Saturday, July 27, 2013

Beware the IGMs - How Not To Be One!

What is an IGM?  My friend who is a property owner in Upstate New York describes them as the "I Got Mine" set.

What is an IGM?  Someone who has already accumulated wealth due to taking advantage of the previous set of circumstances (dot com money, real estate bubble, family wealth, more favorable economic climate of the 80s and 90s, etc, etc).

IGMs set a high price for property and when nobody is able to afford it, let the property sit empty rather than lower the price to make it affordable TODAY.

IGMs ignore family members who are in terrible situations due to a bad economy, "outsourcing" of jobs, and so forth.  They allow family members to suffer many calamities rather than admitting that they are in an impossible - to - thrive situation and lending a hand like allowing adult children and their families to occupy space in their homes or on their property, agreeing to pay bills for them, or simply offering sympathy rather than treating them as though they are second class citizens for not being able to keep up, a Herculean task in the brutal USA economy of today.

IGMs look for the next form of entertainment and overlook reality, determined to enjoy their situations and "whistling in the dark" while news reports show that many families in the USA are homeless or living in cars, vans, hotels and sheds.  They don't want to acknowledge that they are being called upon to lend a hand, upset that their "golden years" or other situations in their lives are being interrupted by the current financial crisis.

IGMs are inflexible about bending zoning regulations to include smaller more affordable housing in their subdivisions, neighborhoods or towns, even if that means that some families will continue to live in substandard situations.  They don't want affordable housing to "bring their property value down".  They won't allow families to legally run businesses from their homes, even if this means the ability to afford a better life situation for them.

EVERYBODY should pitch in to help in the current USA economy.  Those in positions of power in city and county zoning regulations need to think about how to include affordable rental properties, and by affordable I'm talking about in the $500 range.  $1,000 and up is just not affordable.  Real Estate Lawmakers need to scale rents realistically based on Minimum Wage in order to recreate prosperity in the USA.  Families need to be able to save in addition to just paying their bills in order to survive.

How can YOU avoid being an IGM?

Do you own a property that you can rent out at a reasonable rate to a needy family?  A guest house, or maybe a garage that can be made over into a livable home?  Try allowing the family to complete the work in exchange for rent credit.

Do you own extra land that you could allow families to park RVs, Tiny Houses or other living units on for a reasonable rate?  Why not make a difference to these people and provide them with safe, clean and stable space to create a secure foundation for their lives.

Do you have struggling family members? Why not agree to help them with various aspects of their day to day lives or bills instead of allowing them to flounder in today's economy? How will it help your family to have members who simply cannot get ahead for a number of years although they are trying?  If you have business contacts, why not try to help family members get jobs rather than turning a blind eye and "whistling in the dark", telling yourself that "they will be fine", and so forth?  This is a time that families must pull together in order to get ahead or even stay afloat.

Can you provide a public service?  If you have some extra time, what about running a message board online hooking people in your area up with tips on how to find low cost rentals or services such as low cost or free medical care, directions to food banks, or places where they can find other low cost items that can help their day to day lives?  Let's be realistic about what people actually need.

Together, we can help alleviate the crises being experienced by hundreds of thousands of struggling people and families in the USA today.  EVERYTHING helps, no matter how small.


4 comments:

  1. I would like to help. I am an architect and a builder I own an 9 bedroom house on 7.5 acres in Wappingers with a 2 story garage and views of the Hudson, With 2 gated entrances it is is an ideal site for a Tiny House Community. I am 4 minutes from the train and 10 minutes from Beacon. I offered rooms to the Hudson River Housing Center but they were not interested. They sell loans. All the assistance I have found is in the form of loans. I can be reached at jocross99@gmail.com if there are people who need a place to camp tiny homes. It is a great way to rebel against the domination of mortgage lenders and landlords. The cost of housing is not sustainable.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The top 1% of wealth is generated by securitizing the assets of the 99% and charging interest on assets most of which will never be paid off. 80% of the wealth of our elite is held in mortgages.

      Delete
    2. Hi Janet, thanks for your AWESOME Post! I sent you an email :)

      -Xtine

      Delete