Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Millions of Americans skipping payments as wave of defaults and evictions looms

npr.org

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

581–590 of 595 posts

Re: Millions of Americans skipping payments as wave of defaults and evictions looms

#581

Post by bsanr2 »

maxtheman wrote: post #467
bsanr2 wrote: post #412

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is not. They are not "needy." The market, pardon my language, fucked up either their compensation, or the rental rate, or both. This is the failure of an economic system to properly account for a worker's labor and deliver the shelter designated in the social contract, not an oversight or negligence on the worker's part. Especially with unions defanged or non-existent. It's not charity, it's account-settling.

The idea that 'anyone who labors is ipso facto entitled to shelter' is new to me in the context of social contract theory. Where does this idea originate?

...Locke's social contract. This is its basic premise. People consent to performing labor not directly related to their survival, and in exchange, the state resolves to provide the necessities that are not guaranteed by that specialized labor. If I work full time and can't afford food and shelter, why would I continue to work? Further, if there are structures preventing me from subsisting, away from a state which will not secure my livelihood in exchange for my labor, why would I not dismantle those structures?

Re: Millions of Americans skipping payments as wave of defaults and evictions looms

#582

Post by bsanr2 »

busyant wrote: post #424
bsanr2 wrote: post #355

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not so amazed on this end. A landlord that demands a lot from a prospective tenant upfront without any indication that it's going to be reciprocated in terms of responsiveness to maintenance issues, understanding when crises (like pandemics) come up, etc., is a red flag. It means you're going to be seen less as a customer who's paying for a service and more as a simple monthly source of cash. Those are the types of l…

I can tell you that we haven't pulled any of the tricks that you outlined (nor any other tricks that I can think of). I think we treat the tenants fairly. My wife's background checks are her way of assessing whether someone can actually pay the rent that we're asking for. If the applicant makes $20K / year and the rent is $1300 / month, both parties are just asking for trouble if they sign a lease. > People just want…

I do indeed have a couch. Take your shoes off when you enter. We're renting, I want my deposit back.

Re: Millions of Americans skipping payments as wave of defaults and evictions looms

#583

Post by bsanr2 »

xsmasher wrote: post #469
bsanr2 wrote: post #355

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not so amazed on this end. A landlord that demands a lot from a prospective tenant upfront without any indication that it's going to be reciprocated in terms of responsiveness to maintenance issues, understanding when crises (like pandemics) come up, etc., is a red flag. It means you're going to be seen less as a customer who's paying for a service and more as a simple monthly source of cash. Those are the types of l…

Suppose you had a car worth $400k. What assurances would you want before loaning it to someone to drive cross-country and back? Would you want to see their driving record? Would you want to know their financial situation?

I would be wondering why I live in a country where my only transportation options were walking or begging a wealthy car owner to let me borrow their vehicle for 150% of their car note.

Re: Millions of Americans skipping payments as wave of defaults and evictions looms

#584

Post by esperent »

olivermarks wrote: post #446
michaelmrose wrote: post #416

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Plenty of great people around No offense but bullshit. In my experience most people serve their own interests. Commercial enterprises in fact select for those who serve their own interests over morality because those parties are most likely to succeed. In America you are lucky if your interests coincide sufficiently with the owner class that you can both get along productively. Expecting beneficence as well is unpr…

@michaelmrose 'In my experience most people serve their own interests'. yes, and that includes renters...

Right, but in the case of renters, "serving their own interests" means establishing the fundamental right of having a place to live. That is important at a much deeper level than landlords rights, which involves making money from land and property ownership beyond what is required for their own domicile.

Re: Millions of Americans skipping payments as wave of defaults and evictions looms

#585

Post by monadic2 »

swarnie_ wrote: post #511
monadic2 wrote: post #508

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn’t that the risk rent is supposed to ameliorate? Otherwise where is the risk of renting property that justifies a middleman?

It is a risk, and any good business man/women will work to minimise risk.

Hah, as if holding property is a business!

Re: Millions of Americans skipping payments as wave of defaults and evictions looms

#586

Post by Thorrez »

krainboltgreene wrote: post #507
Thorrez wrote: post #504

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They transform housing from one form to another. Some people find renting more convenient and flexible than buying.

If a few people didn't own a majority of residents the cost of owning a home would be cheaper.

Why? Are the landlords currently colluding to increase prices? I think there are too many landlords for them all to collude.

Re: Millions of Americans skipping payments as wave of defaults and evictions looms

#587

Post by Red_Leaves_Flyy »

thorwasdfasdf wrote: post #568
Red_Leaves_Flyy wrote: post #459

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Society pays for housing, health care, schooling, Pre-K, pre-pre-k, food, phone/internet, and more for folks in section 8 neighborhoods. They aren't being abandoned, they are being supported by society at considerable expense, at a higher standard of living than the average human being--in return for nothing. These are all either basic human rights that the richest country on earth should provide universally no quest…

>> These are all either basic human rights that the richest country on earth should provide universally no questions asked as a matter of principal, That would be true if we were actually "rich". We're often sold this vision that first world countries are somehow "rich". Or at least relatively "rich" to 3rd world countries. And, it simply isn't true. We're slightly better off and able to afford a lot of frivolties li…

The fruits of American labor and dominism are not distributed equally. Most Americans have these rights and necessities in varying degrees from bare minimum, eg leaded water will prevent death by dehydration but causes other problems. Or housing insecurity due to poor opportunities and insufficient safety nets. This does not mean America is not rich as a country. Just that American leaders are incompetent at the wheel. It's been established that America has the means to feed, house, and clothe everyone. Yet it's still an issue. Just a political one.

You've not responded to several of my points and are instead writing paragraphs about the headline summary of my comment. I'm not sure what points you're even trying to make here, maybe you're just venting? You started off talking about what is provided to Americans, when I elaborated on the things you've brought up you've moved onto different topics.

Percent of income spent on necessities is not a comparable metric between developed and developing countries when using it to make unspecific sweeping claims about progress. You're conflating American accomplishments with individual metrics. The two are related yet separate issues.

Your friends making 2-300k are fiscally irresponsible in my opinion. If someone making 6-10x median income can't figure out what millions of other people have on a fraction the income then that says more about the person than anything else.

Re: Millions of Americans skipping payments as wave of defaults and evictions looms

#588

Post by drewmol »

nmeofthestate wrote: post #523
drewmol wrote: post #387

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Deer love to rub velvet of their antlers on the pines around me and it's not uncommon to see a whole group of pines without any branches on the lower half and they rub all the bark they can reach off in the fall. If it's 40 ft, would wrapping the trunk with tree wrap protect it until their gone? Then asses it, hopefully it starts to cover the exposed areas on it's own

"would wrapping the trunk with tree wrap protect it until their gone" Bear in mind that the tenants have already ignored requests to stop destroying the trees, and they have opposable thumbs.

My thought was that some teenagers need a constant reminder.

Re: Millions of Americans skipping payments as wave of defaults and evictions looms

#589

Post by tonyedgecombe »

throwaway0890 wrote: post #563
tonyedgecombe wrote: post #525

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One of the few things our government (UK) has got right with housing is to ensure nearly every development includes social housing.

It's not perfect though as you get ridiculous situations like social housing in modern apartment blocks in the middle of London that no average worker could afford. Or separate entrances for the social housing flats and regular flats in the same building (regular as in how it was intended to be built, not with extra walls to create extra rooms or with no living rooms at all). Or with social housing residents being as…

Nothing is perfect but it's a long way forward from complete segregation.

Re: Millions of Americans skipping payments as wave of defaults and evictions looms

#590

Post by swarnie_ »

monadic2 wrote: post #585
swarnie_ wrote: post #511

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is a risk, and any good business man/women will work to minimise risk.

Hah, as if holding property is a business!

Holding properties isn't a business, its an asset of a business at best. The business is providing shelter as a service.

Never thought i'd find a reddit style anti-landlord on HN.

Post reply on HN