Live data from Hacker News

Spain proposes 100% tax on homes bought by non-EU residents

theguardian.com

11–20 of 282 posts

Re: Spain proposes 100% tax on homes bought by non-EU residents

#11
post #4

so is there any actual evidence that foreign home ownership is causing meaningful housing price inflation in Spain? or is this just uninformed pandering like it is in the US

What's causing it in the US?

Decades of public support for treating housing as an investment shaping zoning and other related policies, the relative profitability of constructing budget vs luxury housing, and more recently, inflationary monetary policy,

Re: Spain proposes 100% tax on homes bought by non-EU residents

#12
post #6
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's causing it in the US?

In Canada potentially Chinese immigrants in Vancouver/Toronto, in the US it's an over-generous monetary policy (through low interest rates, especially during COVID)

in Canada, like in the US, it's a lack of supply mostly because of draconian zoning and land-use policies. Chinese immigrants are NOT the primary cause of housing cost inflation, and are likely not even in the top 10 causes.

Re: Spain proposes 100% tax on homes bought by non-EU residents

#13
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's causing it in the US?

It’s always supply. It’s fair to criticize foreign ownership/hedge funds purchasing homes, but the overwhelming reason is that we are not building enough.

Sure, but it's one thing to not be building enough for people to live in, and another thing to not be building enough for people to keep empty flats as speculation vehicles.

Re: Spain proposes 100% tax on homes bought by non-EU residents

#14

so is there any actual evidence that foreign home ownership is causing meaningful housing price inflation in Spain? or is this just uninformed pandering like it is in the US

Meaningful is a weasel word here. Even 0.1% price increase which would be impossible to measure directly still adds up across the entire housing sector.

But, equally important is simply the number of natives prevented from buying the home they want because someone is getting a vacation property.

Re: Spain proposes 100% tax on homes bought by non-EU residents

#15
I want to make sure I understand this correctly. If you bought a house a few years ago, Spain will effectively rob you of it now? Or will it only apply to new purchases, so you'll have to pay x2 market value if you want to buy one?

If it's the former, than even flaunting such a plan is a complete catastrophe for any foreign investment in Spain from now on. But if it's the latter, it'll just bring to life a whole industry of middle-men, which will use their EU residency to buy property in their name to be used by other people.

Both ways, it's yet another attempt to force a market to do something that will lead to either disastrous, or just bad results.

Re: Spain proposes 100% tax on homes bought by non-EU residents

#16
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s always supply. It’s fair to criticize foreign ownership/hedge funds purchasing homes, but the overwhelming reason is that we are not building enough.

Sure, but it's one thing to not be building enough for people to live in, and another thing to not be building enough for people to keep empty flats as speculation vehicles.

When too many flats are used as speculation vehicles, the bubble pops and the problem solves itself.

Re: Spain proposes 100% tax on homes bought by non-EU residents

#17
Another (better?) target should be homes used for short term let - i.e AirBnB etc.

Homes have such extreme valuations because of the underlying cash flow (or 'rent' in its most abstract sense). Without tourists willing to pay many multiples of what they'd pay at home for accommodation, that cash flow wouldn't be there.

Re: Spain proposes 100% tax on homes bought by non-EU residents

#18
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In Canada potentially Chinese immigrants in Vancouver/Toronto, in the US it's an over-generous monetary policy (through low interest rates, especially during COVID)

in Canada, like in the US, it's a lack of supply mostly because of draconian zoning and land-use policies. Chinese immigrants are NOT the primary cause of housing cost inflation, and are likely not even in the top 10 causes.

I don't know or claim that it's any truer, but I thought the oft-reported reason, for Vancouver/BC especially, was Chinese investment, and explicitly not immigration even, the chief complaint that the growth has been/is expected to be such that they're left unoccupied?

Re: Spain proposes 100% tax on homes bought by non-EU residents

#19
post #14

so is there any actual evidence that foreign home ownership is causing meaningful housing price inflation in Spain? or is this just uninformed pandering like it is in the US

Meaningful is a weasel word here. Even 0.1% price increase which would be impossible to measure directly still adds up across the entire housing sector. But, equally important is simply the number of natives prevented from buying the home they want because someone is getting a vacation property.

I think I read 20,000,000 need housing and this will impact 20,000 per year so broadly the numbers are inline.

Re: Spain proposes 100% tax on homes bought by non-EU residents

#20
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s always supply. It’s fair to criticize foreign ownership/hedge funds purchasing homes, but the overwhelming reason is that we are not building enough.

Sure, but it's one thing to not be building enough for people to live in, and another thing to not be building enough for people to keep empty flats as speculation vehicles.

How many % of flats are empty? At least in the US the hottest housing markets usually have the lowest vacancy rates. This makes sense, because the opportunity costs for leaving a property empty is higher, so owners are more tempted to rent them out.
Post reply on HN