Will housing ever be affordable again?

[Strapped]

No , I can't see a way moving forward for water rates , electricity , food , clothing , property taxes, home ownership to every be affordable again in the United States . The feds & state have literally priced everyone out .

Be careful signing ballot signatures measures to put BS up for voting because it's never what you think .
Cut the city's budget by stopping overtime pay.

Please remember that every sector of government created the high inflation , drove business to close by not regulating anything


New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has proposed a significant overhaul of New York’s estate tax system, aiming to address a projected $5.4 billion city budget deficit for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026.

• Proposed Changes:
  • Reduce the estate tax exemption threshold from $7.1 million to $750,000—a reduction of nearly 90%.
  • Increase the top estate tax rate from 16% to 50%.
• Impact:
  • Under the current system, estates below the exemption threshold are not taxed. The proposed change would subject many middle- and upper-middle-class estates—especially those with significant home equity in NYC—to taxation.
  • Combined with the federal estate tax (top rate of 40%), the effective tax rate could reach up to 70% on large estates, according to critics.
• Status:
  • The proposal was included in a memo circulated by the mayor’s office to state lawmakers and Governor Kathy Hochul during budget negotiations.
  • As of March 20, 2026, no action has been taken, and the plan has not been included in any approved state budget plans.
  • The proposal has drawn strong reactions: Republican leaders and tax policy groups warn it could drive wealthy residents and businesses out of the state, while supporters argue it could help close the city’s fiscal gap and address wealth inequality.
• Note: Because estate taxes are set at the state level, the mayor cannot enact the law alone—it requires approval by the New York State Legislature and Governor Hochul.

 

[Laidbackman]

How many single brothers from the hood or who you hung out with, ever did buy a house on their own. It's hard enough tryna remember the ones who got their own apartment.

Anyway, these are the ones I keep in touch with today, or at least know their whereabouts. I'll include the married ones as well. I'll start with the ones I stay in touch with the most:

1. He bought a big nice 4 level townhouse in a pretty nice neighborhood in PG County- still a nice neighborhood so far. This shocked everybody. But he bought it at 55. He just got married a few years ago. I don't think he even cares who or what will go to who - not now anyway. He's the only friend I have who bought his house single.

2. He's been married for a little over 40 years, and now has a McMansion in the upper north part of Maryland close to the Delaware line.

3. Deceased in 2020. He got married not long before the buddy above. He and his wife, who he met in law school, had a nice split-foyer in central Maryland.

4. Deceased in 2001. He and his wife had a nice McMansion in the best part of PG at the time, not far from the one who bought his house at 55.

All three of my buddies who were married all went to U of Md with me, accept the first one I named. The buddies from the block, I don't think they ever got their own apartment. Those drugs. The one who finally did get his own apartment was the least expected to. He was in and out of reform school all through grade school, and spent half of his adult life in prison. He said his solution was to stay away from the block. He now lives somewhere in DC.

Oh, how did I forget this buddy, who was once my best friend. I met him when I was on the security force. He finally got his house after we stopped hanging for a while - he was single like me. But he ghosted me several years ago after he was forced on disability, and lost everything. He was probably my closest buddy, as far as hanging out with the most and the longest. But you couldn't tell, after the way he changed up on me those last few years while we were still close. And I was the one who hunted him down several years ago, since I had moved to Atlanta. You'd think that would have been the time he needed me the most. Man, that envy can really ruin a good friendship. Can't say he wasn't very happy to see me though when I showed up out of nowhere. I guess we had went a little too much our own way as far as who had the better career, better retirement, and better later health.