Remote work destroyed communities

[Anonymous]

It will be interesting to see what will happen now that RTO/in-person is becoming more and more the norm. We have several people who moved to or were already living in lower COL areas during the pandemic and are now expected in the office (at least monthly, if not weekly) on their own dime. And they can't find similar paying jobs in those areas so they are stuck dealing with having to find a way to have some face time. They are also first on the chopping block (I'm dealing with this now trying to keep a remote direct report but it's not looking good).

I'm not suggesting that remote work will no longer exist--of course it will--but I predict that the trend will revert to people moving back to metropolitan areas (or just retiring) vs. the opposite.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Having remote workers in communities have also built a lot of jobs. Those remote workers with their big city money spend some of it at the local restaurants, shops, hire local folks for construction/landscaping/electrical work/etc.

It improved the restaurant scene but was very detrimental for any other types of services. I now have to wait 4 months for a dentist appointment (used to be 2 weeks), 6 weeks for vision test (used to be next day), and my hair salon increased its prices dramatically. So it is a net loss, at least to me and most other locals who don’t work in restaurants.

It sounds great for the dentist, optometrist, and stylist

The insurance reimbursement rates are the same.

Most professionals would rather have a fully booked calendar than the ability to take same day appointments

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP. I also telework but I stayed in my own house. Sadly, I can’t ever move now. I don’t make NYC or CA salaries and live in a low COL area that locals are now locked out of.

I think a lot of people are forced to stay put in their current house because interest rates shot up, making monthly payments go up by like $1,000.

Before that, people were forced to stay out in their current house because housing prices were increasingly rapidly because of artificially low interest rates.

Before that, housing prices were out of control because of creative financing, backed by the government.

The housing economy you grew up in has not been attainable for nearly 30 years.

People moved all the time… Not sure what you’re gaining by denying that the influx of wealthy remote workers had a tremendous effect on local RE prices. I see it every day. But sure - from your low cost DC bubble, it’s easy to preach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Having remote workers in communities have also built a lot of jobs. Those remote workers with their big city money spend some of it at the local restaurants, shops, hire local folks for construction/landscaping/electrical work/etc.

It improved the restaurant scene but was very detrimental for any other types of services. I now have to wait 4 months for a dentist appointment (used to be 2 weeks), 6 weeks for vision test (used to be next day), and my hair salon increased its prices dramatically. So it is a net loss, at least to me and most other locals who don’t work in restaurants.

It sounds great for the dentist, optometrist, and stylist

The insurance reimbursement rates are the same.

Most professionals would rather have a fully booked calendar than the ability to take same day appointments

+1 These professionals are now earning more money because their calendars are more booked. Also lots of doctors and other medical professionals moved to FL and TX during the pandemic. Lots of specialist doctors in dem areas were either laid off or took huge pay cuts because their clients were too scared to come in for appointments. FL has a huge influx of doctors and other professionals from CA and other blue areas, which has been driving up home values.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Having remote workers in communities have also built a lot of jobs. Those remote workers with their big city money spend some of it at the local restaurants, shops, hire local folks for construction/landscaping/electrical work/etc.

This.

A small town my family is from near Danville VA used to be one of these tiny towns with a Main Street and everything. Now you have a bunch more shops and stores who have came in. It’s good for these small towns.

The only exception is when the big box stores like Walmart or target come in and kill the small owned businesses. Don’t like that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It will be interesting to see what will happen now that RTO/in-person is becoming more and more the norm. We have several people who moved to or were already living in lower COL areas during the pandemic and are now expected in the office (at least monthly, if not weekly) on their own dime. And they can't find similar paying jobs in those areas so they are stuck dealing with having to find a way to have some face time. They are also first on the chopping block (I'm dealing with this now trying to keep a remote direct report but it's not looking good).

I'm not suggesting that remote work will no longer exist--of course it will--but I predict that the trend will revert to people moving back to metropolitan areas (or just retiring) vs. the opposite.

I think it depends on your company and their leadership. Some are good with hybrid remote work while others want you close by because they’re wasting money leasing out buildings no one is using.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Remote work has destroyed entire towns. This will be a controversial thing to say here, as it probably hasn’t affected anyone in DC, but entire cities that were once affordable to its workforce have become utterly unaffordable to anyone who works there. Case in point: Nashville, Miami, countless beautiful towns in NC, SC, TN, AZ, FL. So where are all these workers supposed to live now that remote workers jacked up prices by 3x?

What are you saying, that capitalism s*cks?

It wasn't capitalism, though. It was a 100% artificial move by governments who instituted SAH orders in order to permanently affect sweeping societal change.

Not saying I agree but,
Do you believe that this is the only "artificial" attempt to manipulate our system into reaching certain capitalist goals? Are all government influences on capitalism "artificial"? Or just the ones you don't like? Was it "artificial" when the govt handed out PPP and ERTC loans during covid?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Remote work has destroyed entire towns. This will be a controversial thing to say here, as it probably hasn’t affected anyone in DC, but entire cities that were once affordable to its workforce have become utterly unaffordable to anyone who works there. Case in point: Nashville, Miami, countless beautiful towns in NC, SC, TN, AZ, FL. So where are all these workers supposed to live now that remote workers jacked up prices by 3x?

What are you saying, that capitalism s*cks?

It wasn't capitalism, though. It was a 100% artificial move by governments who instituted SAH orders in order to permanently affect sweeping societal change.

Not saying I agree but,
Do you believe that this is the only "artificial" attempt to manipulate our system into reaching certain capitalist goals? Are all government influences on capitalism "artificial"? Or just the ones you don't like? Was it "artificial" when the govt handed out PPP and ERTC loans during covid?

+1 Do you call the mortgage interest deduction “artificial” too?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good. This will make more areas of the country less extremist and more moderate/purple.

This hasn’t happened in Miami. Miami used to be a Democratic city, now it’s Republican. I don’t think that the transplants are all liberal.

Miami is still a Democratic city. Biden even won Miami-Dade County, just not be as much as prior Democratic presidential candidates.

[Anonymous]

I don’t think it is just long distance to other states that is issue.

We are calling people back and even people who moved to Germantown, College Park, Ashburn during pandemic are in a panic.

We are moving to Four days a week in office where you pick one WFH day and stick with it.

Pre Covid they had zero and this is for 2024. We went to three days a week in 2023 and in 2022 we were at one person per dept rotating so someone in so like twice a month.

It is a very slow back to work

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Remote work has destroyed entire towns. This will be a controversial thing to say here, as it probably hasn’t affected anyone in DC, but entire cities that were once affordable to its workforce have become utterly unaffordable to anyone who works there. Case in point: Nashville, Miami, countless beautiful towns in NC, SC, TN, AZ, FL. So where are all these workers supposed to live now that remote workers jacked up prices by 3x?

What are you saying, that capitalism s*cks?

Hahaha plus a million. Yes, yes it does.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sure....it's remote work. It couldn't be artificial inflation of property values due to interest rates, low supplies because builders didn't build for 20 years, nor the restrictive zoning laws everywhere that make it impossible to build affordable homes.

HOAs should be banned from existence for starters.

Restrictive zoning doesn't prevent the building of affordable homes.

[Anonymous]

Cry more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sure....it's remote work. It couldn't be artificial inflation of property values due to interest rates, low supplies because builders didn't build for 20 years, nor the restrictive zoning laws everywhere that make it impossible to build affordable homes.

HOAs should be banned from existence for starters.

Restrictive zoning doesn't prevent the building of affordable homes.

Yes it does. If you have minimum footprints, the only economical builds are luxury. It makes no sense to buy a plot of land and then build a new house where you can't recoup the value of the land plus the build. It makes less sense to buy a tare down and put up an affordable home that will sell for less than you paid for the tare down.

[Anonymous]

Why aren't locals applying for these jobs?

I used to work downtown in DC, but now work at an office near my house in VA, and I telework a lot. I'm much more involved in my local community now than I ever was. I frequent more restaurants in my city, more happy hour locations and spend more time with my kids because I have a tiny commute. Remote work has been great for my community since I see my neighbors doing the same.