Joel and Kathryn Friedman, both 71, are counting the days until they can sell their home and move into a 55-plus community.
The retired empty-nesters have been ready to downsize for years, but are reluctant to sell their five-bedroom, 5,000-square-foot Southern California house [mansion] in large part because of at least $700,000 in capital gains taxes they estimate they’d have to pay.
Since 1997, home sale profits over $500,000 (for married couples) and $250,000 (for single filers) have been subject to a capital gains tax of up to 20%. That threshold hasn’t changed since 1997, meaning that — between inflation and soaring home prices pushing an ever higher number of houses above that limit — many more home sellers have to pay the tax now than when it was first implemented.
The Friedmans are among a growing number of older homeowners discouraged by the tax from selling their valuable properties. Housing economists say that dynamic has exacerbated a shortage of family-sized homes on the market, especially in expensive places like California.
The Friedmans’ house is too big for them, and maintenance costs are only rising, Joel said. “There are a million reasons why we’d like to move, but we’re not because the tax is just burdensome,” he said.
But that could change — there’s bipartisan support in Congress for raising the federal tax threshold to boost home sales in a stagnant market.
The unfair part of this is that the $500k threshold for the tax hasnt been updated since 1997.
In 1997 the average price for a house in California was about 180k now its $800k. If the tax was the same ratio it now wouldnt apply until the house was worth about 2.2mil (napkin math, I’m not getting out the calculator) Now I’m not saying they arent crying about a problem many of us would kill to have but thats a difference of about $340,000 in taxes.
It’s still only “up to 20%” 🙄
They knew the limit when they bought the house. And it’s gone up more than they could’ve dreamed. That’s plenty fair.
Problem is their house went up by a huge percentage, but so to has every housing arrangement they will need.
Maybe not a whole lot of sympathy for someone having to sort out living arrangements with ‘only’ $2.8 million or so to work with, but this can scale down to pretty ‘normal’ house prices like $500k.
And how much have wages gone up? $500k is still very expensive, sounds like maybe it should be a little more but it sounds more like a consequence of letting housing prices run away for a few decades.
Either you shouldnt be paying any capital gains on a primary residence full stop or it should be on a sliding rate over time. (20% for first year -1% per year after)
Buying a house (even a mcmansion) and living in it for 30 years isnt a hustle or an investment strategy… its just living.
That’s… actually an interesting way to slow down flippers.
Keep in mind, it’s profit. If you bought the house for $500k and selling for $800k, that’s only $300k in profit. Plus you can include the cost on renovations and there are lower percentages when you own and live in the house for over 2 years.