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Comment by reidjs | Hacker News Reader

Finally some good news for CA natives. It sucks not being able to afford to live where you grew up. Maybe this will ease the housing market a bit?

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Reminds me of, "Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded."

https://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-yogi-berra...

I think the same thing whenever people talk about how it’s so expensive that nobody can afford it.

Housing prices are going through the roof pretty much all over the country/planet. That's what happens when it becomes an investment vehicle.

I thought that it was a good idea to sell my house and rent for a few years when it tripled in value.... we'll see in 1.5 years if that was a good choice.

Probably if you just sold like in the past few months, if it was a year ago or longer, probably not. And yes, I agree that will probably be seen as save in 1.5 years.

it was about 6 months ago and I bought it in 2009...

It's mostly from lack of building housing in the places that have jobs, which is what turned it into an investment vehicle rather than a savings vehicle.

And when there's lack of housing, the two choices are high prices and homelessness, or wait lists and homelessness. Neither are good, but the solution is really just more housing.

We’re not even building enough housing to sustain the children of the people who already live here.

I don't think we'll really see housing prices drop until the ocean rises up far enough to ruin our cities.

I'm for building reasonably priced housing, and apartments.

In CA, Governor Neusome signed some sort of mandate, that put hard limits (build more you NIMBY's) on new housing.

It was done for the right reasons. A lot of his wealthy supporters could care less about rent, but he doesn't seem to be able to be bought--yet.

It's tied to state funds? I would like to know more, but too lazy to do research.

Our little towns, in Marin County, are scrambling for a solution to enable more housing. I shouldn't have used "scrambling". I don't think they really care. They own their homes, but they need funds.

Ok---that said, I don't know how they can think about building anything because of the water shortage?

Not having enough water is huge. They could offer incentives for digging wells I guess?

I am glad Neusome made putting in a mother in-law units much easier. We need more low/middle income housing. We need less mansions though. Neusome is a rich boy, but has progressive values. I went to school with him, and he knows what a struggle life can be sometimes. Yes--even for a rich boy, I felt sorry for him a bit at certain points in his life. He was actually voted most Fashionable in the year book.

Fun fact for those that know nothing about Marin County. Most of you have probally heard of Bolinas before? The town without a sign. A town the locals want kept a secret?

The history of building in Bolinas is kinda interesting. Years ago a bunch of hippies, and other brilliant creative people, saw what a beautiful area Bolinas is, but they knew it could be ruined by overbuilding. They knew it was a far commute, but people would suffer with the long drive to SF because it was such a idyllic location.

The hippies got themselfs on the town council. (I use hippies in the best sence. The world needs more hippies.)

They passed a law that the size of their town would be mandated by water hookups.

There is a hard set number of water hookups, and they went quick. A few years ago a small plot of land with a water hookup became available. Just a tiny piece of land, but it had a legal water spigot. It went for a huge amount money.

Mu point is without more water, I don't know how these housing mandates will work?

A desalination plant might work?

Would I mind seeing a desalination plant instead of San Quentin--yes. San Quentin is a prison right near the bay. It's old, and just a prison to be honest. A lot of those guys could be in a minimum security prison, in better living conditions, but that's another story.

I would like to see some Stimulus money being spent on a desalination plant.

I know nothing about the technology though. I just know water is something very important.

I do feel the wealthy, and those living in mansions, should pay more for water than the rest of us.

(Yes-- I'm all over the place today. I guess I'm nervous over reopening? I need to take a walk.)

@hellbannedguy interesting that you went to school with Newsom/Getty. I live in California, am a registered Democrat and signed the recall. He doesn't seem to comprehend, or has some discordian delight in the full horror of the drug epidemic and attendant homeless crisis and appears to actively encourage US homeless to move to coastal California, some of the most expensive and desirable real estate on earth, where he will 'provide permanent homes' for them.

The cities are overrun, sanitation and safety is badly compromised, yet half the US homeless are in California with more coming. This is a primary reason along with cost of living why people are leaving.

This video about Bonin, supervisor for world famous Venice Beach in LA encapsulates the mayhem and dystopian lack of logic exhibited by the current bureaucracy. https://vimeo.com/532718306

Thank you sir for very interesting stories, and a good point about water potentially being a limiting factor - clearly a solvable problem but not at all ignorable or trivial either. Please don't mind the downvoters and continue adding your unique and interesting perspectives!

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