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by burlesona 2391 days ago
Because of the highest property tax in the nation.

This is a feature, not a bug. It’s very difficult for the wealthy to hide their property. There are also a number of ways to reduce the tax rate on one’s primary residence. Combined effect of this is surprisingly progressive, closer to a wealth tax.

Another effect high property taxes, is that most existing homeowners feel some pain when real estate prices soar and therefore there is a large contingent of voters who want to make sure that supply keeps up with demand so that their taxes don’t go up.

By contrast, where I live (in San Francisco), the existing homeowners make out like bandits when the government policies are punitively exclusionary towards outsiders. Soaring home prices mean nothing but good for homeowners when their taxes are both very low and virtually frozen at the original purchase price by prop 13.
1 comments
cgriswald 2391 days ago
Don't forget the joy of parcel taxes, city and county sale taxes, and other ways of bleeding you out to make up for the people who aren't paying their fair share because of Prop 13; which you still have to pay even if prop 13 doesn't help you because you were born in the wrong decade.
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jimmaswell 2390 days ago
Pricing people out of their own homes they used to be able to afford is "fair"?
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cgriswald 2388 days ago
I'm struggling to see how someone who got $1MM+ in free equity would be priced out of a home they could previously afford; or how the current system that prices people who grew up here out of the entire area is somehow more fair.
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jimmaswell 2388 days ago
Work your whole life and live in a moderately priced home. Housing prices around you drastically shoot up for reasons outside of your control while you're in your 60s. Not fair to be forced to move at that point I think.
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cgriswald 2388 days ago
It's a good thing you're not forced to move at that point, then. If your home value goes up, you've got a lot more equity you can borrow against. There are many investment vehicles at that point that are very low risk and will cover the meager 1% property tax (less in CA) you'll be paying.
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