Ximon

I support this message. Ximon's content is useful and his tone is serious and pleasant.
I have not liked the way any number of threads have gone on this board, especially when anyone tries to bring in contingencies outside of the usual discourse. This board can be helpful and informative, but childish behavior too often gets in the way.
The world needs a new online habitus of speakers who tirelessly extend good faith and understand that one person's humor is another's toxic jeer.
Why not start here?

agree

Wow, a guy takes a few days off from work and gets missed! I am touched. Truthfully, I think my last post was kinda like putting an exclamation point on a touchy subject line and I felt a little exhausted by it. As you know, I am not a broker and am not in the trenches every day like you people so I only can offer my "sage advice" which does not necessarily match what goes on in the real world. But I have been through a few real estate cycles in my life and often see things in deja vu so I sometimes like to communicate my thoughts and warnings when I think it may be helpful.

Real estate is a fascinating subject and I continue to learn more as I get to know all of you and your diverse experiences. Thanks for thinking I am contributing and trying to be pleasant at the same time. Its a learned skill though. As someone with a hard core professional background, I had to learn in retirement what I could not learn on the job which is that everyone's opinions are relevant and deserve respect.

But it seems temperament has apparently been far worse on this board based on many of the old threads I have read, no? Quite nasty in fact. Although some complain that this board is not as vibrant as it once was, I think and appreciate that its fewer contributions at least come from knowledgeable sources with fewer axes to grind.

As someone said, social media is not for the timid. But we should not let our anonymity be used as an excuse to be nasty. None of us need to be a conduit for the unkindness of others so I think it best to shut down certain discussions quickly and simply walk away. Like Mr. Miyagi in the Karate Kid.

Here's a question? Does anyone agree with me that these recent discussions about luxury home prices are directly relevant to the overall housing market in Manhattan or New York City? Its fun to discuss and I think that available supply certainly affects other segments but that luxury home buyers operate under different, often less economic, motivations than the typical buyer. This divide between luxury and other buyers appears to be getting bigger when you look at the sizable differences in treatment under the new tax laws. As 30 and others here have already pointed out, self-employed taxpayers are benefiting far more than employees. Other sources show the same thing. Middle class employees especially appear to be receiving less rather than more to use for a down payment. The future seems bleaker and bleaker for the average home owner in spite of low interest rates and a strong economy.

I agree; it will keep getting bleaker and bleaker. The right wing, GOP, Trump all hate w2 workers.
Jeff Bezos who owns the Washington Post, one of the most liberal newspapers begrudged giving money to the homeless in Seattle, a problem that he alone created and he threatened to move out of the city as he is now threatening New York. He's a union buster. And this is a liberal.
That said, the accessibility of decent housing for hard working people will only get worse. The last time a president engaged in trade wars the Great Depression followed. Alan Greenspan just today warned about the Federal Debt and that it will cause runaway inflation. At some point something grave may very well happen if we don't change course that will make the financial crisis seem like a non event.
This situation will go on until it won't.
As far as the economic situation many respected pundits have said recently that the economy is slowing down; that it peaked last year. And if inflation gets out of hand interest rates will skyrocket.

https://therealdeal.com/2019/02/14/let-the-bidding-commence-amazon-isnt-coming-to-new-york/

Wow. Breaking news! Now we have to take back everything we said about how this will be good for the housing market....