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Re:19% of California houses are owned by investors by mystraline on Wednesday August 06, 2025 @04:46PM (#44817633)
You're completely off the mark on this, and speaking like a landlord.

> This doesn’t feel like a policy failure, IMO. Renters have the option to live in a free standing home while they save for a down payment, and “investors” have an incentive to increase density/add to the housing stock.

First, when you have a renter, your payment is the "mortgage + tax liability + chunk of profit usually 25-50%"

Nobody, except for IT can save in predatory environment like that, no matter how much you wish it so.

And you're double-dipping by having THEM pay your mortgage and handsome profit on top. And for what? A "let them eat cake" comment. Im sure someone paying 50% or more their income can 'save for a mortgage'.

Knowing this scam, by the time they save up 50k, the bank will demand 100k down. But landlords can just capitalize on existing equity. Its a scam, through and through, that punishes renters.

We do need residences. And they're simple to build. They're called "rent controlled apartments". But 'ewww socialism' rears its ugly head.

Re:19% of California houses are owned by investors by blitzar on Wednesday August 06, 2025 @04:55PM (#44817737)
> your payment is the "mortgage + tax liability + chunk of profit usually 25-50%"

You would have to be yielding 10%+ on your rental to get anything near that. In my part of the world - rent is cheaper than the interest the mortgage would bear.

Re:19% of California houses are owned by investors by insane_dreamer on Wednesday August 06, 2025 @07:27PM (#44819029)
> "mortgage + tax liability + chunk of profit usually 25-50%"

25-50% is absurdly false.

We own a second home which we've rented out for years (wasn't the original intention, but anyway ...). The rent covers mortgage, taxes, and upkeep. Profit is minimal, less than 10%. Once you factor in eventual renovations, like replacing the roof, floors, etc., there is no profit at all, or very little.

Re:19% of California houses are owned by investors by mystraline on Wednesday August 06, 2025 @07:48PM (#44819184)
Go read the briefs from the Realpage lawsuit, and maybe you won't consider me much the fool.

I keep getting anecdotes as some sort of glorious rebuttals. No matter. When the people are at their last end and the guillotines come, I will not shed a tear.

Re:19% of California houses are owned by investors by insane_dreamer on Wednesday August 06, 2025 @08:49PM (#44819500)
enjoy the show!

irrelevant fun fact: people think that the vast majority of those who were visited by Mme La Guillotine during the French Revolution were nobles. In fact, the vast majority, ~85%, were from the "third estate" (commoners, which also excluded clergy).

Re:19% of California houses are owned by investors by bpt3 on Wednesday August 06, 2025 @08:51PM (#44819507)
Please point me to the brief documenting that those landlords are making 25 - 50% profit.

And I see you showed your true colors with your second comment. I'm sure if the revolution you're praying for actually comes, you'll definitely be in the vanguard!

Re:19% of California houses are owned by investors by bpt3 on Wednesday August 06, 2025 @04:51PM (#44817697)
> First, when you have a renter, your payment is the "mortgage + tax liability + chunk of profit usually 25-50%"

You think landlords make 25 - 50% profit on a SFH rental unit? You're so comically wrong that there's no point in discussing the rest of this post (which is basically a list of every failed housing policy in existence).

Allow builders to build more units. It's that simple, which is part of the problem for some people.