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High-end house rents in Vancouver plunge up to 20% as inventory spikes: experts

vancourier.com

41–50 of 112 posts

Re: High-end house rents in Vancouver plunge up to 20% as inventory spikes: experts

#41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's hard to draw direct comparisons between Vancouver and San Francisco's housing markets. Canada, as well as each of the provinces, local municipalities, and cities, have representational democracy, not a quasi-direct democracy like California. The spike in affordability in Vancouver wasn't caused directly due to a shortage in housing stock and an influx of residents. It was caused by rampant speculation from peopl…

I think that’s one of the reasons Amsterdam has an anti-squatting law which basically forces owners that don’t live at home for a certain period in a year to rent it.

Wouldn't this be a pro-squatting law ? Ie if you don't live in a property and leave it abandoned you risk people semi-legally squatting in it.

Re: High-end house rents in Vancouver plunge up to 20% as inventory spikes: experts

#43
post #16

> A $3 million house that would have rented for $5,000 a year ago $5k/mo for a $3M home is a cap rate of just 2%. That's pretty terrible in itself. Now it's $4k/mo or 1.6%? How on earth is that financially sustainable at either amount?

yeah I was shocked to read that. Even for a $1million house, $5k/mon rent wouldn't make much sense.

Re: High-end house rents in Vancouver plunge up to 20% as inventory spikes: experts

#44
It's hard not to see the overall solution to the housing crisis in some North American cities as simply building more housing.

A speculation and/or vacancy tax makes sense in cities with a high number of foreign buyers like Vancouver and New York but in other cities it seems like the biggest road block is simply zoning restrictions that prevent supply to meet demand. There are second order effects that need to go w/ more building, such as adequate transportation, parking and services. But if your goal is simply to get the average down can you do better than simply building more? Rent control seems more like a band-aid for a small number of folks rather than a real solution.

Re: High-end house rents in Vancouver plunge up to 20% as inventory spikes: experts

#45
post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't misunderstand. I said that even if they've managed to get their capital outside of China, it doesn't matter. If they flee, China still can induce their return. It's not trivial to move capital around using foreign corporate entities, when they track all of your communication within China. If they even so much as get a hint of that going on, and it bothers them in the least, they can do anything they like to y…

You’re assuming that the person trying to expropriate wealth cares about being able to spend it themselves, rather than e.g. their family who already lives in Canada being able to spend it while they sit in jail. Think in terms of nobility: what’s more important, your head or your dynasty?

I went to university with the kids. Buying a family into a western education is part of the process and part of the investment beyond the capitol.

Re: High-end house rents in Vancouver plunge up to 20% as inventory spikes: experts

#46
post #44

It's hard not to see the overall solution to the housing crisis in some North American cities as simply building more housing. A speculation and/or vacancy tax makes sense in cities with a high number of foreign buyers like Vancouver and New York but in other cities it seems like the biggest road block is simply zoning restrictions that prevent supply to meet demand. There are second order effects that need to go w/…

Building more doesn't work. Some areas in Toronto have 30% empty dwellings.

There are much more money available to speculate than available surface area.

Leverage was cheap (through housing) so everyone played that asset class on margin here. Now that the interest rates are going up, it will sort itself out.

Re: High-end house rents in Vancouver plunge up to 20% as inventory spikes: experts

#47
post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't misunderstand. I said that even if they've managed to get their capital outside of China, it doesn't matter. If they flee, China still can induce their return. It's not trivial to move capital around using foreign corporate entities, when they track all of your communication within China. If they even so much as get a hint of that going on, and it bothers them in the least, they can do anything they like to y…

You’re assuming that the person trying to expropriate wealth cares about being able to spend it themselves, rather than e.g. their family who already lives in Canada being able to spend it while they sit in jail. Think in terms of nobility: what’s more important, your head or your dynasty?

China has tried to fight against this by banning naked officials (whose families are abroad). There are still way too many exceptions, of course, as this is a pretty unworkable rule. It also doesn't apply to private business people on the other side of the corruption equation.

Re: High-end house rents in Vancouver plunge up to 20% as inventory spikes: experts

#49
post #37
post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In America, schools are also funded by property tax, though.

Not universally. In California, for instance, by law half of the state budget must go to education regardless of source.

California is unique because of Proposition 13, though.

Re: High-end house rents in Vancouver plunge up to 20% as inventory spikes: experts

#50
post #16

> A $3 million house that would have rented for $5,000 a year ago $5k/mo for a $3M home is a cap rate of just 2%. That's pretty terrible in itself. Now it's $4k/mo or 1.6%? How on earth is that financially sustainable at either amount?

It’s not sustainable and driven entirely by speculation.

It’s far cheaper to rent in Vancouver than to buy.

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