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Comment by fl4regun | Hacker News Reader

real estate must be the worst thing to use as an argument for "it's a free market" - because its one of the types of things which every stock is it's own, truly unique monopoly. I can't "freely" produce the same commercial property, unless I already own that property.

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Commercial property is only unique in number on a street location factor.

Plenty of the same type of commercial properties exist right next to each other, happily too.

in order to join that market you have to buy at the inflated prices on the market, since current owners refuse to sell for a loss, there's nothing you can do as an individual to make this cheaper unless you already own the land.

Location still matters, as it does for residential, proximity to employees, or customers is important.

Zoning restricts what land can do what.

There's many reasons why this isn't a "free market"

The people advocating for change in this situation likely advocated for all the impediments you’re providing as to reasons why it’s not supposedly a free market.

Someone bought an asset they could afford to hold in bad times. End of story.

There's something wrong with the structure of the market if people are holding assets they don't need that others could make better use of.

As stated earlier: it’s a free market and you’re free to make an offer of sale or lease to utilise the space.

It's actually not a free market.

Regulations apply to all markets. Crying you can’t afford something doesn’t mean it’s not free.

If it was free everyone could afford it.

I meant free as in free market but yes continue the incoherence.

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