DConf 2013 Day 3 Talk 1: Metaprogramming in the Real World by Don Clugston

[Steven Schveighoffer]

On Tue, 11 Jun 2013 23:36:11 -0400, Jesse Phillips  
<Jesse.K.Phillips+D at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Tuesday, 11 June 2013 at 21:55:48 UTC, Adam D. Ruppe wrote:
>> ...and if you sell it, unless you own multiple houses, you're now  
>> homeless. And housing prices are up, so getting a new house will erase  
>> the gains you got from selling the old house! So I don't think raising  
>> property values makes me wealthier at all.
>
> But when housing cost goes up the government can take more from you on  
> anything based on your "wealth." Just because you can't pay because your  
> wealth is all chewed up in material things like a house, who cares!

In the US at least, only home sales (or transfers of ownership, like  
inheritance) are taxed.  As long as you live there, they will not (and I  
believe they cannot) tax you based on the "current value."

Property taxes are different, and you will be paying those no matter how  
you live (rent or own).

And you are allowed to transfer equity from your current home into a new  
home tax free, even if you gained, up to a certain amount.  I think there  
are limitations on how many times you can do this...

The tax system is definitely set up to favor the homeowner, not the renter.

-Steve