- Joined
- Jan 20, 2014
- Messages
- 51,155
- Reaction score
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- Gender
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- Political Leaning
- Very Conservative
There’s really not many empty homes in the United States, and usually when there’s “empty homes” then one of three things are happeningI do think that the sheer number of empty homes (that stay empty year after year) is something that should be addressed through tax structures (perhaps an additional 1-2% tacked onto property taxes for each home that is unoccupied for 12 months that is cumulative if more than one home is owned in this state), I don't think breaking into them and squatting is the best way to approach the issue.
1) it’s a vacation/recreational property like a lake house in the Midwest or canal house or hunting cabin, usually located in a remote or distant location from where there’s a demand for permanent housing
2) it’s an inherited property of some kind with sentimental value to the owner or which is not in condition to sell
3) it’s a property that the owner can’t sell because it’s distressed and a mortgage buyer can’t get a loan for, or the owner is retired, in nursing home, etc and It’s not a habitable unit.
In some countries there are empty housing units, this is notorious in Vancouver BC or London where there’s lots of condos owned by foreigners in those big towers that aren’t being sold because the real purpose is to store money of people who are possible disloyal to their own countries and need a crash pad or at the very least an asset their government can’t regulate.
In America it’s a far bigger problem that investment funds are buying houses as a long term asset to rent, this is a practice that should be made illegal.