Who Should Have The Right To Own Land In Any Given Country?
@danishcanadian (28953)
Canada
May 8, 2022 1:43pm CST
I just had a friend on Facebook ask a very interesting question. My friend is an American, and he wanted to know if those who are not American citizens should have the right to own property in the USA. I live in Canada, and there is a crackdown on foreign-owned properties, because landlords from outside of Canada are buying up our real estate, and renting it back to Canadians at horrible prices. We are being priced right out of owning homes in our own country.
My American friend and I both agree that anyone, citizen or not, should have the right to RENT a property in any country, but that in order to own a piece of that country, one should be a citizen.
Thinking about myself for example, I am a Danish Canadian. In my case this means I am Canadian born, and my mother was born in Denmark. She became a Canadian citizen when she was a child, and has owned property here, and she ran her own business for years. We are all Canadians. None of us are dual citizens on paper, but in our hearts we're still part Danish.
Am I interested in owning property in Denmark? No! I'd rather see a Dane own property in Denmark, a Chinese own property in China, a Saudi own property in Saudi Arabia, a French person own property in France, and so on and so forth, all around the world.
I don't feel like I'm discriminating, I feel like I want those who already live in a country to have the right to own property they can afford, and not be priced out.
I am not saying all foreign investors and landlords would do that, rather that here in Canada it's become a problem.
How do you feel about owning property in another country, folks owning property in your country, and what's happening with the affordability of housing?
6 people like this
6 responses
@sabtraversa (12832)
• Italy
8 May 22
I think the government (either local or national) should be responsible for making private property and renting affordable, whenever common sense doesn't prevail among landlords.
Perhaps foreign investors could be taxed more if they aren't residents, but there's no need to discriminate: laws that forbid "speculation" around basic rights (such as housing) should be enough.
Here small villages that suffer from depopulation will sell you houses for €1 (renovations excluded), while housing in cities can be expensive; that's a basic "supply and demand" thing.
2 people like this
@kaylachan (57355)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
8 May 22
It's a process I guess you can say. the market is always changing. The lowest fixed rat is a full percent higher than it was when we got our house five years ago.
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (45433)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
9 May 22
I saw that happen in Vancouver when Hong Kong reverted to Chinese rule... and the price of housing has never gone down... ever... anywhere.
@LadyDuck (457249)
• Switzerland
9 May 22
We have regulations here. Foreign people can only buy a small percentage of the apartments/houses available on the market. This is to avoid to have Ghost Towns with people who only come during the holidays. I own a property in this country and I am not Swiss.
@Vikingswest1 (6305)
• United States
8 May 22
I believe that anyone should be allowed to buy property in another country but only as a homestead. To live there.
Only citizens should be able to purchase with the intention of renting it out for profit.
Housing here is inflated to the point of being out of control.
When I bought my house here in 1989, I paid 54k.
Rentals in the neighborhood were around 450 dollars a month.
My home was assessed at 279k and rentals charge 1600 a month.
My property taxes have gone from 900 dollars a year to the current 1100 dollars every six months.
I don't even know how people can afford to live in these times.
1 person likes this
