Social 9.7% of US housing units are vacant.

[KAZSoliloquy]

Do the tent cities that currently exist look like organized safe places that you would take children near? Are there drug dealers hanging around every single one of them?

this is precisely the problem. if not forced to live together on the street in dire straits, are these people just as likely to fall into bad patterns of behavior? i really doubt it. that doesn’t mean people’s addictions will magically disappear if they get their own apartment, but it’s disingenuous to pretend the depressing conditions of street homelessness don’t feed the escapism of drug use.

https://www.addictiongroup.org/addiction/homelessness/

The other major problem among the homeless is mental illness. They need treatment centers, not enablers buying them houses.

no argument from me here. mental illness support is basically garbage worldwide. i don’t think the need for a house and need for a psychiatrist/treatment program are mutually exclusive, though.

 

[KAZSoliloquy]

Why do you think they are watching their property age and lose value? Last I checked aging property doesn't lose value, it gains value, financially speaking.

if it doesn’t deteriorate and the owner spends the requisite money to maintain it, sure. at that point, though, what are you maintaining it for? the hope that one of those homeless guys becomes the next Pursuit of Happyness guy? some other property hoarder decides to buy it from you and do the same thing?

 

[Bald1]

A sizable portion is probably in the Rust Belt.

Doesn’t matter how much vacant housing you have if it isn’t in New York, California, Miami, etc. where housing prices are skyrocketing due to a scarcity in housing. (Which is completely artificial in California and to some extent artificial in Miami, supposing that you don’t care about the Everglades)

Or in places the auto industry has abandoned. While the number seems staggering, there's other variables to consider as well. Would a homeless person in California be willing to relocate to Detroit?

 

[Scerpi]

tf is there to discuss? these are all vacant properties that Americans would rather watch rot for nothing than give to someone in need.

Im guessing you’ve never offered a pos jobless relative your couch to stay for a week or so….

Then had to kick them out a few months later… and having to buy a new couch

 

[KAZSoliloquy]

Im guessing you’ve never offered a pos jobless relative your couch to stay for a week or so….

Then had to kick them out a few months later… and having to buy a new couch

no, i haven’t and if that happened to you, that sucks and i’m sorry. manipulative, leechy people do exist but it’s unfair and unrealistic to paint even a small majority of homeless people with that brush.

 

[BIKES!]

Source

Well thought out OP. Very insightful and you point is well taken. Thank you for all the time you spent bettering this forum...

 

[KeepingItReal]

if it doesn’t deteriorate and the owner spends the requisite money to maintain it, sure. at that point, though, what are you maintaining it for? the hope that one of those homeless guys becomes the next Pursuit of Happyness guy? some other property hoarder decides to buy it from you and do the same thing?

No, even if it does deteriorate, prices are going up. People are buying homes, homes that are 20+ years old. Another thing to consider is that next year there might be 14 million vacant homes, but the majority of them might not even be the same homes that were vacant this year. It's not as if they are tracking the same homes, they are just looking at the vacant ones and counting them.

 

[Natural Order]

Land/property is arguably the best investment option you can make. As others have noted, owners are generally fine to sit on it and let it become a nest egg, or hopefully a gold mine. Most people who are buying extra property aren't in a dire situation and use these channels as retirement investments. It's smart thinking in a system that allows it, but it most certainly does come with unforseen consequences and issues we see today.

It's also funny to see the basement-dwelling assistance-receiving mental patients on here talking about their extensive knowledge of maintenance and upkeep costs on large purchases.

 

[KAZSoliloquy]

No, even if it does deteriorate, prices are going up. People are buying homes, homes that are 20+ years old. Another thing to consider is that next year there might be 14 million vacant homes, but the majority of them might not even be the same homes that were vacant this year. It's not as if they are tracking the same homes, they are just looking at the vacant ones and counting them.

the value goes up because the value of the dollar goes down. it’s the same reason a big mac costs $5 now. it’s not because big macs are suddenly in high demand.

of course, millennials are aging into house-buying territory, which does raise the demand, but that occurs with every generation. the housing market is not in some unprecedented boom.

 

[kenetics]

I'm against "giving" anything to anyone. Earn it, like everyone else. I'm tired of people being rewarded for being degenerates.

Agree. But not everyone has earned that they have.

 

[TUFNewb]

I own a property that is currently vacant. It has become a huge pain in the ass finding reliable renters so will probably sell it but that might take many months. It's not really going up in value currently, not enough to negate the money it burns anyways. But I'd still rather do that because being a landlord sucks and now to top it all off everyone thinks you're some evil fat cat Disney villian.

 

[KAZSoliloquy]

I own a property that is currently vacant. It has become a huge pain in the ass finding reliable renters so will probably sell it but that might take many months. It's not really going up in value currently, not enough to negate the money it burns anyways. But I'd still rather do that because being a landlord sucks and now to top it all off everyone thinks you're some evil fat cat Disney villian.

not true. you’re obviously doing something wrong. houses are magic and create money for you. just ask @Natural Order and @KeepingItReal

 

[Satan's Daddy.]

And who is going to pay the property tax, maintenance and upkeep on all these properties? the people that won't even get a job to have somewhere to live in the first place?

Why should some people have to pay for a home while others just have it given to them? How is that fair?

It's pretty easy to create money, but you're to ignorant to know that.

 

[Satan's Daddy.]

It's very noble of you to buy up houses to let homeless drug addicts live in for free. Oh wait, you're not, but want to flex your fake virtue by demanding other people do? Why do all the lefties' grand virtuous plans only involve demands from other people and absolutely nothing from themselves?

Oh yeah, only people with jobs and take care of their place should pay rent and mortgages, but if you're a junkie who trashes it, turns it into a drug den with dealers and your drug buddies showing up at all hours and makes the entire neighborhood less safe, it's on the house?

Does it say where these houses are? Are they already burned out crack houses? Are they in places that even have homeless people? The country is a pretty big place.

That's easily fixable have a district for them, with good cops always checking in. You wouldnt have to worry unless you're a junkie yourself. Plus they're busy getting high they wont come over and murder you, like tv shows and movies might want you to believe by brainwashing u.

 

[KeepingItReal]

the value goes up because the value of the dollar goes down. it’s the same reason a big mac costs $5 now. it’s not because big macs are suddenly in high demand.

of course, millennials are aging into house-buying territory, which does raise the demand, but that occurs with every generation. the housing market is not in some unprecedented boom.

They are man, they are, even vegan ones. There is a vegan burger place in Atlanta called Slutty Vegan that has super long lines most of the time.

Why does it matter if the housing boom is precedented or not? It's still booming.

 

[Natural Order]

not true. you’re obviously doing something wrong. houses are magic and create money for you. just ask @Natural Order and @KeepingItReal

Magic, lol. You're not paying attention...

 

[KeepingItReal]

not true. you’re obviously doing something wrong. houses are magic and create money for you. just ask @Natural Order and @KeepingItReal

That's true, I mean if you look through all my previous posts that's the only reasonable conclusion anyone could come to. How could there possibly be any other conclusion?! Impossible!

 

[BIKES!]

Im guessing you’ve never offered a pos jobless relative your couch to stay for a week or so….

Then had to kick them out a few months later… and having to buy a new couch

In college we had this mutual surf buddy who would ask if he could stay over on our couch (the rest of us worked). After two months, I told him you got to fucking pay rent like the other three of us. He moved out that weekend and was bitter as fuck and none of us are friends with him years later.

There are always the people that don’t want to work, don’t have the work ethic or grit and it’s quite frankly hard to pick up later in life. I’ve worked since 15.5 with a workers permit and over 30 hours a week even in undergrad. I have no fucking tolerance for lazy, entitled sloths

 

[TUFNewb]

not true. you’re obviously doing something wrong. houses are magic and create money for you. just ask @Natural Order and @KeepingItReal

Some markets do seem to be rooted in magic rather than fundamentals. Unfortunately mine is not one of them lol. My agent tells me the market here is "balanced", which is certainly better than the years of "buyer's" it has been. So time to get out I think, if interest rates rise quickly this could be as good as it gets for me for a while.

 

[The Big Bang]

And who is going to pay the property tax, maintenance and upkeep on all these properties? the people that won't even get a job to have somewhere to live in the first place?

Why should some people have to pay for a home while others just have it given to them? How is that fair?