Joel and Kathryn Friedman, both 71, are counting the days until they can sell their home and move into a 55-plus community.
The retired empty-nesters have been ready to downsize for years, but are reluctant to sell their five-bedroom, 5,000-square-foot Southern California house [mansion] in large part because of at least $700,000 in capital gains taxes they estimate they’d have to pay.
Since 1997, home sale profits over $500,000 (for married couples) and $250,000 (for single filers) have been subject to a capital gains tax of up to 20%. That threshold hasn’t changed since 1997, meaning that — between inflation and soaring home prices pushing an ever higher number of houses above that limit — many more home sellers have to pay the tax now than when it was first implemented.
The Friedmans are among a growing number of older homeowners discouraged by the tax from selling their valuable properties. Housing economists say that dynamic has exacerbated a shortage of family-sized homes on the market, especially in expensive places like California.
The Friedmans’ house is too big for them, and maintenance costs are only rising, Joel said. “There are a million reasons why we’d like to move, but we’re not because the tax is just burdensome,” he said.
But that could change — there’s bipartisan support in Congress for raising the federal tax threshold to boost home sales in a stagnant market.
I know some proper boomer parents but they are rare AF.
My parents paid everything for my perfect brother when he went studying. He had a luxurious life as a student.
I failed in school, because I was special (autistic later turned out) but should have acted like nothing was wrong. So I didn’t get a penny when I couldn’t eat for a week because I was completely broke. Instead they told me. To get my shit together, act like an adult for once and take responsibility for my actions.
So far they never acknowledged they ever made a single mistake, they project all their mistakes and failures into me or others, they complain constantly like spoiled entitled teenagers and they do nothing but judge people who are less fortunate.
I’m 38 now, they still tell me I’m behaving like a child even though I always say sorry for the mistakes I make, I always take responsibility and acknowledge when I’m wrong. I fought in wars (in the military), I have fought mental health my entire life, I struggled within the system my whole life, I have loads of friends who I’d die for and who’d die for me, while my parents have no one and are just a bunch of entitled sour lonely fucking boomers. Who’s the responsible adult here? Although I doubted myself many many times, my therapists and friends have ensured me it’s them, not me. And I started to see that too, so I ended my relationship with my parents for good. And with my entitled little brother who always takes my mom’s side no matter what.
At least you got out of that horrible family dynamic! Don’t know if I can judge from one comment, but sounds like your wellbeing didn’t benefit from the relationship and am happy for you that you’re doing better for yourself. And of course there are some nice boomers but even if I have the nicest, most loving parents they just seem they don’t care about the future of their kids and next generation while the generations before tried to make their kids’ lives better.