Where is the answer to this mess?

That's it. Always focused on the symptoms, and never the disease.

While it's convenient to tell ourselves that that only happens because surgery hurts more than aspirin, it's a very bold lie. No one over the age of five thinks ignoring the disease is a winning move.

It's all deliberate, IOW.

 

Agree with all that, but that doesn't really give one power. Perhaps once the property is paid off one might feel they have some power. And of course equity.
But it really doesn't give any more power.

 

Many need a crutch from time to time. And that is what assistance should be, a crutch to bridge a gap in tough times.

 

1) Your power starts building with your first mortgage repayment, and increases with each subsequent payment. Each payment is one step closer to full ownership, AND one extra month of capital growth. And since growth in most urban properties currently exceeds the repayments, those repayments are technically zero .. rather, 'in profit'. So instead of losing $2000 a month in payments towards full ownership, you're gaining some dollars each month.

2) Of course it give you power - because independence is power! When you are dependent upon The System because you can't otherwise house yourself in your retirement (or if you were to lose your income), you have no power. You can't change anything, or act according to your own preferences. You will be living like a dependent child, with very little adult autonomy. The poorest man is a king when he owns his own 'farm'.

 

On many ways, you are right. But what if we didn't need to makes changes, at least in the way your are thinking? What if one step that didn't change any of the rules could get that job done?
Do it totally non-partisan, not detrimental to anyone? Could you support something like that to get that foundation in place?

 

It depends what it is. What did you have in mind?

 

You may be right. I'd have to think that out more. But for sure allow no lobbying, and no campaign contributions. All campaigns run with fixed budgets, with no personal funds allowed either.

 

I am not sure power is the correct word. Independence sure. That give's more options with money freed up.

What power do you claim one gets?

 

If there is an applause button here for that, I'm on it! Great advice, crank.

I have a grandson who had his car repossessed about 4 years back and couldn't manage his finances. 3 years ago he finally came to me and asked me about investing- but as he had nothing to invest, but he was finally ready to learn so we started a bit lower on the scale. Taught him basic financial management and principles. Took him to see Buffet and Gates at the BRK convention, mix with thousands of self-made millionaires. Got him into a house, which I bought (and taught him how to do that wisely n the process) then sold it to him and carry the mortgage, as he couldn't qualify. Hasn't missed a payment. Now has investments and savings to buffer the unexpected costs. Best of all, the house we bought for 100K has now hit 180K, while his mortgage has dropped. He had a small trust fund for education I was in charge of that allowed funds to be used for a home purchase. That made his down payment. Today his home equity is over 100K; his net worth somewhat more. Credit score up around 250 points in less than four years. I did help, but most of what matters here is the change in his attitude, and frankly I think that started with the Trip to Omaha. I think that's where his perspective started to change. I think I'm happier about his success than he is!

 

It's not ready for prime time yet, but getting close. Almost 10 years in the planning by a small group of people- not smart enough to know it can't be done, so we're gonna do it anyway.
Let you know when it goes public, this is one of the places it will be posted.

 

Like almost all of us do, you're thinking in the details, what I see as symptoms of a basic problem. Did that for the first year, realized that was not a workable plan. Far too complicated, hundreds of problems to fix and lots of opposition to all of them. We think there's a much easier way.

 

What a load of crap. Most of what you believe is antithetical to science.

 

People have been talking about America being lost for 70 years, but the only thing which has changed is the partisan division, which started 30 years ago. Other than that, this is nothing compared to the 1960s (Vietnam, drugs, riots, assassinations, race issues, war in Israel, Soviet threat, bay of pigs, missile crises, etc, etc).

Solution? 3rd Party.

 

Independence is power. Independence is more powerful than money, in fact.

 

A few have brought it up, doesn't seem to gain much traction.
Remove money(bribes) from politics. Make an even playing field for anyone to become a candidate.

And yes, we've had strife like this before in the country.
Most complaining about values are older. And the older generations always complain about declining values, because things have progressed from when they were young people.
But in reality, values change with each generation.

 

it can't be uniform across the US. Money that would allow you to live like a king in Arkansas or Oklahoma wouldn't make your rent payment in CA.

 

The tax code today is not used to make industry more efficient but rather to steer it in direction of giving the government more power.

 

Cite please.

 

I'm Ok with crutches as long as it isn't federal government providing them.

 

Nope.

 

Yep.

 

You'd think .. but that's not the way it actually plays out. You don't get huge numbers of people leaving expensive locations for cheap locations, just because they can 'live like kings' there. Just doesn't happen. We've had nationalised welfare for many decades, and the demographics show that it has barely any impact on migration.

Just as an aside - that isn't a good thing. It shows that people aren't doing what they should be doing, to end their welfare dependence. If they were serious, they'd move to the cheapest place they can find and save like blazes until they pull themselves out of poverty.

 

Any data to show nationalize welfare hasn't impacted demographics?

 

You mean like the fact that there are huge numbers in the most expensive cities, and technically there should be none?

 

Which cities?