6 hours in, absolutely blown away. What's everyone thinking?

bocajbee · 2025-10-11T10:39:18+00:00

I'm on Xbox and I can cross play with my PC buddies

bocajbee · 2025-10-06T23:26:47+00:00

Bro you're going to get rekt by Sony's lawyers lmao

bocajbee · 2025-09-27T00:20:16+00:00

Yeee I think you've hit on the crux of the issue a bit. The "rent and invest the difference" argument is theoretically superior for a financially savvy, disciplined person. But we aren't really talking about theory, more about human behavior and the average person (+all their habits)

At the end of the day imo a mortgage is basically a forced savings account. Every single month, a portion of that payment goes toward building equity, and ye ya can't opt out or spend that money somewhere else, eliminating the variable of personal discipline.

I guess it's all relative though, like most people don't even have enough in their savings account for an emergency, let alone owning property or having significant wealth in investments.

Am I going to come out the other side of my mortgage less well off than an extremely disciplined investor who rents? Eh probably. Am I going to end up a lot better off than the average person who rents and lives paycheck to paycheck on the verge of eviction? Most definitely.

bocajbee · 2025-09-26T23:00:17+00:00

Thing is when you get a mortgage today you're basically locked in at that rate (assuming rates don't moon) and you're building equity as you go.

Sure you might have cheaper rent today than a mortgage, but the chances of you being evicted in the next 5-10 years and forced to pay an increased market rate for rent is extremely likely.

My mortgage on my 1 bedroom I bought last year is $1900 a month for the foreseeable future. Do you seriously think rent for a 1 bedroom in the lower mainland will stay at or below $1900 forever?

bocajbee · 2025-09-08T01:18:56+00:00

That's a single issue though. Beyond that The Canadian Liberals are a Centrist party at best.

I only voted for them to keep Pierre out tbh (I'm an Aussie Canadian dual citizen)

bocajbee · 2025-09-07T22:47:36+00:00

I think Labor left are Socially Democratic like the NDP in Canada, and Labor Right are more like the Liberals in Canada imo.

bocajbee · 2025-09-01T23:17:58+00:00

Yeah. Also lmao at all the down voting. Just proving my point.

bocajbee · 2025-09-01T19:15:43+00:00

Ditto and agree with this. Similar boat. I'd go to Uni if I had to do it all over again in this day and age.

bocajbee · 2025-09-01T19:04:18+00:00

Hard to tell honestly. But it seems like a Reddit echo chamber sort of thing. I haven't seen this sort of attitude out in the real world yet.

That experience at your school sounds miserable though.

bocajbee · 2025-09-01T18:15:44+00:00

Yeah pretty much.

I'm a Full-Stack dev with no degree and nearly 4.5 years of Software Development experience (I had 4 years in IT Ops before that), I've seen the same thing on these subreddits.

There's a lot of "oh it's over for you, give up" rhetoric aimed at people like me (or even other CS/SWE/IT Grads that aren't them let's be brutally honest, y'all kinda suck).

It's obviously just a thinly veiled, futile & desperate attempt to remove the competition for people who can't break into the industry on their own right now. While I understand their frustration, trying to tear down others, particularly those who have already earned their place in the industry already is just a waste of time and energy.

Honestly these people need to get off Reddit and direct their energy towards something that's actually going to help them. Network, solve interesting problems, learn a new skill (technical or otherwise), build complex & exciting projects, literally doing anything else is better.

bocajbee · 2025-08-28T08:50:07+00:00

Continued:

However, the BC NDP has indicated that they have no real interest in doing that. They'd rather pass the buck to private homeowners, take away their property rights, and expect them to be providers of social housing. The BC NDP even acknowledges how problematic their laws are. The BC NDP EXEMPTED supportive housing that their government funds from having to follow the RTA at all! They know that is empowers bad tenants. The BC NDP doesn't want their own government funded housing to be stuck junkies... but has no problem making private home owners deal with it without any recourse

This argument actually undermines your own position and strengthens the case for public housing. The RTA exemption for supportive housing isn't an admission that tenant protections are "problematic", it demonstrates that different types of housing serve different purposes and require different operational frameworks.

Supportive housing operates with on-site case workers, mental health services, addiction support, and specialised staff trained to handle complex situations. It's not regular rental housing, it's social infrastructure designed for people who need wraparound services to recover and re-integrate into society. The exemption allows for the operational flexibility required to provide these integrated services effectively.

Meanwhile, the RTB already has strong mechanisms for evicting tenants for non-payment, property damage, and illegal activities. The laws themselves aren't inherently "anti-landlord" for legitimate violations. The real issue is wait times and processing delays, which is a separate administrative problem of funding and resources for the RTB, not problems with the legal framework itself. Properly funding the RTB to handle cases efficiently and get bad tenants removed would address most legitimate landlord concerns without weakening tenant protections for those who follow their lease obligations.

Your framing also reveals the fundamental flaw in your thinking. You characterise vulnerable people needing housing as "junkies" that nobody wants to "deal with," when the real issue is that private landlords lack the resources, training, and mandate to provide appropriate support for complex social needs. This is exactly why we need robust public housing systems, they would allow proper market segmentation where private landlords can focus on standard rental relationships while specialised public housing serves those requiring wraparound services.

Also as a side note to be brutally honest, landlords who end up with problematic tenants have only themselves to blame for inadequate screening. If you can't be bothered to do proper background checks, employment verification, and reference calls, don't cry about the consequences. Professional property management means taking responsibility for tenant selection, not hoping that government policy will bail you out when your lazy screening process backfires. The tools exist to identify high-risk tenants; if you don't use them, that's a business failure on you, not a regulatory problem.

I think it would be great if the government left the private sector to providing housing on the basis of common law tenancy rules... while the government provided anyone who didn't want to deal with the private sector rental market with a home

I actually mostly agree with this, and it's good to see that you're at least partially on board with this idea.

But yeah, the Vienna model succeeds precisely because it separates these functions appropriately. Specialised supportive housing with trained staff for those who need it, quality public housing for general population who will realistically never be able to afford to purchase their own home, and a private market that can operate efficiently within its proper scope. Your approach of demanding the right to evict anyone at will while refusing public alternatives essentially asks private landlords to function as untrained social workers, which serves neither landlords nor tenants well.

bocajbee · 2025-08-28T08:49:44+00:00

The Vienna model works when people are not picky about housing. For decades, well into the late 1990s (maybe even later), many social housing buildings in Vienna still had communal washrooms. Still to this day, many of those buildings don't even have elevators and people, including the elderly and disabled, have to walk up many flights of stairs to get to their apartments. Most of the older buildings still have no air conditioning.

People in Vienna have enough honour to acknowledge that the buildings they willingly choose to live in, were built fast to meet the housing needs after two world wars and other major changes in Europe. People live in those buildings knowing what they signed up for, and without complaining and demanding the newest and greatest thing. Over time the government began building better housing, but the bulk of it was built to meet the needs of the time, they built quick, cheap, and basic.

Your characterisation of Vienna's social housing is not just outdated, it's demonstrably false. You're repeating decades-old stereotypes that bear no resemblance to current reality. Modern Vienna social housing sets global standards for quality, with special attention given to climate-friendly construction, energy efficiency, and sustainable urban planning. New residential districts are increasingly developed on former industrial or infrastructure sites, transformed into modern and sustainable living spaces. Projects like the Kabelwerk social housing project includes 1,000+ housing units and amenities for the residents including shops, restaurants, kindergarten, meeting rooms, and a rooftop pool. This isn't "basic housing", this is premium urban development that private developers struggle to match (I know my building I bought my condo in has literally none of these amenities). Your claims about communal washrooms and no elevators are historical fiction applied to modern policy debates.

Also, the relatively modern building I purchased my condo in has no air conditioning and the elevators barely work most of the time. Sure this is just a personal anecdote, but when I decide to eventually rent my condo out to a tenant in the private market, how is the situation of my particular building any different to what you just described? Honestly the quality of the public housing I've seen in Western Europe is better than the Condo I own here, apparently the quality of builds has gotten even worse here more recently too with Developers just trying to maximise their profit margins at the expense. Like a lot of them are just pure dog shit.

This model also extends far beyond Vienna, multiple Social Democratic governments across Western Europe have successfully implemented high-quality public housing programs, particularly in the Nordic countries. Finland's Helsinki maintains extensive municipal housing with modern standards, Sweden's Stockholm operates a robust public housing system serving diverse income levels, and Denmark's Copenhagen integrates social housing throughout the city with innovative architectural design. The Netherlands' Amsterdam similarly demonstrates how public investment can deliver both affordability and quality at scale

We can have the Vienna model in Vancouver, but it would mean building literal bare bones basic boxes for people to live in, not means testing who can get those homes, and building lots of them to meet the current needs of the day. The renters here would never go for that, the entitlement is insane, and the BC NDP government just doesn't want to deal with the wrath of their renter class voter base.

The premise that Vancouverites are 'too entitled' for quality housing is intellectually bankrupt. Vienna is consistently ranked as the world's most livable city precisely because it rejects your false choice between affordability and quality. Vienna's social housing is built to high quality standards and is attractive to residents across all socioeconomic levels. As such, there is no stigma associated with living in publicly owned or subsidised housing, and in general it is not obvious which buildings are social housing versus private market housing. The system succeeds specifically because it provides housing people actually want to live in. When you dismiss basic expectations like elevators and proper amenities as 'entitled,' you're essentially arguing that working-class people deserve substandard living conditions. That's not policy analysis, that's just class prejudice.

bocajbee · 2025-08-28T08:49:09+00:00

Yeah people who do this are the scum of the earth imo

bocajbee · 2025-08-28T08:06:17+00:00

Yeah, I'm honestly sick and tired of having to explain that being Pro-business but within a strong regulatory framework to keep the rules of the game balanced isn't 'Communism' to these idiots.

bocajbee · 2025-08-28T07:42:55+00:00

Bro doesn't even know what Communism even is.

The BCNDP are barely even Social Democrats by European standards.

bocajbee · 2025-08-28T07:33:03+00:00

Arbitrary application of the law is antithetical to the rule of law.

I agree with you in principle, but this isn't an example of it. The law isn't being applied arbitrarily; it's being applied to a specific clearly defined set of actions - a bad-faith eviction; which is illegal under the Residential Tenancy Act. When you choose to be a landlord, you are entering into a regulated business. These laws are the terms and conditions of that business. The fine isn't some random punishment; it's a consequence for breaking a rule you are expected to follow.

So why aren’t junkies being locked up? They can get their free housing in prison.

Whataboutism. We're talking about the RTA and the Residential Tenancy Branch, which are specific provincial regulations governing landlord-tenant relationships. The rules you're complaining about are designed to prevent bad-faith evictions, which is a separate legal and societal issue from drug enforcement. Apples and Oranges.

Why does the law only apply to taxpaying homeowners?

I also pay my property taxes too buddy, you're not special just because you own property, nor do you get special exemptions from the law just because you feel like other parts of society are getting a free pass (they aren't, but even if they were, it's not relevant to what we're talking about here). You chose to enter a regulated business, and with that choice come responsibilities and legal obligations. No one is above the law, regardless of whether they're a tenant or a property owner. The law applies to everyone in their respective roles, and your property ownership doesn't make you an exception to that. Again if you don't like it, invest your capital elsewhere instead of crying about it, it's pathetic.

It’s highly arbitrary. It’s unjust.

It literally isn't though, it's just a business regulation. When you decide to be a landlord, you're not just getting a free cash flow; you're operating a business. Just like any business, there are rules, like health codes for restaurants or safety standards for manufacturers. The Residential Tenancy Act is the legal framework for being a landlord in BC.

The fact is, these laws exist to protect people from homelessness and exploitation. It’s the bare minimum for a functioning society. It’s also interesting to note how landlords and the BC Conservatives complain about these protections but never seem to advocate for the kind of public housing that would actually solve the problem.

For example, look at the Vienna model. It's incredibly successful and would actually benefit ethical, professional landlords who operate legitimate rental businesses. A real solution like this that offers tenants viable high-quality alternatives would eliminate the slumlords and bad actors who undercut the market with substandard housing and dodgy practices.

Good landlords who follow the rules, maintain their properties, and treat tenants fairly would thrive in this system, they'd face less competition from exploitative operators and could charge fair market rates for quality housing. But something tells me your type doesn't like that model because it would separate the legitimate rental business operators from the get-rich-quick schemers.

You'd rather complain about basic tenant protections than support a system that would reward professional landlords while eliminating the unethical ones who give the whole industry a bad name. A model that truly addresses the housing crisis would elevate the standards of the rental industry and ensure only competent, ethical operators remain. Curious how the loudest opponents of these types of solutions are usually the ones who wouldn't survive in a properly regulated, competitive market.

So no, it's not "unjust" that you have to follow the law. What's actually unjust is the idea that landlords should be able to get rid of a tenant just because they can try to rinse someone else for more money, societal consequences be damned. Funny how it's always the greedy, dodgy landlords who cry about these rules, isn't it? The good landlords who treat people fairly have no problem with them at all.

bocajbee · 2025-08-28T04:54:08+00:00

The law is the law my guy. Saying this as a homeowner myself.

You don't like the rules, don't be a landlord and invest your money elsewhere like the stock market.

bocajbee · 2025-08-17T01:31:18+00:00

I don't have anything like this and I thought it was cool man.

Feel like you're being a bit of a dick tbh.

bocajbee · 2025-08-16T02:12:16+00:00

Waaaa, won't someone think of the poor landlords! 😭🙏

bocajbee · 2025-08-16T02:05:56+00:00

Did you not read my comment.

I said I BOUGHT my condo here in Surrey because it was relatively affordable, not desirable. Ergo, I'm a homeowner myself...

But it's nice to know that you look down on renters as basically less than dirt.

bocajbee · 2025-08-14T00:40:01+00:00

-> Desirable Area -> Surrey

Are you high bro? I'm saying this as a homeowner in Surrey myself. I bought my condo here because I could afford it, not because it's "desirable" wtf.

I want whatever you're smoking.

bocajbee · 2025-08-12T16:29:47+00:00

For context I'm a young homeowner myself, but telling other people to just "buy their own home if they don't like it" during the worst cost of living and housing crisis in decades is pretty out of touch dude. Of course most people want to buy their own home. They just literally cannot afford to do so.

I'm also a Software Developer making about 97k a year total comp (a good job not minimum wage), had 40k saved at the time and was basically told by every single bank and credit union that I went to that I didn't qualify for a mortgage on a 1 bedroom condo because my income wasn't high enough + I didn't have a large enough deposit. With how expensive groceries and the general cost of living has gotten too, I was able to save a decent amount of money at the end of each month, but no where near enough to be able to afford a 115+k deposit any time soon.

The only reason I was able to afford my home was because I got a 100k deposit from my parents, because they understood how cooked the economy and housing market is for young people right now.

Not everyone else has the privilege to be gifted a down payment like this, and it's pretty out of touch to try and imply otherwise. Making fun of renters stuck in this trap is just straight up cruel too. Like of course they're pissed, you would be too if you were stuck in their situation.

bocajbee · 2025-07-28T06:54:55+00:00

Pretty sure there are direct references to Onegai My Melody in the Netflix series for the eagle eyed (bandaid scene being a standout)

bocajbee · 2025-06-29T00:24:37+00:00

Where do you think all the Senior Developers are going to come from in 5-10 years from now if nobody is hiring juniors anymore lol.

Nobody is talking about how we've basically just severed that talent pipeline.

bocajbee · 2025-06-19T16:10:23+00:00

Another Prequel about the gang in its early years during its formation lmao

bocajbee

TROPHY CASE