What are the problems?

What do you see as the main problem in the city/county or state you live in? Economy? Crime? Social issues (outside of crime)?

Here (Memphis) it's crime, exacerbated by generational poverty and the social ills associated with poverty.

This page is a permanent link to the reply below and its nested replies. See all post replies »

Ynotisay · M

Mine is a lack of housing inventory due to short term rentals. People with no connection to the area are buying properties, often sight unseen, and trying to use them for revenue streams. There's no place for lower income locals to rent, they end up leaving, businesses can't find workers and so a lot are closing. I love living in the mountains, and won't live anywhere else here on out, but this is the first and last time it's near a tourist destination. F Airbnb and the others. The worst. They hurt people. (And while I'm at it, F disrespectful tourists too).

Ontheroad · M

@Ynotisay Unfortunately, that happens in many places. Often, if not always, the local governments can prevent it by enacting ordinances on short-term rentals. They don't, mainly because they are a big tax revenue for local governments.

Ynotisay · M

@Ontheroad You're exactly right about that. I'm in an unincorporated village but the County just recently enacted some legislation to restrict STR's. But the main city (like 5K people) where they actively seek anything that will provide tourist revenue, is having a real battle internally to come up with a solution. The residents are livid. But I think the cat is out of the bag. You can't retroactively take away someone's property. It's a real issue in a whole lot of places around the country. Why Airbnb and the others are allowed to exist, particularly now, is mindblowing to me. I'd like to see a total ban on them. Maybe when I'm King of the World I'll enact that.

Ontheroad · M

@Ynotisay It really depends upon the local government and how hard the locals can push them. While you are right about it being hard to change what is done, it is possible by regulating them out of business with health, fire, safety, zoning, etc., codes, not to mention by using licensing fees, strict compliance inspections, owner residency requirements, etc. What you do is make it financially and operationally difficult and investors will sell and move on.

Ynotisay · M

@Ontheroad You're on the money. That's what the county did here and is being considered nearby. Limiting the amount of days a property can be available, and jacking up fees (and fines for disruptive guests), are a couple of ways they're trying to make it less attractive. And with housing prices (hopefully) poised to reset, I think it'll become a bad financial move and balance will be retained. It just kills me seeing people being forced to leave their own communities so people with zero connection to those communities profit. Not right.