In many major cities, an average house earns more in annual equity growth than the median full-time worker earns in their pre-tax salary. Think about that: we have built an economy where an empty pile of bricks is literally compensated better than 40 hours a week of your actual labor.
@phocks Yeah, the notion of a building that is slowly accumulating damage from weather & various stresses somehow increases in value just sounds like bullshit. Through some alchemy I do not understand (or rather, I do not understand why it isn't rejected as nonsense, I know the supposed justification) it is transformed into truth.
I think the case closer to what you're saying though that I've heard of being even worse is: the same is true for a parking lot space. A space that is empty the overwhelming majority of its existence.