How can I afford a property where I live?

missbiggles1

AdrianC wrote: »

What's often forgotten is that even the "working people" (gawd, how patronising and archaic is that?) are FAR more likely to own their own homes now than they used to be in the past.

In the past there was far greater security of tenure for people renting privately and also rent controls were in place.The loss of these aspects has made home ownership far more desirable and is to a great extent responsible for the ridiculous level of HPI we've seen since they went.

Person_one

AdrianC wrote: »

Lovely, an' all. Now answer the question.

Pay particular attention to the increased mobility of industry in a global economy, and to the Laffer curve in your answer, please.

Why so aggressive? Do you think it's an acceptable situation that so many people in the SE are priced out of owning their home and that private renting is so extortionately expensive?

missbiggles1

Person_one wrote: »

Note the word 'should', rather than 'currently can'. Do you not think that in an ideal world they should?

I was fortunate that my parents helped me by allowing me to live at home rent free for a bit in my twenties, yes, but I don't see what that has to do with the fact that housing in the SE is insanely expensive and the situation for low earners is untenable.

Actually, I don't.

I think it leads to a static society and limits social mobility, neither of which are desirable. That's not to say that I'm happy with the current situation either because that also limits social mobility but they're really two separate issues.

AdrianC

Person_one wrote: »

Why so aggressive?

I'm not. I'm asking you to actually come up with an answer, rather than a nice hand-wavey motherhood-and-apple-pie soundbite.

Do you think it's an acceptable situation that so many people in the SE are priced out of owning their home

But they aren't. FAR more people own their own homes than ever before, with the exception of a very short term minor blip.

and that private renting is so extortionately expensive?

When I was a student, I was paying £250/mo rent for a 6' x 8' room in a shared house in a ropy bit of SE London at the start of the 1990s, IIRC. That's equivalent to £510 now, after inflation.

You say you'd be happy to pay more tax - yet during the time I owned my first house, which almost exactly coincided with the Blair and Brown Labour governments, the average amount paid in council tax across the country more than doubled. Even taking inflation into account, the average Band D council tax went up 70%.
https://fullfact.org/news/did-labour-double-council-tax/

Person_one

missbiggles1 wrote: »

Actually, I don't.

I think it leads to a static society and limits social mobility, neither of which are desirable. That's not to say that I'm happy with the current situation either because that also limits social mobility but they're really two separate issues.

Then we shall have to agree to disagree.