Every time a price rises or a new tax/fee is introduced it causes noise, a reaction, a pause, and then seemingly most times over a period of time people become accustomed to this new normal and life marches on....

Many buyers from Europe are stunned by our high real estate taxes and building common charges when buying in a condominium, especially when located in a prime, full-service building with lots of high-service amenities. I have seen these costs rise over time, more in some years than others, but that slow and steady creep doesn't seem to deter people from buying or owning. In 2023 everyone was traumatized by rising inflation that climbed over 9%, then we hear of 10%, 20%, 30% tariffs and it's almost as if nothing happened. A $9 congestion fee/'tax' is implemented in Manhattan, lots of anger/noise and then nothing, almost silent acceptance.

Mansion taxes are implemented on the sale of homes that look like anything but a mansion and silence. Mortgage interest rates may be the exception. They are more than double their lows from a few years ago. That is taking much longer to adjust to for many as it still is connected to a monthly expenditure, however many have adjusted to this new normal and moved on. Some that make the claim of being a 'tax free' environment usually make up for this lost revenue elsewhere. Silence about that too. There is no free lunch anywhere! But the lunch we pay for keeps getting more and more expensive and we adjust, fast. HOA fees and real estate taxes keep climbing, some much faster than any inflation rate as we are reminded again of the uselessness of averages.

The human species seems unbelievably capable of adapting to new normals, maybe faster now than ever? It's as if we have been conditioned to simply accept them when they happen. Do we fully understand the reasoning behind rising fees and are they fully explained/justified? Maybe we've run out of steam to question these consistent rises, especially amongst more expensive properties? Maybe it's time to look a lot closer at some of these new/rising costs and determine whether they are delivering as efficiently and as effectively as they promise? Are they fully justified? Have we been conditioned to the point of zero questioning, let alone zero, sustained resistance?