Posted on 08/09/2025 1:02:04 PM PDT by Red6
Background: There are forces that create major shifts, and in the last years there has been a lot of talk about how "You'll own nothing and you'll be happy."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You%27ll_own_nothing_and_be_happy
That is what I am seeing in the real estate sector.
Does anybody have any solid sources on the topic that puts things together (an analytical piece that shows where policy changes are driving what is happening), concerning who actually owns the real estate in the US?
It appears, but I have no solid sources, that real estate is getting bought up by commercial investors, and often is longer for sale, but rather becomes rental property, and this may be the result of national level policy changes post 2008 which favor this.
Anyone have any information?
Not sure how/where to post this, if it needs to be somewhere else, please move it.
I expect eventually they will try to increase property taxes for certain houses if the owners are over 65, to try to force them to sell.
“He lives there by himself, and I’m like,—- “bro, get off the stage. Let go. “”
I live on five acres in a 1750 sq ft mobile home I rebuilt to suit. I scrimped and saved and sacrificed. At 71, I’m turning into Yoda. I worked damned hard to own this place free and clear for my old age. I’m here and I intend to stay as long as possible. (A man built a mansion next door. It almost doubled my taxes. We’re on a dirt road and his is only one of two stick built homes. He’s probably fifty.)
yes, that is the problem here in Florida. People a few years ago bought a house for 150,000, and now their property taxes get appraised and now the house is worth $1 million. That’s insane.
“go to the villages in Florida and he can get a little golf cart and drive around”
For 60% the monthly rental I can have my lawn mowed for a year.
For 40% the monthly rental I can have most landscaping removed so lawn maintenance is all that is required on a recurring basis.
I have bookcases filled with books. Young people have cellphones.
I need the space of a single-family house.
Young people need a bedroom (and a bedroom for each sex of their children), which if in an apartment allows them to spend time with the children instead of with grass.
European families generally live in apartments. Almost all families in east Asia live in apartments.
Tucker Carlson made a video about that exact thing that you were talking about. People raise families and apartments, but they would rather not. People don’t want a big big McMansion, just a little house raise a family in. Like they were raised in when they were kids. I have money saved up when the time is right and I’m fairly young, but I don’t have multiple millions saved up which seems like what you have to have these days it’s nuts
Unfortunately, where the affordable houses are, is also a lot of crime, so you don’t want to live in those neighborhoods.
The first home used to be a “Fixer-Upper” that at least gave a start to home ownership when you were in your 20s, hopefully by the time you outgrew it, you could sell it, and buy a better home.
But now it’s a McMansion Or Bust!
you bring up a good point. There are houses in Detroit literally selling for a dollar. No thanks.
Which is really sad, because at one time, when Detroit was literally the richest city in the country, those were beautiful neighborhoods.
I understand that there is a stigma about buying a house in Japan, where someone has died inside the house. They won’t do it. So they literally cut the prices in half and even so, people don’t buy them. I would live in a house where there was a multiple slaughter if they took the price down by a house. I would sleep like a baby.
That’s one way to do it, and it works.
I took advantage of the fire-sale stock market during the covid crash, buying hand over fist. It paid off nicely, so I paid cash for my Florida waterfront home.
That’s another way to do it.
A potential homeowner will always be able to outbid a rental company for a property.
Because the homeowner can afford to pay far more than any investor, which has to have enough cash flow to make it a good investment.
Real estate is for sale and waiting for me to buy it all around me and elsewhere. Plus, you can now invest in shares of a company that owns real estate, so it’s takes very little money to invest in real estate now. I think the minimum is $500, but that’s from memory.
BASED UPON THE HIGH NUMBER OF CALLS I HAVE GOTTEN “TO SELL MY PROPERTY” AND THE MAIL INQUIRIES, YOU ARE RIGHT.
INVESTORS ARE SEEKING THESE PROPERTIES.
99.9% of THE CALLERS DID NOT HAVE ENGLISH AS THEIR FIRST LANGUAGE.
THE LAST ONE I HAD KIND OF CONVERSATION WITH:
“WE PAY CASH”
OK- I WANT AN ESCROW ONLY I CAN ACCESS/CONTROL
I WANT 180 ESCROW TO FIND ANOTHER SUITABLE PROPERTY-I HAVE HORSES-.
I WANT CASH-—ALL IN ONE PAYMENT—$3 MILLION, AND YOU PAY ALL THE CLOSING COSTS-—$3 MILLION TO ME-—CLEAR.
“THE PROPERTY ISN’T WORTH THAT MUCH”
IT IS TO ME——
LATELY, I JUST YELL “FU” IN HIGH DECIBELS & HANG UP.
Old dude may have already sold his house and be living off a reverse mortgage.
Don't look at your personal residence as an investment -- because it's not.
Rent a smaller place for half of what it would cost you to buy your "dream home." Invest the difference between the two over time.
Eventually, you'll have enough liquid assets to give you a lot of options. If the difference between the two is $2,000 per month and your investments generate an average return of 5%, you'll have more than $135,000 after Year 5 and about $310,000 after Year 10.
Here’s my simple take - young folks have no upfront money or budgeting skills. So someone like me can pay cash for the house (enjoying some tax benefits) and they are happy too.
I spent a long time in auto industry and also saw leasing take off.
Home ownership is the greatest retirement plan, sorry so many will miss out on it.
“yes, that is the problem here in Florida. People a few years ago bought a house for 150,000, and now their property taxes get appraised and now the house is worth $1 million. That’s insane.”
A slight exaggeration! And assessed value annual increases are capped at 3% for himesteaded property, 10% for other.
Unfortuately, I have received similar messages .
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.