You're viewing a single thread.
I think they find a lot of stuff here surprising. My chinese friend was really shocked when they found out that you could just buy and own land, and it's yours.
Well kinda. You kinda still rent it from the government because you have to pay
protection moneytax on things to continue owning them or else themafiagovernment comes and takes it away.Heavens, paying tax for services provided by the state, what a totalitarian nightmare. Fuck schools, clean water, street lighting, and disease vector abatement.
To be fair, property tax is pretty much bullshit. Had to move from my childhood home because they redid a mall nearby which raised property taxes in that neighbirhood so high my single mother couldn't afford it anymore. I mean, I get it, fuck us we're just people not "the masses," but it left a bad taste in my mouth for "pay me not to steal your shit" taxes.
I think to survive in that situation they expect you to become a landlord and rent out your property, that's rough
... the fuck kind of mall was it to boost your property values that high?
Some stupid "open concept" thing with a french restaurant and a diamond store. Also we were/are on the lower income side of life which I get is our fault because she didn't finish college and I couldn't afford it and all that, but it does kinda suck.
Nah man, isn't anyone's fault for not finishing college. No one 'deserves' to be poor, and college isn't for everyone - especially if your mom was already raising you at the time.
Just surprised. Highest property tax rates are around 2% in the US, at least - your house has to be worth quite a bit for that to even approach the average rent prices which would make a move financially reasonable.
Though that's as much a condemnation of the rent prices in this fucking country as anything, I suppose.
I think it was more the "lot" than the house, we had the worst little one story house in the neighborhood, but I did love it. I think it was a fixed mortgage too, but she did own the house rather than rent. While she technically made a profit from the sale due to 20yr+ of living there, she had to take a downgrade on the living situation because other prices also rose, but her line of work is kind of localized so it's either that or a 2hr commute. I am moved out now anyway because this is america and so you're worthless as a man if you live with your mom (I know other countries consider multigenerational households the norm which honestly I wish we did too, but we don't), but it's still a bummer. The renters in the area had it happen too, just earlier, lost a few good friends that way actually.
Are you squints claiming land goes to school? Drinks water? Needs to see in the dark? Is worried about getting sick?
Because OP wasn'ts complaining about taxes in general, they were specifically complaining about real estate taxes.
Individuals owning large swaths of land and not doing anything with it is bad for both the economy and for social welfare. No one person needs to own hundreds of acres in the middle of a city. Property taxes prevent that from happening. Imo it should have a minimum amount of area before it gets taxed, to make life easier for small homeowners, but the rich dude who buys the lots next to his house so he doesn't have to live near neighbors? I'm fine with him having to pay extra for that.