I own a townhome that i rent out. Have had good tenants for the most part but don't want to deal with the HOA anymore. So we want to sell but sadly the next door neighbor smokes in her unit so much that it smells in our unit.

In this state there is absolutely nothing we can do legally about the problem. The guy across the street destroyed the grassy area in front of his unit and a lean was placed on his unit until it was fixed or he was evicted in 90 days. But actual damage to our unit we were SOL.

This is why people don't want shared units. When your neighbor is an asshole you're usually screwed.

Density builds no equity in the US. At least, not for the renters.

Apartments suck ass

To paraphrase every fo3 vs fo:nv discussion, "But where do they park?!"

Nah. I'm sorry, but fuck apartments. I was spending $22k a year. Apartment complex did a crap job clearing snow in the winter. My neighbors were disgusting. I had to walk across the complex to get to my laundry room, where the machines rarely worked. The AC wall units were expensive to run, and did little to cool the apartment. The downstairs neighbor's front door slammed every time they closed it. The people next door would vacuum for an hour every night starting at 10pm. I got a $45 fine for hanging a beach towel over a chair on my balcony.

I mean shit, they decided to renovate the apartment beneath me, and turned off my heat and left for the weekend in the middle of winter. They turned off my water multiple times with no notice making me late for work. And then the construction workers stole my package before heading home.

I bought a house. Every time I pay my mortgage I build equity in my home. I have my own laundry room. I may have to clear the snow myself, but I have plenty of space to store a snow blower and shovels - something I could never do before. I can buy bulk sized non perishables too and save money, because I have plenty of space to store it. I can sleep at night without being awoken by my neighbors fucking to the sounds of Bob Marley. I can hang up a towel to dry without being fined for it. And if I need to do work, I can determine when or if the water is being turned off.

Oh, and renewing my lease would have seen me paying almost as much in rent as my mortgage payment. For what?

The house lets you shut out and avoid other people, which is vitally important for safety. People are not good, and they are best avoided when possible. They will hurt you, and enclosed cramped spaces like apartments offer nothing but opportunities and reasons for violence.

Humans need territory and land of their own.

You're welcome to live up your neighbours arse; I'll keep my large leafy block and free standing home.

You know what, i have an argument against denser housing: induced demand. Just like more roads means more traffic, more dwellings means more people.

consolidate housing, and transportation. ussr, circa 1940

Good luck to the apartment dwellers when the next wave of COVID hits.