Free Republic

Democrat, democratic socialist, communist... however you want to slice it, New York is run by some of the most far-Left lunatics in the country. And they chose Tax Day to remind us of that once again.What are they doing now? New York Governor Kathy Hochul has announced a new surcharge (read: tax) for anyone who owns residential property worth $5 million or more, but is not a resident of New York City. They're calling it the pied-à-terre tax:If you can afford a multi-million dollar second home in New York City, you can afford to join its residents in supporting the...

Meanwhile, foreign Islamists meeting “residency” requirements receive taxpayer assistance. Andreas Wailzer at LifeSite News reports that the German government, through the Ministry of Construction, has just proposed a new bill that “would give municipalities the right of first refusal if a potential buyer of property has ‘anti-constitutional aspirations.’” But those with “anti-constitutional aspirations” aren’t to be confused with the third-world foreigners and hordes of Islamists who have decidedly not integrated and accepted the German constitution and government as authoritative, instead bringing sharia culture, customs, and pseudo-law to Germany and making no pretenses of hiding their intentions—this is specifically in regards...

NEW YORK, March 20 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge has struck down a Treasury ​Department rule aimed at curbing money laundering in real estate by ‌requiring that the beneficial owners of companies buying real estate in cash be disclosed. Jumpstart your morning with the latest legal news delivered straight to your inbox from The Daily Docket newsletter. Sign up here. The Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) implemented the rule in ​2024 to prevent criminals from anonymously stashing ill-gotten gains in U.S. ​property. Lawyers at the libertarian Pacific Legal Foundation challenged the ⁠rule, arguing it exceeded FinCEN's statutory authority....

All those empty office buildings in downtown Seattle are dragging down property values, according to newly-released King County Assessor data. According to the King County Assessor’s Office, the city’s most valuable skyscrapers have lost $3.7 billion in value since 2022. Approximately a third of downtown commercial space remains vacant. Among the biggest decreases in value are the Amazon Doppler Tower and Meeting Center (62% drop), Amazon’s Day One Tower and Spheres (59% drop), the DocuSign Tower on 999 Third Street (56% drop), Amazon’s Re-Invent Towers (55% drop), and the US Bank Centre (53% drop). The three Amazon office buildings listed...

In 2008, Californians voted on what they were told would be a modern transportation system — a sleek, high-speed rail line connecting Los Angeles and San Francisco in under three hours, financed in part by private investment, delivered at a defined cost, and built within a reasonable timeframe. Eighteen years later, all that has been delivered is one of the largest eminent domain land grabs in modern history. No serious person disputes that infrastructure requires land. But the power of eminent domain is not merely an administrative tool. It is among the most formidable powers government possesses: the authority to...

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case on Wednesday over whether tax foreclosure sales are constitutional. Pung v. Isabella County [Michigan] involves the rights of a foreclosed upon homeowner to receive equity back when their home is sold over a tax foreclosure. The dispute comes between the Pung family and Isabella County, Michigan, over real estate taxes on a home the Pungs owned. A judge determined that the Pungs owed about $2,200 in taxes and allowed the government to auction off their home for $76,000. An individual purchased the Pungs' home from the government and later sold it for...

The Florida House of Representatives approved a joint resolution on Thursday to put in motion a possible constitutional amendment on the November ballot that would completely end non-school property taxes for homesteaded properties beginning on Jan. 1, 2027. The final vote was 80-30, with all Republicans supporting the proposal and all Democrats opposing it. The chances of Floridians actually voting on the amendment are long, however. The Florida Senate has yet to propose any bill during this legislative session addressing property taxes. Joint resolutions can only be placed on the ballot if they are approved by a three-fifths majority in...

For millions of Americans, buying a home no longer feels like a goal. It feels like a gamble they are destined to lose. Prices rise faster than savings. Mortgage payments outpace wages. Each rejected offer chips away at confidence.Donald Trump says that cycle must stop.His plan to ban large institutional investors from buying houses has struck a nerve across the US. It speaks directly to people who believe the housing market no longer serves them.The message is blunt. Homes are for people, not corporations.A Promise Built on FrustrationFor many, housing affordability defines their daily lives. Their circumstances have changed; many...

President Trump on Wednesday called for a ban on “large institutional investors” buying single-family homes in a bid to address the issue of affordability. “I am immediately taking steps to ban large institutional investors from buying more single-family homes, and I will be calling on Congress to codify it. People live in homes, not corporations,” Trump said in a Truth Social post, adding that he will discuss the topic, including further Housing and Affordability proposals, at the World Economic Forum in Davos later this month. The proposed ban could prove to be a way in for Trump and Republicans to...

Zohran Mamdani repeatedly told people who he was during both the NYC mayoral primary race and the general election campaign season, whether it was on the subject of the Israel-Hamas war, 9/11, his soft-on-crime stances, his desire for "free" stuff for New Yorkers - which of course would be paid for by the "rich," or his race-based approach to "solving" the city's housing crisis.And on other issues, past tweets and videos dug up by internet sleuths gave us an even more complete picture of the man who eventually was elected mayor of the Big Apple, with perhaps the most revealing...

New York Councilwoman Vickie Paladino is sounding the alarm about a line in Mayor Zohran Mamdani's inaugural speech. There was a lot in Mamdani's remarks to parse, including his assertion that New York will move toward the "warmth of collectivism" rather than "rugged individualism." As many pointed out, collectivism has a pretty high body count.But socialists like Mamdani don't care. They'll do whatever it takes, and stack as many bodies as necessary, to achieve their utopia. Mamdani made a boatload of promises in his address, including free universal childcare, free buses, and a $30 minimum wage.There was also another line...

About one in three U.S. households rents, a ratio that has stayed surprisingly steady over the past six decades.But with mortgage rates soaring from 2.7% in 2020 to almost 7% today - and home prices continuing to climb - the share of renters has edged up.Today, it takes $121,400 to afford a typical home, or 43% higher than the average salary.This graphic, via Visual Capitalist's Dorothy Neufeld, shows the share of Americans renting versus owning by state, based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau.A Closer Look at Renting vs. Owning in AmericaAs the table below shows, states with the...

Specifically, income producing property? If one has rental units that sold, does that person pay a higher Medicare premium for a year? Any adverse consequence other than a capital gain tax?

Chicago homeowners are asking for answers as property tax bills continue to climb, with several residents saying they’ve seen little improvement in return. In Lawndale, a neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side, residents told ABC7 Chicago that despite higher property tax bills, little has changed on their streets, leaving them frustrated over where their money is going. Community leaders and the Lawndale Christian Development Corporation gathered citizens at a local church for what they called a "property tax bonfire," the local station reported. "There's been a divestment in this community for the most part, but it seems like now that people...

Homeowners vote red. Renters vote blue. Will President Donald Trump's 50-year mortgage make a red voter out of you? That is what the president hoped on Saturday, when he posted the idea of stretching out the customary 30-year repayment terms for home mortgages to 50 years. Turns out, that idea is smoke and mirrors. But at least Trump is recognizing that home affordability is a real crisis, not fake news. "Affordability" is the campaign pledge that produced big wins on election day, and most of the winners were Democrats. Affording a home is increasingly out of reach. The median age...

A Penn Yan woman is facing multiple charges after police say she refused to leave an apartment during a landlord-tenant dispute and then resisted arrest. Carol Briggs, 63, was arrested by Penn Yan Police for obstructing governmental administration, resisting arrest, and trespass following an incident at an apartment where she had no legal right to be. Officers responded to a call involving a dispute between a tenant and Briggs, who is a family member of the landlord. Police say Briggs entered the apartment without permission, became upset with the tenant, and demanded they leave the property. Police informed Briggs that...

Summary Ruling could encourage other US states to adopt similar laws ACLU argued Florida law discriminates against Asians DeSantis said 2023 law meant to deter Chinese Communist Party influence Nov 4 (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday cleared the way for Florida to enforce a law restricting real estate and land purchases by Chinese citizens, rejecting claims it violates federal law and discriminates against Asians. The 2-1 ruling opens new tab by the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals could encourage other states to adopt so-called alien land laws, which were once common but fell out of...

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has said the Trump administration will buy more buildings in Chicago for Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials. During a cabinet meeting on Thursday, Noem said more buildings were purchased “to operate out of.” “We’re purchasing more buildings in Chicago to operate out of,” Noem said to President Trump during the meeting. “We’re going to not back off. In fact, we’re doubling down and we’re going to be in more parts of Chicago in response to the people there.” “I was there a few days ago and looked at...

Well, here we go again. CNN tells us that a property tax revolt is spreading, with a nationwide movement to eliminate property taxes on the march.Most of us are familiar with the basic scenario of property taxation. Every state is replete with numerous political subdivisions commonly known as “municipal corporations.” These are counties, cities, school districts, fire districts, water districts, sewer districts, diking distraction, etc., etc. Each of these is known as a “taxing district” because state statute authorizes these districts’ legislative authority to adopt an annual budget and levy that budget as a tax on the property owners in...

Dear Chuck, My parents are retired and have a very low interest rate on a small amount of remaining mortgage. They told me they want to sell their home and rent, thinking they will save money. I am gathering information to help them. Would you suggest they rent or keep owning their home? Retired: Rent or Buy?Dear Retired: Rent or Buy?It depends. I don’t have the full financial picture of your parents, so I don’t want to give advice based on false assumptions. Let me disclose a few assumptions from your question:They are feeling financially insecure.Their home value is...