• fosforus@sopuli.xyz
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    4
    arrow-down
    6
    ·
    edit-2
    1 year ago

    So 30% of people can’t afford their own house and that doesn’t seem like inequality to you?

    Income inequality is a completely different thing from home ownership. Also, some of those 30% choose to not own a house. Also further, the average home ownership rate in EU is almost exactly the same as in the US, but our local purchasing power tends to be quite a lot worse.

    USA is doing pretty fine economically.

    • irmoz@reddthat.com
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      8
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      1 year ago

      some of those 30% choose to not own a house

      [citation needed]

      And even if true, what do you think is driving that decision? Decisions aren’t made in a vacuum. I posit - it’s the financial burden.

      • fosforus@sopuli.xyz
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        arrow-down
        3
        ·
        edit-2
        1 year ago

        Perhaps things are different where you live, but where I live, there’s always a significant additional bureaucratic cost when selling a house and buying another one. Because of that, renting has at least a single clear benefit beyond just being able to afford it: greater flexibility. Also, the financial risk is almost zero when you rent.

        • irmoz@reddthat.com
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          4
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          edit-2
          1 year ago

          there’s always a significant additional bureaucratic cost when selling a house and buying another one.

          This really only affects landlords and estate agents. Most people looking for a home are looking for a place to stay for life, and any “bureaucratic cost”, if you’re purely talking about red tape, form-filling, phone calls etc, is more than worth it for a lifetime home. Again, citation needed. If you’re talking about a literal monetary cost… whoa, look at that - capitalism!

          renting has at least a single clear benefit beyond just being able to afford it: greater flexibility

          “Flexibility” is a daft measure, only useful for people who plan to move often, which, again, is not common, except in the case of people needing to move often for work, which - hey, it’s capitalism again!

          Also, the financial risk is almost zero when you rent.

          “Almost” is doing a lot of work in this sentence. The risk of being made homeless by your landlord for petty reasons is a pretty clear risk. Having your rent hiked is a financial risk. Having to bite the bullet and choose an expensive place to rent because it’s the only one reasonably close to work is a financial risk. Being under someone’s thumb to provide them income is itself an inherent financial risk.

          And by the way - what do you think causes the financial risk of home ownership, since you’re so intent on proving my point for me?

          • fosforus@sopuli.xyz
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            2
            arrow-down
            4
            ·
            edit-2
            1 year ago

            And by the way - what do you think causes the financial risk of home ownership

            Accidents, subpar maintenance, market changes, divorce.

            • irmoz@reddthat.com
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              5
              arrow-down
              1
              ·
              edit-2
              1 year ago

              Try and think a little more deeply. An accident in itself is not a financial risk. Even flooding isn’t inherently a financial risk. Do you know what is?

              Also, “market changes” is a part of what I’m pointing at ;)

              It’s capitalism!

                • Cowbee@lemm.ee
                  link
                  fedilink
                  arrow-up
                  5
                  arrow-down
                  1
                  ·
                  1 year ago

                  Oof, unironically suggesting Sowell? Might as well toss in Prager-U, or DailyWire.

                  • fosforus@sopuli.xyz
                    link
                    fedilink
                    arrow-up
                    1
                    arrow-down
                    4
                    ·
                    edit-2
                    1 year ago

                    Ok, so which multiple award-winning, widely respected PhD of Economics would you suggest instead? Or you just against things instead of having any positions of your own, like most other deep-end socialists are?

                • irmoz@reddthat.com
                  link
                  fedilink
                  arrow-up
                  5
                  arrow-down
                  1
                  ·
                  edit-2
                  1 year ago

                  fosforus uses deflection!

                  It’s not very effective!

                  Answer me instead of making bad jokes, coward.

                  By the way - are you unaware of the incredible self own inherent in this? In your attempt to “recommend” a book for more information on these issues, you recommend “basic economics”. Well…