Re: "Dream house, sans spouse: More women buy homes"

In article <g6iJf.30824$sa3.8162@pd7tw1no>,
"Heidi Graw" <heidigraw@xxxxxxx> wrote:

"PolishKnight" <marek1@xxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:marek1-8D7463.20370316022006@xxxxxxx
(snip)

Mark wrote:
Hello Society!

Heidi and I had a, how shall put it delicately,
heated discussion, about house ownership and
one of the things that stuck with me most was
how emotionally attached she was to the notion of
home ownership.

To her, it was important for her to _own_ the home.
She didn't like the idea of, icky poo, renting
like trailer park trash (if they have that up
in Canada :-) and not being able to hammer in a nail
without asking the landlord about it.

That's not quite all of it, though, Mark. When one owns a piece of land
outright one can also grow one's own fruits and vegetables, keep a few
chickens, pigs and maybe even a cow. Once paid up, a creditor can't take
that land from you, only the government (whether one's own or that of an
invader's) through a process of expropriation. And when government falls
and is in chaos, it is in no position to expropriate land.

I think you're overcomplicating things again.

Plenty of home associations and housing regulations
in the states do not allow people to keep pigs and cows
regardless of whether they own the land or not.
We're planning to raise vegetables on our patio when the
weather improves.

The very disasters you describe: invasion, economic chaos,
and seizure make renting MORE desirable, not less. If there's
rumbling from the tanks on the horizon, I want to be able
to pack up my things like a gypsy and head for the hills.
During economic chaos, it's useful to be able to relocate
where there's better work.

There is a place for home ownership (pardon the pun.) When someone
expects to be in one place for a LONG LONG time and
as you said, do a lot of strange things that might turn
a landlord's eyebrows up, it's useful to own the property
outright. When rents are far in excess of the costs of
ownership, then it makes sense to buy certainly. Otherwise,
being a renter is the better deal most of the time which
is why society tended to look down upon them: Because it
was felt that they didn't really commit like the homeowners
did to the community and thought only about themselves.

Homeownership is something more that mere emotional attachment or an
investment strategy. It can also be a *survival* strategy.

Yeah, it's a suvival strategy to stick around and let the tanks
roll over you than run off. OK. Don't tell this to my cat.

As that renter you are far more vulnerable than a landowner. What are you
going to do should all our social support systems and our economies fail?

MOVE!

You'll be begging for handouts. The only thing I'll have to worry about is
how to protect my property from marauders. Otherwise, I do have the space
and means to grow food for my own family and perhaps a few others. And
since I live among other landowners, too, we do have that capacity to create
for ourselves a neighbourhood/community defense strategy.

Indeed, you're left to deal with the CHUDs while the smart
birds have moved on.

Also, the property on which we currently live is not our only one. Should
the Lower Mainland end up ever becoming too dangerous and too violent, we
have other property that we own that is in a much safer location...more
remote and away from the hubbub of general society. It was my husband who
wanted this secondary piece of land simply for "peace of mind"...another
place to go to that we could call home. I thought his idea was very wise,
so we made sure we do indeed have that alternate piece of land.

And what about your old place? You have to abandon it to the wolves.
How is being penalized with a huge financial loss by moving
a good thing?

My own father was also one who liked to buy up pieces of land in various
different locations within Canada and the US. He liked the security of
knowing that no matter what happens, there'd always be alternative places to
move to.

As a renter, I can move to many more places, inexpensively, without
having to keep up property tax payments. Even more importantly,
if the government as you discuss below is looking to oppress certain
minority groups, it's a good idea to not have to relocate to a place
where your name is listed on the property.

I think this need for alternate living places and this need to actually own
land came about because both my parents experienced the violence and
deprevations of WWII. Key to their survival was the ability to go somewhere
else when bombs were dropping and invaders were advancing, plus having the
ability to grow food in the aftermath while things are still chaotic and
trying to get back on track. That can sometimes take years. Access to a
safer place and access to growing one's food was vitally important.

Hanging tomato plants and bushes can be put on a patio and produce
more tomatoes than we'll ever need. Many rentals come with
a full garden (we like to live higher up so that wasn't an option.)

If there's a risk of upheaval, being tied to a property is a liability,
not an asset.

regards,
PolishKnight
.

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