Comments on: How to Solve the Housing Crisis http://alephblog.com/2008/03/01/how-to-solve-the-housing-crisis/ Helping Institutions and Ordinary People Invest Better by Focusing on Risk Control Thu, 18 Mar 2010 02:23:05 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Erik Kengaard http://alephblog.com/2008/03/01/how-to-solve-the-housing-crisis/comment-page-1/#comment-21966 Erik Kengaard Sun, 14 Jun 2009 02:32:53 +0000 http://alephblog.com/2008/03/01/how-to-solve-the-housing-crisis/#comment-21966 Preamble to the constitution: We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, . . . and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. Preamble to the constitution:
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, . . . and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

]]> By: Professor http://alephblog.com/2008/03/01/how-to-solve-the-housing-crisis/comment-page-1/#comment-21965 Professor Sun, 14 Jun 2009 02:27:29 +0000 http://alephblog.com/2008/03/01/how-to-solve-the-housing-crisis/#comment-21965 Never happen. Dreaming. Rich people overseas have far more sense than to want to immigrate to this third-world pisshole we've made of the USA. Never happen. Dreaming.

Rich people overseas have far more sense than to want to immigrate to this third-world pisshole we’ve made of the USA.

]]> By: AllanF http://alephblog.com/2008/03/01/how-to-solve-the-housing-crisis/comment-page-1/#comment-17126 AllanF Mon, 03 Mar 2008 22:17:52 +0000 http://alephblog.com/2008/03/01/how-to-solve-the-housing-crisis/#comment-17126 Since you were only being half-serious, so shall I... After housing has bid-up to be so unaffordable to the average American that prices are collapsing under their own weight due to the costs of debt-servicing, you want to import foreigners to take up the slack!?! Do your children know this? Since you were only being half-serious, so shall I…

After housing has bid-up to be so unaffordable to the average American that prices are collapsing under their own weight due to the costs of debt-servicing, you want to import foreigners to take up the slack!?! Do your children know this?

]]> By: Byrne http://alephblog.com/2008/03/01/how-to-solve-the-housing-crisis/comment-page-1/#comment-17124 Byrne Mon, 03 Mar 2008 18:05:45 +0000 http://alephblog.com/2008/03/01/how-to-solve-the-housing-crisis/#comment-17124 Sounds like this could be a way to get around H1-B restrictions: sell someone a $250,000 house in exchange for them accepting an employment agreement at below-market rates. I also don't see how manipulating the housing market to raise prices will solve the problem, given that the problem is that prices are too high and people who buy expect to be bailed out by sweeping financial gestures. Sounds like this could be a way to get around H1-B restrictions: sell someone a $250,000 house in exchange for them accepting an employment agreement at below-market rates.

I also don’t see how manipulating the housing market to raise prices will solve the problem, given that the problem is that prices are too high and people who buy expect to be bailed out by sweeping financial gestures.

]]> By: Alex Filonov http://alephblog.com/2008/03/01/how-to-solve-the-housing-crisis/comment-page-1/#comment-17123 Alex Filonov Mon, 03 Mar 2008 17:39:15 +0000 http://alephblog.com/2008/03/01/how-to-solve-the-housing-crisis/#comment-17123 Well, I wrote about it three months ago here: http://muddlinginvestor.blogspot.com/2007/12/housing-crisis-and-immigration.html My idea is a little bit different, but result might be the same. Both solutions are politically impossible though. Well, I wrote about it three months ago here: http://muddlinginvestor.blogspot.com/2007/12/housing-crisis-and-immigration.html
My idea is a little bit different, but result might be the same. Both solutions are politically impossible though.

]]> By: Manto http://alephblog.com/2008/03/01/how-to-solve-the-housing-crisis/comment-page-1/#comment-17116 Manto Mon, 03 Mar 2008 08:27:52 +0000 http://alephblog.com/2008/03/01/how-to-solve-the-housing-crisis/#comment-17116 They already do this though not tied to housing. I think if you invest $1mm ($500k in certain areas) and employ a certain number of people you can get a green card. This is basically selling citizenship and they have been doing it for a long time. Ever wonder why so many franchise businesses are owned by immigrants - its viewed as a 'safe' way to meet the investment requirement. They already do this though not tied to housing. I think if you invest $1mm ($500k in certain areas) and employ a certain number of people you can get a green card. This is basically selling citizenship and they have been doing it for a long time. Ever wonder why so many franchise businesses are owned by immigrants – its viewed as a ’safe’ way to meet the investment requirement.

]]> By: anon http://alephblog.com/2008/03/01/how-to-solve-the-housing-crisis/comment-page-1/#comment-17111 anon Sun, 02 Mar 2008 23:17:50 +0000 http://alephblog.com/2008/03/01/how-to-solve-the-housing-crisis/#comment-17111 Many other countries openly offer special "investor class" visas to immigrants with money; Canada and Australia among others. Investing in housing rather than a business is a slightly different twist, but is this something genuinely new under the sun that would attract large numbers of moneyed immigrants, given that they've more or less had a similar option already for some time? Would it really solve the current account deficit? According to Warren Buffett's latest shareholder news letter, the US exports about $2 billion a day worth of "savings glut" to the rest of the world... at $250,000 per person, that would require 8000 wealthy immigrants a day = 3 million a year (not counting their families who would need to get residence too). Are there really that many qualified candidates in the world who'd actually be interested? In practice, I doubt such a program would make a meaningful dent in either housing inventory or financial deficits. Many other countries openly offer special “investor class” visas to immigrants with money; Canada and Australia among others. Investing in housing rather than a business is a slightly different twist, but is this something genuinely new under the sun that would attract large numbers of moneyed immigrants, given that they’ve more or less had a similar option already for some time?

Would it really solve the current account deficit? According to Warren Buffett’s latest shareholder news letter, the US exports about $2 billion a day worth of “savings glut” to the rest of the world… at $250,000 per person, that would require 8000 wealthy immigrants a day = 3 million a year (not counting their families who would need to get residence too). Are there really that many qualified candidates in the world who’d actually be interested?

In practice, I doubt such a program would make a meaningful dent in either housing inventory or financial deficits.

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