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Re:Are we too busy to enjoy life? by mikem170 on Thursday April 30, 2020 @12:41PM (#23032895)
>If I want to buy a house without a mortgage (or with a limited, affordable mortgage), I still need to be able to outbid other buyers who might have no qualms about taking on an unaffordable debt.

I'd blame local zoning boards for that, they won't let new houses be built, so the prices keep going up, screwing folks who don't own homes already.

Re:Are we too busy to enjoy life? by jbay808 on Thursday April 30, 2020 @01:32PM (#23033525)
That's definitely an issue, but not the one I'm talking about.

Let's say the rules right now permit 30 year mortgages. Someone suggests allowing 100 year mortgages. I don't presently own property, but I have $300k saved up in the bank, which is enough to get a low-end apartment that would be a step down from where I'm renting now, or enough for a mortgage downpayment on a house. I don't want to live in debt so I have no plans to get a mortgage.

Should I believe that these rules changes won't affect me, because I don't have any plans to get a mortgage?

Or should I be worried that the cheaper availability of credit will quickly put those entry-level apartments out of my price range?

Basically, my point is that changes in details regarding contracts that I'm not a party to can still significantly affect me!

Re:Are we too busy to enjoy life? by mikem170 on Thursday April 30, 2020 @01:53PM (#23033792)
Agreed - increased loan availability affects the supply/demand curve.
Re:Are we too busy to enjoy life? by CalRobert on Thursday April 30, 2020 @04:36PM (#23035784)
Thank you! It's often overlooked that housing basically soaks up as much debt as we throw at it.

In Sweden, you'd be competing against people getting 110 year mortgages.

Re:Are we too busy to enjoy life? by xur17 on Thursday April 30, 2020 @09:34PM (#23038258)
Isn't the extreme of this interest only mortgages?