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That word in the title is thrown around quite a bit in political talk these days, more by those that use it derisively than those that prefer it. It seems mostly in use as a scare tactic, as in the GOP talking point that if you vote for a Democrat, you are choosing Socialism. But saying that does not make it true. And Socialism is defined in many ways just as, for example, being Christian can be defined. As Margaret Atwood said in a recent interview about her new book “The Testaments”, are we talking about a Christianity where the Pope is the ultimate authority or are we dancing with snakes and collecting moon rocks?
Do you personally think Socialism is good or bad? And how do you define it? You may say that Socialism means nobody can own real property in their name and you would be against that concept. Or you may say anyone with the means could own real property as long as they participated in the governmental systems established by leaders past and present such as property taxes, school districts and mandatory hook up to municipal sewer systems for household waste.
This dialog has been going on forever. Some recent writing about it can be found at a page on Quora thru this link: https://www.quora.com/Does-democratic-socialism-allow-private-ownership
or if you are thinking a deeper dive is in order, I am certain you will find endless resources and articles about this very subject. Again. definitions are important, i.e. democratic socialism may be quite different than another style of socialism you have heard tossed around. Will the state (or whatever authority in charge) take away my ownership of my home? Can I expect to own personal property too? I like cars. I own eleven cars and trucks. Will I be able to keep those?
Maybe the time you spend reading about Socialism will help in your understanding of the term and how it is being used these days.
What is going on in Santa Fe New Mexico residential real estate? (did you like that segue?) It is still hot as we could handle right now. The market is seeing most product get scooped up in short order as it becomes publicly available. And you can bet that those homes that make it into the MLS systems and are listed for the public (and their licensed brokers) to find online have already been picked over by others trying to find the best deals. If you see a home for $350,000 that has been on the market for 90 days, it has already been looked at and passed on by many people. That doesn’t mean you should pass on it too. It might be just right for you. The game of finding the new listings and submitting an offer in the first day or two is a difficult game to win.
If you were to focus on some of the spreadsheets and charts available to you on this blog/site, you will see an ever-increasing trend toward more expensive homes and fewer less expensive homes. The million plus price range keeps growing in supply as it continually grows in absorption of that supply. The lowest price range shrinks in supply as there are no homes for $1 dollar or even $100,000 dollars. Under $500,000 really means between $200,000 and $500,000 these days. And not enough new homes are being built to satisfy the demand for homes in that low range. Some Santa Fe residents would prefer NO new homes being built because they want to freeze the town just as it is, while others recognize their own children and grandchildren need to live in decent housing, just far enough away but still in the same county.
The long term outlook of Santa Fe real estate may be heavily influenced by water availability, but for now it is still being discovered by people of means and it is still landing on short lists of where some people want to retire to. Hopefully many of those newcomers will take an active part in its future and become involved in preserving its past. Who among you wants the town to be available for absolutely anyone to move to, and who wants it to be restricted and limited in its growth? Pricing and moratoriums on water hook ups are ways to limit growth.
Thankfully the hot summer is almost past and we can pray for an above average snow pack in the mountains this winter. That is the key to stalling the drought that is making water in the West so scarce.
