Kingston Is a Community, Not an Investment Portfolio
Kingston has become a beautiful, thriving Anash community. Families are moving in, mosdos are expanding, and the neighborhood continues to grow. But with that growth comes a troubling question: Are we allowing the very people who built this community to be priced out of it?
Real estate investment is nothing new. Buying property, renting it out, and building long-term financial security are all legitimate endeavors.
But there comes a point when we need to ask ourselves whether the pursuit of another investment property is coming at the expense of our own neighbors.
When a family is desperately searching for an affordable home in Kingston, should they have to compete against investors who already own properties and are simply looking to expand their portfolios?
When someone who lives here wants to put down roots, raise a family, and remain close to their shul, their children's school, and their community, should they find themselves outbid by someone who sees that same house primarily as another source of rental income?
A home is not just another financial asset. For a family, it is the foundation of their life.
Halacha Already Teaches Us Something About Priorities
There is an important concept in Choshen Mishpat known as Dina d'Bar Metzra.
The Gemara in Bava Metzia 108a discusses the rights of a neighboring property owner when an adjacent property is offered for sale.
Under certain circumstances, Halacha gives that neighbor priority over an outside purchaser.
Why?
Because the Torah instructs us:
ועשית הישר והטוב בעיני ה׳
You shall do what is right and good in the eyes of Hashem.
The principle is remarkable. Halacha recognizes that even when someone has the money and the legal ability to purchase a property, that does not necessarily mean purchasing it is the right thing to do.
Sometimes another person's particular need deserves consideration.
And the halachic discussion goes even further.
The Rema in Choshen Mishpat 175:49 discusses a situation in which a purchaser urgently needs a place to live, while a neighboring owner wants the property merely for profit. There is a view that the purchaser's need for housing takes precedence, even over the neighbor's usual Bar Metzra rights.
The precise halachos are complex, and this does not mean every family automatically has a legal or halachic claim over an investor. But the underlying lesson is powerful:
Halacha recognizes a meaningful difference between someone who needs a home and someone who wants another investment.
Shouldn't that distinction matter to us as well?
What Happens When Investors Compete With Families?
Consider a young couple trying to establish themselves in Kingston.
They have saved money, worked hard, and finally found a house they believe they can afford.
Perhaps they already have children enrolled in Cheder. Their parents or siblings live nearby. They daven in the local shuls and have built their entire lives around the community.
Then an investor arrives.
The investor may have more available cash, fewer financing complications, or the ability to move more quickly.
To the investor, the property represents another potential return.
To the family, it represents their future.
And when the investor succeeds, the family is left searching again, perhaps facing higher prices or finding themselves unable to purchase in Kingston at all.
Of course, not every investment purchase produces this outcome. Investors also provide rental housing, maintain properties, and can contribute positively to a neighborhood.
But when investment activity begins to compete directly with families who want to purchase their own homes, we have to consider the broader consequences.
A community cannot thrive on property values alone.
It needs families who can afford to live there.
We Built Kingston to Be a Place to Live
Part of what made Kingston attractive was the opportunity for families to enjoy an affordable, close-knit Chassidishe community.
People came here to build homes, raise children, establish mosdos, and create a meaningful future together.
That vision should not be lost as the community becomes more successful.
It would be deeply unfortunate if the very growth that makes Kingston so attractive eventually made it unaffordable for the next generation.
Imagine a community where parents have spent years supporting its schools and institutions, only to discover that their married children can no longer afford to purchase a home nearby.
Or where longtime families who need larger houses find themselves competing with investors purchasing their fourth or fifth property.
That is not the direction we should want for Kingston.
Nobody Is Saying Investors Have No Place Here
There is nothing inherently wrong with investing in real estate.
Rental properties provide an important service, particularly for newly married couples, families who are not ready to purchase, and people relocating to Kingston.
Responsible investors can improve neglected houses, expand housing availability, and contribute to neighborhood stability.
But there must be a balance.
And when that balance comes at the expense of families who genuinely need homes, we should be willing to reconsider our priorities.
Not every available property needs to become another investment opportunity.
Not every profitable transaction is necessarily the right transaction for the community.
And not every decision should be measured solely by the amount of money it can generate.
It Is Time to Put Families First
Perhaps Kingston needs an understanding among its own residents and investors.
When an established community family is seriously looking to purchase a home for personal use, investors should consider stepping aside rather than entering a bidding war.
When homeowners are preparing to sell, they should consider whether giving local families a fair opportunity to purchase might serve a greater purpose than simply accepting the quickest investment offer.
And when investors are evaluating another acquisition, perhaps they should ask whether their financial opportunity comes at someone else's expense.
This does not require anyone to sell below market value. Nor does it require people to abandon their financial interests.
It simply calls for sensitivity, restraint, and a recognition that we are more than a collection of individual property owners.
We are a community.
What Is the Value of a Community?
Kingston's success should not be measured only by rising home prices, increasing property transactions, or the number of investors interested in the neighborhood.
It should be measured by whether families can establish themselves here, whether children can grow up near their grandparents, and whether the next generation can afford to remain part of the community their parents helped build.
The principle of ועשית הישר והטוב reminds us that there are times when doing the right thing requires more than asking what we are technically permitted to do.
It requires asking what is fair, considerate, and beneficial to others.
Our homes should be places for families to build their futures — not simply numbers on someone's investment spreadsheet.
Kingston is growing. That is something to celebrate.
But if we want that growth to remain healthy and sustainable, we need to make sure it benefits the families who call Kingston home.
It is time to put our neighbors ahead of another investment deal.
Because Kingston is not just a real estate market.
Kingston is our home.
What Do You Think? We Want to Hear From You.
Is real estate investment making it harder for Kingston families to purchase homes? Should local investors give priority to families looking to settle here? Or are investors actually helping Kingston grow by providing much-needed rental housing?
We want to hear from the community — whether you agree or disagree.
Homeowners, renters, investors, young couples, and longtime residents are all encouraged to share their perspectives.
Send your thoughts to editor@thekpost.com.
Selected responses may be featured in a follow-up article, giving different voices in the community an opportunity to be heard.