Many in 2008 thru 20teens unexpectedly becameFor transients, yes some benefit.....
"transients" when they were downsized at work.
Moving became a nightmare because their home's
value fell below the loan balance. To sell, they'd
have to raise money. But they had to move to
earn money.
Additional problems....
If Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac (federal government
lenders) held the loans, there was no bargaining on
principal or interest due. Pay up in full or be
foreclosed upon. Government cares about people, eh.
If a private lender held the loan, you could renegotiate,
but you had to have enuf cash on hand to pay the IRS
for the "profit", ie, on any forgiven principal & interest.
Government cares about people, eh.
....but at the cost of any long term equity, it is about the only thing the average person can use to safely build equity if you make the basic attention to maintenance etc. As for multi dwellings, it is called cooping or whatever, you own the apartment.
The average person can rent & build equity
in alternative investments, eg, stocks, REITs.
Coops are a strange form of ownership.
One owns shares in the non-profit, rather
than the unit itself. It's "ownership" though
in the sense that the "owner" has exclusive
right to occupy a unit.
Condominium ownership is different. One
has title to the unit.
Both have their risks. I've seen massive losses
in both for various reasons, eg, bad management,
government regulation.
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