One of the issues the article doesn't mention is that these houses are effectively cheaper to purchase for corporate owners. Generally they can borrow money at a lower rate, but the ability of corporate owners to use depreciation on a new purchase to offset profits from previous purchases is more significant. Effectively they are redirecting money that would be paid in taxes into the payments on the new purchase.
Readit Newshardtke commented on How private equity is changing housing theatlantic.com/ideas/202... · Posted by u/harambae
So then where are the premium HVAC companies for the residential market charging a higher price but offering credible guarantees?
If you want to understand the state of these industries I highly recommend reading "How contracting because a race to the bottom"[0]. The crux of the problem is that unlicensed/uninsured firms will always undercut "quality" firms for small jobs. If you are getting a quote from a firm that actually pays workers compensation insurance it's going to be at a substantially higher price.
[0] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/07/magazine/contractors-cons...
hardtke commented on Software update bricks some Jeep 4xe hybrids over the weekend arstechnica.com/cars/2025... · Posted by u/gloxkiqcza
Given the state of the software industry, it's honestly more surprising that this doesn't happen more often. Our industry is a complete joke, and somehow we've been given responsibility over people's lives.
It does. I have a Ford CMax from 2014. For years, when the SiriusXM radio software update would happen it would get stuck downloading. The geniuses at Ford decided the update should continue trying to complete even if the car was turned off. So once the download got stuck, it would completely drain my battery every single time. I'd rather have a car that moves that the latest SiriusXM update in my radio. The only fix was to pull the fuse if you noticed that it was happening.
hardtke commented on A computer upgrade shut down BART bart.gov/news/articles/20... · Posted by u/ksajadi
I meant like as an individual do you have a sense? $320M in sales tax is not really very much. Because people are often upset we spend too much on transit but also upset that our transit isn't as good as, say, the Tube. Can't really have it both ways.
BART taxes are not even in the top 100 list of expenses I worry about personally.
There is a half cent sales tax in BART counties, 75% of which goes to BART.
hardtke commented on A computer upgrade shut down BART bart.gov/news/articles/20... · Posted by u/ksajadi
Do you have a sense of how much you're paying in taxes that is being mismanaged by BART? I think it's far less than you realize.
The numbers are here [1]. BART generates about $300M in revenue and gets $500M in "financial assistance," of which $320M is sales tax revenue.
[1] https://www.bart.gov/sites/default/files/2025-09/FY26%20Adop...
If I am reading this correctly, Google is now required to syndicate their search text ads to "Qualified Competitors." This is important as it will allow companies to monetize AI answers and other search replacements without needing to completely build a corresponding search ad marketplace. The search ad marketplace is a somewhat natural monopoly where the revenue per auction actually grows with the number of auctions so a second search ad marketplace could never develop on its own.
hardtke commented on Let's get real about the one-person billion dollar company marcrand.com/p/lets-get-r... · Posted by u/bizgrayson
It's already almost happened with Plenty of Fish. Mostly a one person company, acquired for over $500M.
hardtke commented on Who died and left the US $7B? sherwood.news/power/who-d... · Posted by u/jsnell
Estate tax valuations of assets should be made public, particularly the taxed value of professional sports franchises. We know that NFL teams are worth $6+ billion dollars, and seeing the billionaire owner families pay tax on 1/10th of that might infuriate voters enough to demand reform.
It's weird how there's a scarcity of all the important things--physicians and medical specialists, houses, cars, etc. Why can't is supply not increasing to meet demand? It seems like our modern economy has lost focus on the basics. It seems like a scam more than anything.
The supply of doctors in the US is primarily limited by the number of residency slots. Unlike many countries, foreign medical graduates can't practice here without doing a residency. I think the number of residency slots is kept low by the federal government (which funds them) and also by physician organization lobbying.
hardtke commented on Talks That Attendees See in Person More Likely to Be Cited nature.com/articles/d4158... · Posted by u/belter
This is why it is dangerous to think that the best scientific theories always prevail and that science is a meritocracy. The people invited to give talks are usually well known or have connections with the program committees. There is also an element of bias since the people on the organizing and program committees will invite speakers whose research is consistent with their own work.