@nickhasanexocet
That sq ft idea might require a lot of overhead to verify, and be subject to a lot of cheating/lying. However, it still might be more efficient than the current system. I'll definitely agree with you that the tax scheme needs simplification and reform. Hoarding needs to be strongly discouraged by effectively making it either painfully expensive, or impossible.
FIRE buys many laws and regulations - there's a reason why the housing industry has a bit of direct and indirect governmental support, and interest is a tax deduction, uniquely American ideas - and through it is a massive segment of the economy. It could be as aided as oil and defense/praetorian sector activity. I suspect along with life expectancy rising, working age has risen because private sector pensions have vanished, cost of living has ballooned while wages have not, and healthcare concerns when even medicare will still cost hundreds per month. It'll take massive medical system and social security changes to encourage earlier retirement, I suspect many simply can't afford it even at age 70. Of course we'll still have citizens deluxe public sector workers hanging em up at 55 with subsidized pensions and bennies, can't touch those.
The PNW real estate market is almost as bad as CA (and in some areas bid up by Californians who import the problems they claim to be fleeing, but that's another story) - a shortage of material in the starter home/affordable segment, and flippers who are often aided by family largesse snap up much of it before traditional buyers, decreasing supply and inflating prices even more. Today it takes little work to sell a house, and slapping on new cosmetics isn't rocket science. But maybe if I forget the tale about a very mobile egalitarian economy, it makes sense. As always, it takes money to make money. However, I can't embrace sacrificing scarce housing stock so bootstrapping daddy's kid flippers/short term landlords or rental corporations can profit while legit consumers are priced out. The group helped most is probably the lucky generations who bought in when it was more attainable and sometimes now have winning lottery tickets. I got mine, etc.