Rate hike, page-27

IMO, the market is - true but, distorted with the housing shortage

the prices pretty much countrywide are from a complex mix of reasons

these would be some that come to mind

1960 - the pill
the great aussie dream - and it is a dream, a dream of parents for their kids
the spun up dream, enhanced by all kinds of efforts, some by design others by chance -
governments - first home owner grants, atrocious housing taxation laws
terrible rental practices - no security of tenure for tenants
abuse of tenants - both in quality, lack of care and theft of bond
all has led to it's better to own if you can
the actuality that was - that home ownership keeps one out of poverty
that last point is changing with things like enormous rate and insurance costs etc.
the stigmatism of being a renter - people are seen to be failures if they don't own a home
the bizarre belief that a home is an investment - a financial investment - not a social investment - and that the 'price' of the home should exceed what the value of it was when one purchased it -
a total misunderstanding of value, price and worth

the truly bizarre thinking that higher house prices make a country rich - where the reality is that housing/shelter is a cost of living -just like food, medicine, transport, insurance, power etc

one has to wonder how it is possible for a sane people to champion rising house prices but at the same time to be screeching in pain at their rising cost of living

what other comment can come close to 'doh!'

and then, one of the things which astounds me personally - the price paid for the quality of housing that's accepted as 'great'

incredible - houses in Oz are dreadful in comparison to other western nations

they are similar to looking at pieces of cheap chinese shit compared to items of quality

many homes overseas are hundreds of years old - straight and true as gun barrels, upgraded to modern services - insulated well and withstand weather and age almost timelessly

Imagine Ozzie buildings a couple of hundred years old????????? pfffffffffffft

and one look at things like windows - a global embarrassment on the amount of efficient windows in Oz - one of the hottest nations on earth and where 80% of the heat comes in through the windows - and Oz is close to the lowest takeup in performance windows - even now --------- ?????????
ok that's not bizarre - but, it's bloody weird - and Ozzies - in the main, don't even notice ---------- weird.