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Comment by ghaff | Hacker News Reader

It's "renters" BTW. [EDIT: Scratch the previous. I am, of course, wrong about the renters correction. Misread.] I'm not sure what he did to get your back up so much or when being a landlord became such a terrible evil. Also, "we" are not suffering. Yes he has a schtick and probably a pretty profitable one. His general advice is probably good for some but mostly isn't my thing because I like restaurants and traveling and that sort of thing. And I certainly don't care enough to go to his site and ask questions.

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> when being a landlord became such a terrible evil.

It's not being evil per se, but being an economic leech of sorts. The only reason people need to rent is because of the requirements to own (down payments, emergency funds to cover your mortgage in tough times so you don't lose your equity). Its an arbitrage between someone on financially sound footing versus someone not so.

Disclaimer: My family has a landlord or two in it. I make my disdain for what they do known. If I had Facebook money, I'd create a B Corp to provide housing to people that gave them a non-transferable equity stake, co-op style. A small amount would be "off the top" for management of the organization and for upkeep of the properties. I would make the org fully transparent ("Buffer Style") and ruthlessly accountable.

> The only reason people need to rent is because of the requirements to own (down payments, emergency funds to cover your mortgage in tough times so you don't lose your equity)

So, in other words, the landlord is selling a service? In exchange for a monthly fee, you don't have to do any of the crap (down payments, mortgages, property taxes, maintenance) it takes to own a home?

Do you view farmers the same way? If it weren't for the fact that you need to eat to survive, you wouldn't have to buy their product! And what do they do anyway? Just plant some seeds in the ground and wait for them to grow! Those damn leeches!

> Do you view farmers the same way?

Providing food for free is next on my list. I don't need labor. I just need clean energy and automation.

Uhh, and land.

Technically, not with hydroponics. I can build up.

Why not ask the whole world to slog themselves to death and serve you for free?

If they refuse to condemn themselves to such, you can always call them evil.

I didn't quite get your comment. Did you have a problem that I'm trying to avoid using labor at all costs to achieve my goals? I don't think its wrong to give everyone what they need to survive without them needing to work if I don't need labor to do it. Perhaps you could enlighten me?

The landlord is selling the service of "having a lot of money". It's usury by the back door.

Not even having a lot of money. Their service is having a credit score high enough to obtain low-rate mortgages, which they then arbitrage against "market rate rent".

People complain we shouldn't subsidize people buying homes who can't afford them. Then why the f____ are we subsidizing landlords instead?

Yeah you get it. Worrying how bad HN is at economics.

>>It's not being evil per se, but being an economic leech of sorts.

I'm not sure from where this kind of thinking arises. Any investment is supposed to be a vehicle where your money increases without you having to directly work for it.

By that definition, all investments are wrong.

Ok you've really shown you have zero background in economics with that one. It's "rentiers", I can spell renters fine but it makes zero sense in the context above. Go read.

On that one point, I misread and you are, of course, correct. We will however have to agree to disagree about the evils off living of rental income.

Come on man up. Rentiers is peppered across - you never heard of it. If that's the case you haven't read enough to have an informed opinion.

Read some Henry George and get over my side of the fence :-)

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