There Are Always Suggestions. There Are Rarely Solutions.

So what's the deal with the so called mortgage crisis? How come so many houses are empty in so many cities and towns across America? I think I've counted about a dozen different reasons for this problem. How many have you heard? Which is your favorite? Is it really such a problem? I mean, why not just rent these houses out. Because there used to be people living there. There must be loads of people looking for someplace to live. Let's face it, not everybody can move back in with mom and dad. What if mom and dad downsized or are in a nursing home? Problem solved. Now on to the next crisis. Not so fast there cowboy. If you were to check these houses out more closely you'd find that behind the high grass in the lawn and the graffiti on the door you'd find that many have had the copper pipes removed from the plumbing and the electrical wiring as well. Then there's the fixtures, electrical, sinks, stoves, kitchen cabinets and pretty much anything else removable that's saleable. Well, maybe the new owners would have wanted to change the decor anyway. A couple of things should be mentioned at this point. First, what new owners? Second, in order to remove wiring and plumbing, you pretty much have to tear up and tear out the inside of the house. Walls, floors, ceilings, the whole shebang. If the reason for foreclosure was that it was worth less than was owed on it, it's worth even less now. In fact it may not be worth fixing back up since there aren't enough buyers that can afford that many homes. Okay then, tear them down, bulldozer them and plant grass on the empty lots. Grass? Who's gonna mow the grass? Elementary kids who don't know the values of getting to work on time and staying for the day, as one candidate suggested? Well then plant trees. Who's gonna pay for this tearing down, bulldozing and tree planting? The Banks that hold property ownership now? Ya think they're interested in spending even more money on any of these ideas with no prospects of getting repaid? Maybe the neighbors would do it. You mean the neighbors that are terrified they'll be the next to lose their homes and are working two or three jobs to make sure they don't? When do you suggest they do it? In their spare time? With the spare money they have? Okay then let the cities and towns buy the properties, tear them down and plant the trees. You mean the cities and towns that are beginning to look at bankruptcy? There are loads of suggestions for the problems, but there are no solutions to the problems at this point. But at least there continues to be foreclosures at an alarming rate. Why would banks continue to do this? They don't. The mortgage servicers do. Who are these mortgage servicers? The companies who handle the mortgages, collect monthly installments and prosecute delinquencies. Why? Money, fees. They don't make as much if the owner stays in the house.