Re: Crypt0curr3nci3s
That's the exact opposite of how everybody actually works, particularly, so it seems, in the USA, where you are forced to pay for everyone else's way of life, in a far more expensive way than Danish taxes: with debt; in many instances even all six cases would be leeches, but all of them would consider they perform actual work for the welfare of other people, so they would be leeches with a halo.
Nobody is being forced to do anything. The contract between landlord and tenants are 100% voluntary.
Furthermore, people like myself serve a very important function in society. Last year I bought a 5 unit apartment building. The water pipes had bursted in 3 of the 5 units. None of them was deemed occupiable. I spent my own money, resources, and labor to fix them all up, renovated the hell out of them, and rented them out. All got brand new kitchens and bathrooms. I don't know what your area is like, but here in the indy area there is a housing shortage. I listed a 2 bedroom apartment late last year and got about 15 applications in 3 days. That is insane.
People want to think that landlords buy premium properties at premium prices. But the reality is we buy properties that literally no one else would ever buy. Several of my properties were at some point a couple months away from being bulldozed. No home buyer would ever buy such a property.
If I'm going to spend my money, resources, time, and labor rebuilding these homes, why can't I try to make a profit off of them? You know how much resources and time it takes to rebuild the structure, put new roof, sidings, flooring, plumbing, electric, etc.? No one who is looking for a new home, especially first time home buyer, would ever want to buy these types of properties, no matter how cheap they are.
For example, a couple years ago, I bought a property for $7k. All boarded up and stuff. Spent about $60k on it. Now it is appraised at about $140k. I spent many days working 12-14 hours there long after my guys left when they hit their 8 hours.
So, no, I am not preventing anyone from owning a home. If anything, it's people like me who are spending our own resources to revitalize entire neighborhoods.