News
Housing protests continue unabated
Ynet
Published: 26.07.11, 23:47
Comment Comment
Print comment Print comment
Back to article
8 Talkbacks for this article
1. Student fees, loans, and rent sucks! :
Ypip ,   Canada   (07.27.11)
What would happen if you put a group of 'university professors' in a small room with them? John King Fairbanks has interesting revelations about 'university' in his new history about China...
2. protesting what exactly?
dan ,   san cristobal, mex   (07.27.11)
You wanted capitalism, you got it! You were ecstatic and lined up around the block when the H & M store opened in Tel Aviv, so don´t go bitching now when the free market (and the corruption it brings) is biting u in the ass. And why isn´t the government´s continued support of the ultra-Orthodox - with your tax money - not on the agenda? And what´s up with the tents? No serious results came from sitting in a tent and listening to shanti music. March to Jerusalem, take the Knesset!
3. Its very simple really. Adjust the seller side.
Dan ,   Israel   (07.27.11)
Housing plan. The greed is on the seller side. That is the side that must be controlled. We are in a bubble, its not about demand anymore. 1. make it so expensive for sellers to sell at inflated prices that they either lower prices or don't sell. This is done though two taxes. A 90% capital gains tax on property and a huge tiered sales tax on higher priced homes. Through taxation, make it so the seller will net more income if he sells at 1MM NIS instead of 2MM NIS. Invest any tax revenue in to building more affordable housing for students. 2. To counter sellers refusing to sell because of the high taxes, implement a hideous tax on property that is vacant for more than 6 months. A high enough tax that sellers will have no choice but to sell or rent their property. Use this tax revenue to build more affordable housing for low income families. 3. Apply the same tax rules to non-resident and residents of Israel alike. 4. Implement a massively inflated purchase tax for non-residents who buy property but do not occupy or rent home withing 1 year. Use this tax revenue to build more affordable housing for students and low income families. 5. Provide mortgages at 90% LTV with low interest rates for first time buyers to actually get in to the market. 6. Make LTV's lower, say 50%, for non primary resident purchases. This will help keep speculators and investors from entering the market, leaving homes for people that want to buy them. These will need some tweaks, but I think that should bring prices down to normal levels and generate plenty of tax revenue. Bibi. don't say you need more help.
4. LOWER THE PRICES WE CAN NOT BREATH
Levi ,   Karmiel   (07.27.11)
Agreed lower the sellers ability to sale to high. Simple add a tax which reqards those who sale cheaper. Those with two or more homes must be taxed at a higher rate. Because the empty property is driving up our arnona and costing us more who do not own. We are paying for Vacant units. Its crap.
5. DAN # 3
Marvin ,   Natanya   (07.27.11)
You are a fool. This kind of left wing thinking is idiotic. The prices are rediculous, I agree, but that is not the way to solve the problem. Firstly, around 60% of the sales value of an apt is taxes; going right to the government. If they don't get the money from real estate (10% of their revenue) where will they get it from. Next, foreign residents gthat buy property come to Israel on vacation hagin etc. and many make Aliyah. This is exactly what the government wants and needs. They will never raise taxes on unoccupied flats (and if they do it will be so marginal for plotical reasons that it will not have any bearing whatsoever. Third, Israel lacks the labour to finish the projects it currently has. Where do you propose to get the trades to do the work - they are not in Israel and I do not see the government bringing in more foreign workers. Fourth. If the government caused the prices to drop more than 20%; it may have a drastic effect on foreclosures and could cause serious problems to the banking industry and the economy as a whole. In summary, the statements made by the government are just posturing; nothing will be done because they cannot do it. The price of flats have doubled, and the USD is down 40% against the shekel. I also want to buy a flat but I do not see any resolution in the next few years to this problem. I don't think prices will go up; but I do not see them coming down for several years to come. I just wish the government would tell the truth. Marvin - Natanya
6. There are 80,000 empty homes in Israel
Shulamit ,   Israel   (07.27.11)
The government should nationalize them and give them to young couples with children who do not own an apartment of their own.
7. Their goal is to provoke social unrest and
tanya ,   tel aviv israel   (07.27.11)
bring down the government. When asked what realistic measures would satisfy them, they have not clear answer. BTW, Dr. Aaron Lerner claims that 218000 appartments were purches for investment by Israelis between 2003 and now. So whom to blaim?
8. housing
susan ,   jerusalem   (07.27.11)
it is ironic, on the same page as the article about cost of housing protest is an advertisement for the residences @ ritz carlton, herzliya
Back to article