13 Aug 13
Originally posted by normbenignI have never really understood how everyone thinks they lost out from the housing bubble. Where did everyones money disappear to? Is there some guy in the Bahamas sitting on a beach enjoying the proceeds of all of americas house owners?
As in all cases of government force, some tend to be winners, and others are losers, all to help the hapless consumer, and all this done while the government promoted the helter-skelter inflation of home prices, which harmed almost everyone.
13 Aug 13
In South Africa, there is a fairly strict building code. The result is that the poorest people cannot afford to build their own house. This results in shanty towns, vast areas of 'houses' built from wood and tin sheets.
Zambia in contrast has areas where you can basically do what you like, and so people build houses there out of concrete blocks - very badly built, but luckily Zambia doesn't get too many earthquakes.
The South African shanty towns tend to suffer from fires - something that never happens in Zambia.
In South Africa, the government is slowly building houses to replace the shanty towns.
I actually think building codes are a good thing, but I think South Africa needs to do a lot more in terms of making it easier and cheaper for a poor person to build their own house. There are people living in wooden shacks that if they lived in Zambia, would be considered rich, and would have built their own houses by now.
13 Aug 13
1 edit
Originally posted by normbenignthe government supported it? wow, still blaming the government for the greed of corporate bankers and unscrupulous lending, amazing. You dont want them to intervene and when they do you call them out for meddling, you are like someone who asks for the flute to be played by refuses to dance when it is.
Give you a local example from Michigan. In 2008 building code changed from R13 to R49 reflecting the increasing cost of energy.
When the old code was written, energy was cheap compared to insulation, and air conditioning was rare. Who was happy about this change? Not builders, although it came at a time when the housing bubble and liar loans made c ...[text shortened]... e government promoted the helter-skelter inflation of home prices, which harmed almost everyone.
13 Aug 13
Originally posted by WajomaI never said it was not interested for clearly it needs taxes to function, here in the UK, when a project is complete at every stage a government appointed 'clerk of works', must inspect the project and certify that it meets building regulations, in your lunacy you suggested to privatise this service increasing cost for everyone.
The guvamints' not interested in your money? Oh boy the naivety of some people knows no bounds haw haw.
Originally posted by moon1969We should send him to a country where government intervention is like minimal, Pakistan for example, one of the least stable and most corrupt countries in the world. Let him try to export his products without bribery, let him try to import them without bribery, let him send his daughters to school without adequate facilities to ensure their safety, let him choke in pollution without regulations being implied to motor vehicle certification, let him drive on highways with practically no guidelines other than Inshalla (God willing) with no one being certified to drive, let him be stopped by corrupt police officers every time he goes to work demanding 'road tax', and then let him comeback and tell us how bad the US government is.
Agreed. The government-haters like whodey have no clue.
13 Aug 13
Originally posted by robbie carrobieMaybe that's why the US sends drones over to kill them all off. They entire country just is not up to code on their structures.
We should send him to a country where government intervention is like minimal, Pakistan for example, one of the least stable and most corrupt countries in the world. Let him try to export his products without bribery, let him try to import them without bribery, let him send his daughters to school without adequate facilities to ensure their safety, l ...[text shortened]... ork demanding 'road tax', and then let him comeback and tell us how bad the US government is.
13 Aug 13
Originally posted by twhiteheadThe price of housing was rising because of speculation. It became trendy to buy a house with the intention of "flipping it" - selling it later for profit and moving into a better house, and repeating the process.
I have never really understood how everyone thinks they lost out from the housing bubble. Where did everyones money disappear to? Is there some guy in the Bahamas sitting on a beach enjoying the proceeds of all of americas house owners?
So a bunch of people bought overpriced houses hoping to make money and then the legal value of the houses dropped.
The guy who made money from the situation is the guy who sold the overpriced houses.
13 Aug 13
Originally posted by whodeyInteresting article, I would have to say spending a little effort and money to bring his buildings up to minimum building code does not constitute a massive government invasion of this man's rights, and it may just prevent some bad injuries down the road. Even Henry David Thoreau at Waldon Pond acknowleged the need to obey at least the outer trappings of society, since he sometimes had to live in it. 😏
http://news.yahoo.com/reality-real-world-mountain-man-style-195030107.html
A man by the name of Eustace Conway is a mountain man in the Appalachian mountains and he recently did a stent on the show "Mountain Men" on the history channel. However, he may now be regretting that decision. Apparently the state payed him a visit after his appearance on the sh ...[text shortened]... around him as destroying the wilderness, yet the state is demanding that he be like them.
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13 Aug 13
2 edits
Originally posted by WajomaOf course not. But you act like everyone who goes into a building has been properly informed of any potential safety issues and gives reasoned consent. That is simply untrue.
You're fine with consenting adults not having to abide by state mandated building codes? Building codes are only for the sake of children?
Do you think we should do away with building codes and let tort law handle defects?
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13 Aug 13
Originally posted by Eladar"I hereby declare that I am of legal age to consent, and do consent to live in this building while aware that the wiring was installed without conduit throughout, ...[the list going on to cover all defects and hazards.]"
What if the builder has no children? What if everyone who lives there is a consenting adult?
How practical is your world?
14 Aug 13
Originally posted by JS357So your original question is redundant and I wont waste any further time with you, no worries.
Of course not. But you act like everyone who goes into a building has been properly informed of any potential safety issues and gives reasoned consent. That is simply untrue.
Do you think we should do away with building codes and let tort law handle defects?