Comments by "Andy Jarman" (@AndyJarman) on "San Francisco – What’s It Really Like Now? 🇺🇸" video.

  1. The commercial properties are purposefully over valued so the City can charge higher taxes on the land, and so the owners can use the tax valuation as evidence of the property's value and raise credit against it. This is happening the world over. Many if not most commercial districts are dying, it's too difficult to make a profit when both the city and the landlord demand too much from the tennant, especially in the face of internet competition. The only reason I'd buy from a physical store is so that I can look over the goods, the quality of the materials, and how clothes (for example) fit. The world over we need to discover what to do with our commercial centres before they spiral downward. Establish their taxable value based on five yearly rental income or something? Then reduce the City's charges to the owner as the value of the land descreases. That way you can encourage life back into the city. Bars, restaurants, entertainment. At the moment the city centres are collapsing.
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  2. I visited SF in the 80s on my way to Australia. The climate and the ocean and mountains struck me as very similar to Sydney.
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