Which becomes even more useful over a field when you can do:

    public int Foo { get; private set; }

Last time I checked (long ago), properties in C# don't work as ref or out parameters. Since C# actually distinguishes between ref and out parameters, it would be pretty easy to extend the language such that properties work whenever fields work, but sadly no one but me seems to care.

See the following example for why that is excluded.

    public string Foo { get { return ""; } }

    private void DoBar(ref string input) { input = "123"; }

    public void Main() { DoBar(ref Foo); }

Typically C# points you towards using a different methodology than ref/out parameters. But I do agree it is annoying when you want to use them.