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And I personally feel that eventually you should own your home outright. Which means no taxes paid after you hit a certain age. The way the taxes are set up now, you are never "free and clear". Even after paying 70 years of taxes.
I believe there is at least one state (Texas?) where homeowners become exempt from school taxes at 65.
You probably believe homes occupied by elderly renters should not receive a similar exemption.
I don't think "exclusivity" means what you think it means. There is NOBODY that is excluded from buying in my neighborhood (which has 1/3 acre lot minimums). If you can afford the prices of the homes here, you are FREE to buy it. If you can afford it, there is NOBODY telling you that you can't.
If the bottom fourth of Americans can't AFFORD to buy in my neighborhood, that doesn't mean they are being excluded. It just means they can't afford it. That's life, not exclusion.
I don't think "paying bills" means what you think it means. How much you spend has nothing to do with paying on time, in full. Same with discipline. You have a judgement against you. Whatever the myriad of excuses you have about why you couldn't pay that bill, the bottom line is that you did not pay the bill. If you have $5 in bills and don't pay it, or $50,000 in bills and you don't pay it, the outcome is the same - you don't have the discipline to pay your bills.
Pretty much anyone with a college degree should have a good paying job. But that's not always the case.
Pretty much anyone that complains about not having enough money should work at least 40 hours a week, if not more. But that's not always the case.
So if you can't work and you have zero income and are not a Subsidy Kid (i.e. not living off others) you inherently lack discipline?
Since I returned to work I've paid all current bills timely. If I had repudiated my old debts through bankruptcy then today I'd have demonstrated discipline over the past ten years?
What's your neighborhood minimum lot size requirement? That is sufficient exclusivity to exclude at least the bottom fourth of Americans.
As for "discipline with regards to paying bills" I'm confident I spend far far far less than do you.
Pretty much anyone SHOULD have stellar credit with a good paying job.
You don't have stellar credit when you start out. I never had an outstanding bill in my life at age 30, but my credit score was only about 670 because I didn't have much credit history other than my 3 or 4 credit cards. As a result they only approved me for $150K - which in Oregon meant you're going to buy a rent-house or a run-down shack.
According to Katherine I "should have moved" - although that is EXACTLY what I had done. Her paradise Texas way laying off teachers and instructors like crazy in 2010-11, the year after I graduated from my MA program, not hiring them. So I was either going to be stocking aisle 5, working as a substitute making $11 an hour, or moving to wherever I could get a job - which was a choice between California, Montana, and Oregon (surprisingly, property in Montana is pretty expensive too).
At least there were some properties that existed at that my range. They have gone up 50-70% in the last two years so there is not a housing market under $150K anymore. Run-down, squatter occupied properties start at about $180K now.
Once I was able to actually buy a house, my credit score skyrocketed to 790 or thereabouts.
It only feels unfair when you're 18. When you're 65 and have paid taxes for 50 years it doesn't feel nearly as unfair.
By the way, I believe the homestead tax exemption you're talking about in Florida is dependent on an income of under $28,500 a year for people over age 65. And it's just applied to a portion of the value of the home.
It's called paying your dues... I have the highest property tax in my neighborhood for the oldest and smallest home... the clintcher is I fully intend to be one of those seasoned citizens in 35 or 40 years with the low taxes...
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