Olly Newland’s column May 2012
Almost on a daily basis websites are full of angry people accusing ‘speculators’ of ramping up the price of property — supposedly pushing it out of reach for ‘the poor’ and first home buyers.
'The Tax Gatherer' 1540 - Marinus Van Reymerswaele (click to enlarge)
‘Bring in a Capital Gains Tax!’ is the cry, or there are calls to ‘restrict’ lending for property purchases, or to ‘punish’ investors by removing tax advantages, or to flood the market with more undeveloped land. Some even want the government to tax gains that have not even been realised.
This cacophony of shrill envy aimed towards property investors is almost exclusively driven by those who cannot comprehend this market reality: where someone has actually taken the plunge, bought a property of some kind and then — whether immediately or over time — made a profit.
However let me tell you that it’s not ‘speculators’ who are driving up the price of property. Indeed, they are more likely driving *down* the price of property! For speculators can only really thrive by fierce haggling in order to buy at bargain prices.
Read the rest of Olly’s column at www.OllyNewland.com
Olly is one of the contributors to Commercial Real Estate Investors Guide — Making money as a commercial property investor in New Zealand — available here.
