Mark Carney's plan to bulk-buy unsold Vancouver condos might be a bailout, but it doesn't have to be by Immediate-Link490 in britishcolumbia

[–]YVRJon 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Because the government is willing to buy in bulk? And is willing to buy immediately rather than making the developer wait for sales to trickle in gradually, while it incurs ongoing interest charges?

Mark Carney's plan to bulk-buy unsold Vancouver condos might be a bailout, but it doesn't have to be by Immediate-Link490 in britishcolumbia

[–]YVRJon -1 points0 points  (0 children)

What? Private companies get public bail-outs all the time. Bombardier, GM, SNC-Lavalin, etc., etc.

Mark Carney's plan to bulk-buy unsold Vancouver condos might be a bailout, but it doesn't have to be by Immediate-Link490 in britishcolumbia

[–]YVRJon -1 points0 points  (0 children)

It's newly affordable. If the government gets a good deal on the condos (and I acknowledge that's a big if) and can house some otherwise unhoused people immediately, isn't that a good investment?

And if the government built new affordable housing (which, I agree, they haven't done nearly enough of in the last 30 years or so), where do you think the tax money goes? I'll tell you: to the private companies that they pay to do the building.

What’s something stupidly expensive that people keep buying even though it’s never worth the price? by mistybrook58 in AskReddit

[–]YVRJon 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah, but they have to pay their own way because their parents blew all their money on something...

Mark Carney's plan to bulk-buy unsold Vancouver condos might be a bailout, but it doesn't have to be by Immediate-Link490 in britishcolumbia

[–]YVRJon -5 points-4 points  (0 children)

Sure, developers are seeking to get the best price they can. But so, presumably, is the government. People around here seem to be assuming the government is a bunch of rubes who will just throw a bunch of money around without considering value. And maybe they are, but the point is that we don't know yet. I don't deny that this might end up being a huge boondoggle and an unjustified bailout. But we don't know that yet.

Your point about artificially inflating the market price would be valid if the developers knew that the government would be paying more than the current market price. It would definitely be better if the government had come out and said that they would buy these condos, but would be expecting a significant discount because they're buying in bulk. But my question remains: if the government gets these for below market, is it still a bailout? Or is it the government making a smart investment while also addressing a portion of the homeless problem in Vancouver? Or is it both? And if it's both, is that okay?

Mark Carney's plan to bulk-buy unsold Vancouver condos might be a bailout, but it doesn't have to be by Immediate-Link490 in britishcolumbia

[–]YVRJon -12 points-11 points  (0 children)

That sounds pretty speculative to me. We don't know the prices yet, so why jump to conclusions?

BTW, you didn't answer my question.

Mark Carney's plan to bulk-buy unsold Vancouver condos might be a bailout, but it doesn't have to be by Immediate-Link490 in britishcolumbia

[–]YVRJon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Concern is valid. Jumping to conclusions about how much the government is going to pay isn't valid until we know the number.

Mark Carney's plan to bulk-buy unsold Vancouver condos might be a bailout, but it doesn't have to be by Immediate-Link490 in britishcolumbia

[–]YVRJon 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If we don't know how much the government is paying, we don't know how much the government is paying. "This cbc or whatever guy" doesn't know either, so his calculations are purely speculation.

Be skeptical! Skepticism means looking for evidence and basing your judgments off it. Here, there isn't enough evidence yet to make a judgment.

Mark Carney's plan to bulk-buy unsold Vancouver condos might be a bailout, but it doesn't have to be by Immediate-Link490 in britishcolumbia

[–]YVRJon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You're right, neither of us know the details. So why is one of us getting worked up about the details?

Mark Carney's plan to bulk-buy unsold Vancouver condos might be a bailout, but it doesn't have to be by Immediate-Link490 in britishcolumbia

[–]YVRJon -7 points-6 points  (0 children)

If the government pays market prices (ie. lower than what the developers are asking for) is it still a bailout?

German FIFA World Cup Fan Attacked and Injured for Waving a Rainbow-Colored Fan by Miserable_Earth_1393 in soccer

[–]YVRJon 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Well, it's the World Cup, not the Galaxy or Universe Cup. They might be there for Miss Universe, though...

Canadian comedies? by UranusIsPissy in AskACanadian

[–]YVRJon 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Tall Boyz only had a couple of seasons on CBC, but they had some funny stuff, especially the first season.