductionist to the point of uselessness. What are you trying to convey with this tautology?
- selfmodruntime 2y ago
  Maybe the fact that being critical of mass immigration and its consequences would've labeled you as an extremist in the past decade?
- pstrateman 2y ago
  Who owns the buildings is irrelevant if demand exceeds supply and the occupancy rate is reasonable. The focus on building ownership is just a distraction from the disastrous immigration policy.

datahack 2y ago

Are you suggesting the FBI should raid Canada? Because I’m increasingly convinced they would do it if you asked, if for nothing more than just a change of scenery.