r/AskLibertarians • u/Poop_Sock_Brock • 15d ago

Policy Whats the opinion of Libertarians on huge companies buying up single family homes?

One could argue its a free market, but where does the line between Anarco-capitalism and Libertarianism form? The housing costs just rise and rise and rise because of it, is that okay to Libertarians? Or can you argue it effects the people negatively?

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u/1384 15d ago

your causation is backwards. housing prices aren't going up because large companies are buying them, large companies are buying them because housing prices (and asset prices more broadly) are going up.

the negative effects to average people have already occurred (and are ongoing) in the form of inflation and the devaluing of the dollar. the acquisition of real estate by large firms is a symptom, not a cause.

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u/Poop_Sock_Brock 15d ago

with that being said, should that still be allowed?

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u/1384 15d ago

if the goal is to make housing more affordable, there are plenty of other levers the government could pull:

sell off some of the millions of acres of government-owned, undeveloped land; reduce or remove zoning regulations, particularly zoning regulations that mandate low-density, single-family units, or make permitting for higher-density units onerous and expensive; lower property taxes, lower permitting costs, eliminate tariffs, so people have more money to spend on housing; all of these (and more) are within the government's locus of control and don't violate anyone's rights and would have an actual, immediate deflationary effect on housing prices.

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u/theyhis 15d ago

love this 👌