Here is a group in the Bay Area who says enough is enough with these ridiculous house prices; this has gone way beyond just making a buck on your house. So they are boycotting housing. Right on! Power to the people, baby. Power to the people. Thanks to the reader who sent this in.And here is a group over in the UK doing the same sort of thing (I found this over at the Housing Panic blog). Here is what that blogger had to say:
What happens when housing prices soar to the point that first time buyers, or people who actually work for a living, can't buy a house?
They get pissed.
Think about a new college grad, making $35,000 a year. Think about that young family, two earners, making $80k total, 30 years old, with a kid on the way.
For a lot of folks, this bubble and financial madness has killed the dream of owning a house. Luckily for some, they smartly are still holding off. vs. buying right now, post-peak.
Well, in the UK, a non-profit has started to raise awareness for the need of affordable housing. The bubble bursting, the Ponzi scheme ending, may do the trick. But if government gets involved, as they sometimes do, to control an asset price decline (hello Ben - getting chicken about raising rates? hello congress, thinking twice about getting rid of the home interest exemption?), are they really doing the country a favor?
Sure, the baby boomers cashed in (or so they think). But future generations who got left out in the cold are gonna be pissed. And they vote. And they won't buy these houses at these stupid prices.
5 comments:
great find marinite! I think I just posted a link back... we'll see if it worked!
"This is the real problem IMO. Why do people dream of owning a home?"
I agree--the consumerist/ownership culture drives people to acquire homes--even at the risk of financial suicide.
yep, I signed on.
Jhawk92-
I've also suggested that part of Marin's housing problem is an inefficient use of land. The idea of dividing urban sectors from open space (cow space) is a rather outmoded concept. Recent trends in urban planning suggest a model that blends residential/environmental space with a more sustainable, long-term goal. It's hardly beneficial for people to be cramped in a narrow urban sector while cows roam free and fertilize Marin's legacy. Of course, such an idea in Marin is sure to provoke a knee-jerk response by those who consider themselves ardent evironmentalists, livestock lovers, and otherwise stubborn protectionists.
The high density/euro/metro housing model probably has distant potential in the US, but American culture is hardly ready for the idea, and there's plenty of open space in many outlying areas. I see efficient mass transportation as a potential solution, and with gas approaching $4, perhaps cities/counties will seriously consider an approach more akin to what is done in Europe. Then again, maybe we'll happily spend $100 to tank up our SUVs?
The status-quo alternative of increasing gridlock, overpriced real estate, and poor social infrastructure will only entice families to relocate to areas with more opportunities--and businesses could follow suit. What then will become of the Bay Area's economic/lifestyle utopia?
with gas approaching $4, perhaps cities/counties will seriously consider an approach more akin to what is done in Europe.
I will be interesting to see if Marin's pocketbooks convince Marinites' to reconsider their high and mighty Marin NUMBYist ideals.
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