• But_my_mom_says_im_cool@lemmy.world
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    21 hours ago

    I run a condo building and there’s about half a dozen apartments in the building that have been sitting vacant for as long as I’ve been here for about 5 years now. The owners don’t even live in the country. Just apartments sitting there unused for years

    • TubularTittyFrog@lemmy.world
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      18 hours ago

      they are an investment.

      here in boston, chinese people buy up apartments for their children to go to college, years ahead of time. several vacant buildings near my own place. even if their kid doesn’t go to school here, it’s still an asset that appreciates. chinese landlord that lives half a globe away doesn’t care about renting it out either. it’s just a place to park their money.

      • SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca
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        18 hours ago

        As long as we refuse to decouple housing from a tool of speculation, we will not address affordable housing.

          • Katana314@lemmy.world
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            16 hours ago

            I think it’s fine to use it as a speculation tool if you are living there. If not, then it should be a massive tax liability. Pressure people buying empty homes to either rent them to someone for cheap, live in them, or sell them.

            • TubularTittyFrog@lemmy.world
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              16 hours ago

              this is precisely what NIMBYism is. People living in their own homes, who want to force up the value by preventing new homes from being constructed.

              it’s also the reason for the crisis. without that attitude and all the zoning restrictions, our housing market would be much more cheap and flexible. but when you have towns that only permit like 50 new houses a a year, and the population is growing at 3x that, you have a serious problem

            • jj4211@lemmy.world
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              16 hours ago

              I think the concept of a tax penalty with some relief for having a tenant that isn’t being gouged sounds nice.

      • But_my_mom_says_im_cool@lemmy.world
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        13 hours ago

        I think you should be a resident with records of living in the country before being allowed to buy. Letting the Chinese wealthy buy up all our land is stupid and short sighted