Crack Shack or Mansion? (Vancouver Edition)

[Malthus]

So I finally played the game and, well, holy shit.

Dieback now.

P.S.: in this regard, Seattle is different from Vancouver, right?  Right.

Yes, it is less lovely.

Most of the "crack shacks" in that survey where not actually from Vancouver.

I think he means Seattle is less lovely than Vancouver.

[Eddie Teach]

Considering many of the crackhouses looked as nice as the Vancouver houses that doesn't really matter anyway.

[crazy canuck]

Considering that property values have been rising in Toronto at much more than the rate of inflation, and yet Toronto *still* is chronically underfunded in spite of the Ford Bros. cutting such stuff as libraries, I assume it has some sort of adjustment factor.

Perhaps, if your first comment was accurate:

I dunno. My tax bill is a straight calculation based on assessed property values. I suppose they get around to adjusting the base rates - eventually - if property values go up all over the city, but the observed affect, so far, is increased taxes.

whatever system they use doesnt work very well.

[Malthus]

Considering that property values have been rising in Toronto at much more than the rate of inflation, and yet Toronto *still* is chronically underfunded in spite of the Ford Bros. cutting such stuff as libraries, I assume it has some sort of adjustment factor.

Perhaps, if your first comment was accurate:

I dunno. My tax bill is a straight calculation based on assessed property values. I suppose they get around to adjusting the base rates - eventually - if property values go up all over the city, but the observed affect, so far, is increased taxes.

whatever system they use doesnt work very well.

Well, yes.

What I don't know is how Vancouver fares - that is, whether it works better there.

There a whole bunch of factors I don't know - for example, I don't know the relative increase in values in various bits of my city, and thus whether my values are increasing at a rate greater than them or not, much less the same for Vancouver.

I have simply observed that increased assessed value tends to result in increased taxes. 

[Jacob]

I think he means Seattle is less lovely than Vancouver.

That's what I thought as well. I wasn't arguing with garbon.

[Malthus]

Considering many of the crackhouses looked as nice as the Vancouver houses that doesn't really matter anyway.

Plenty of nice houses in Vancouver. Just not for a piffling million dollars. 

[Jacob]

Considering many of the crackhouses looked as nice as the Vancouver houses that doesn't really matter anyway.

It's all in the value of the lot and the neighbourhood. Those houses are most likely getting torn down and rebuilt.

When we bought our teardown, the assessed value of the house itself was 1.2% of the purchase price.

[crazy canuck]

This thread has been bad karma for me.  It turns out that a friend of a friend has moved into the big city and is looking for a place to rent on the North Shore.  Mrs. CC - ever the one to lend a helping hand - would like to offer our suite.  I will have to make do with the area left over.

edit: bullet dodged.  Carry on.

[Malthus]

This thread has been bad karma for me.  It turns out that a friend of a friend has moved into the big city and is looking for a place to rent on the North Shore.  Mrs. CC - ever the one to lend a helping hand - would like to offer our suite.  I will have to make do with the area left over.

edit: bullet dodged.  Carry on.

Awww, I was about to suggest a zany, sitcomesque plan involving inviting a selection of the more obnoxious Languishites to stay at your place when this "renter" showed up, and convincing him he'd have to share the house with them. 

I never get to try my zany plans.

[garbon]

I think he means Seattle is less lovely than Vancouver.

That's what I thought as well. I wasn't arguing with garbon.

Okay yeah, I like Vancouver better than Seattle but that's worthy of note, what you added.

[crazy canuck]

I like Seattle.  But I am not sure I would want to live there.  Great place to visit though.

[Jacob]

I enjoy Seattle and several other cities in North America, but Vancouver is home. Were I to move elsewhere it would be for reasons other than the city I'd be moving to, basically money or a really great opportunity and it'd have to be good.

[Jacob]

Mayor weighs in on local controversy: http://www.mayorofvancouver.ca/?p=2319

Summary: someone was going to build a big highrise in my area. A bunch of NIMBY types threw fits and organized against it. Developer compromised some, scaled down a bit. There was a meeting, the mayor essentially said "suck it up, we get some money for arts and low income housing which we wouldn't have got otherwise and high density is not a bad thing."

... which makes sense to me.

[Ideologue]

P.S.: in this regard, Seattle is different from Vancouver, right?  Right.

Are you planning a move to Seattle or something?

A dream deferred is a dream denied.

[Tonitrus]

P.S.: in this regard, Seattle is different from Vancouver, right?  Right.

Are you planning a move to Seattle or something?

A dream deferred is a dream denied.

Like every city, Seattle has the good neighborhoods and the bad.  I predict you will feel most at home in Fremont.

And this is why....