army1987 comments on What are your contrarian views? - Less Wrong

10 Post author: Metus 15 September 2014 09:17AM

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Comment author: Kaninchen 21 September 2014 01:38:11PM *  -1 points [-]

Where I live there is an abundance of canals. "Most people" is perhaps an exaggeration, but the main points in defence of increased houseboating would be:

(1) a house is a large, expensive, immobile and illiquid asset. A houseboat is rather less expensive, which frees up capital for other purposes.
(2) the internet makes it less necessary for most people to live in cities.
(3) there would be less costs associated with moving between different areas.

Comment author: [deleted] 21 September 2014 07:38:00PM 1 point [-]

A houseboat is rather less expensive, which frees up capital for other purposes.

Aren't RVs even cheaper?

Comment author: Lumifer 21 September 2014 09:02:44PM 3 points [-]

Aren't RVs even cheaper?

And shacks made out of plywood and corrugated iron are cheaper still.

Comment author: Kaninchen 21 September 2014 08:03:45PM 0 points [-]

Indeed. I would in principle be willing to apply a similar argument to RVs, but (since living in an RV holds no aesthetic appeal for me, whereas houseboating does) I am rather less aware of what the logistics would be like.