Without affordable housing, Vancouver risks becoming an economic ghost town

The housing problem is multifaceted.

"Let's just get rid of prop. 13 today." Do you really think the price of realestate, or rentals will go down?

In my county, the county workers are already paid over $100k/yr. for picking up trash on our supposedly filthy trails. Our county workers are paid very well. Where I reside we have cops everywhere. You could remove 75 percent of them, and I don't think anyone would notice, except for the fees they bring in.

Howard Jarvis knew what government did with more money; they spent it on themselves.

O.k.--I'm not in the mood for this, but the housing crisis in the Bay Area is due to a lot of factors. It's a nice place to live. Your boss wants the best. I don't know why they picked the Bay Area. There's other nice places, with temperate climates? He wants only the best for himself, and his spawn. The best house. The best schools. The best car. And by golly, he only deserves the best?

San Francisco, and Marin county are not designed to scale. San Francisco has a better shot at growth than Marin, but I leave that alone. They can go up in S.F.? But I don't think that city will ever see real subways, and not because of money.

Some Bay Area residents are NIMBY'S. Some have good reason--look at 101 at 3:30 p.m. The sewers are old, and small. The streets are narrow. It's surrounded by oceans, federal parks, etc. It's not a vast area.

Local governments almost never approve variances. Sure they take the money, but never approve. It's very difficult to build in the Bay Area. It's almost like they go out of their way to curtail growth. I would love to build a small cabin. Twenty years ago my dreams were shattered when I tried. The kind lady at the planning department, said I'll take your money for the variance, but honestly-- they never approve.

When I was a kid Howard Jarvis wrote a book, called I'm Mad as Hell. My father was a new journeyman electrician, and when my father would look at that property tax bill yearly. My father was beyond disgusted looking at those rising numbers. Every year they took money, and spent it on Themselfs. My father was a conservative Rebublican, but was all for prop. 13, along with millions of Californians. Even though I was a kid, I could feel the anger among adults. The politicians had a little game back then; raise the assessed value one year, raise the tax rate the next. There was always the same loser in this games, and it was the guy who paid the taxes.

If you honestly think the housing crisis is due to prop. 13, read ISBN: 0-8129-0858-9 I'm Mad As Hell.

By the way, I'm disgusted with the housing situation along with everyone else. I don't blame prop. 13 though. A few weeks ago I heard a lady on the radio say, "I lowered my tenants rent $500 a month." Announcer, "Why?" Moral lady, "I was having a hard time looking at myself in the mirror."

Vancouver was plagued by "leaky condos" in the 1980s and early 1990s, but that's over now: This happened due to a rapid expansion of condo construction using building designs suited for a drier climate. There have been no signs of problems in newer buildings.

Stata corporations are normally supposed to have depreciation reports prepared in order to identify upcoming costs; unfortunately these can be waived with a vote of unit holders, and most do. The best remedy here is to not buy a unit which doesn't have a recent depreciation report.

no space to start a family

In terms of $ per unit floor area, condos are cheaper than detached houses. Sure, you don't get a lawn... but you get access to lots of other amenities. I'm not convinced that raising kids in a condo is as hard as people think.

The other, a chef in a touristy restaurant. Made something new and different every week. He's another story - no idea why he'd give that up!