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"As U.S. Cities Crumble, Demand For
Rural And Suburban Properties Is Soaring"
by Epic Economist
"The streets of America are getting more and more chaotic. The rate of offenses has alarmingly spiked in recent months, and millions have decided to relocate from crowded urban centers to rural and suburban areas in an attempt to find safety and comfort as conditions worsen in our major cities. This year's events are making many people consider moving elsewhere.
Since last year, booming real estate markets such as New York, San Francisco and Seattle started to cool down as migration trends shifted. Now, small cities across the country are seeing housing prices skyrocket to levels never before seen as demand for these properties has absolutely soared over the past year. On the other hand, those who own homes in big cities are seeing the value of their properties sharply drop since demand is significantly slowing down in our core urban areas, which are currently being torn to pieces by offenders.
As an increasing number of Americans seek to get away from such crowded and turbulent areas, a new Redfin report found that page views for homes in rural communities and small towns were way, way up this year than when the virus began to spread aggressively all over the nation last year. Compared to one year ago, page views of homes in rural and small towns jumped by 115% and 88%, respectively.
Of course, now that worsening social tensions, riots and civil unrest have been added to the equation, it's only normal that more city dwellers start considering a change in residence. In fact, one recent poll found that disorder in our streets is one of the main factors making people want to live in a rural area. Meanwhile, urban real estate markets that once were red hot like San Francisco have been slowing down in a major way.
According to Bloomberg, amid growing fears of another economic slump and a financial meltdown, the demand for real estate is unexpectedly rocketing in regions outside San Francisco. Agents say that this new migration trend may become the norm for a long time. In the good times, our major cities had plenty to offer. But these times are long gone, and at this point, most city dwellers have become entirely convinced that their communities are simply no longer safe places to live.
Sadly, lower-income workers cannot afford to move to an isolated haven with their families. Some argue that this trend is only exacerbating the wealth divide. “This is an example of another way the most advantaged, the most affluent have isolated themselves from this latest crisis,” Patrick Sharkey, a sociology professor at Princeton University, told Bloomberg. “It’s a very small segment of the population that has another home that they can go take off to.”
In several states, and particularly in California, people are being stolen and physically assaulted on the streets. For example, in Los Angeles, over the past two years, delinquency rates drastically surged all across the city, and now, even upscale neighborhoods are being affected. Residents are freaking out after a spate of 'flash mob' lootings at high-end retail stores have been accompanied with a disturbing increase in physical aggressions in the suburbs, according to the LA Times.
Sadly, our leaders are only paying attention to these issues now that rich people are being affected. For a long time, alternative economists have been warning about the looming decay of our major cities, only to be left unheard. Now, this is where we are. America is facing a mass exodus from the cities that used to represent us as a strong, healthy nation. That image of power and prosperity is rapidly changing as our urban centers crumble. Those who have the means to move are doing it and not looking back, but millions of others may find themselves trapped inside an orderless atmosphere as things start to collapse all around us."
This is an example of another way the most advantaged, the most affluent have isolated themselves from this latest crisis,” Patrick Sharkey, a sociology professor at Princeton University, told Bloomberg. “It’s a very small segment of the population that has another home that they can go take off to.”
ReplyDeleteAnd that is Their Fault? It's been true since the beginning of society that the wealthy have advantage over the poor. It's NOT NEW.