So let's bulldoze homes instead of trying to rent them out!

[babylonsister]

http://www.cnbc.com/id/30580830

Homeless, or how 'bout Habitat for Humanity? All that wood...

Are Bulldozers Now The Best Neighbor?
Posted By Diana Olick


So this is what it has come to.

A bank in Texas is bulldozing four brand new homes and twelve nearly finished homes in Victorville city, California, about 85 miles northeast of Los Angeles. Guaranty Bank of Austin acquired the homes in foreclosure and is destroying them, reportedly, to provide a "safe environment" for the neighbors.

Check out a local guy who posted the amazing video. He says the builder was being fined daily for the homes, but if they were already in foreclosure, then the builder should be out of the picture. Anyway, check it out.

Youtube here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsgOaCZ2Lag&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnbc.com%2Fid%2F30580830&feature=player_embedded

[Earth_First]

1. In our up is down left is right world, this makes perfect sense...

:shrug:

[TahitiNut]

2. Did they hire former IDF dozer operators?

:eyes:

[konnichi wa]

3. They are not rentable properties. Several like that in our area...

they are abandoned then vandalized & ruined then taken over by roving groups of meth-lab operators. I guess some people would call them nomads...I call them scum.

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. Why can't they be rented?

[konnichi wa]

6. Uh...because they have been vandalized and converted to meth labs.

I thought I mentioned that.

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. I meant BEFORE they are vandalized

If they aren't vacant, they probably won't be taken over by meth lab operators, eh?

[konnichi wa]

8. A lot of these homes are simply abandoned without any notice to anybody.

The mortgagees just pack up and move away and leave them...often taking a lot of the innards along with them.
I mean some of the vandalism is done by the previous occupants...that is, when they take off, they also truck away the doors, windows, furnace, water heater, appliances etc. They feel entitled to grab anything that can be grabbed. One house down the street even had the copper water pipes ripped out by the departing people who couldn't pay their mortgage...it was basically an unrepairable empty shell.

[proud2BlibKansan]

19. I thought the OP was about brand new homes

:shrug:

[konnichi wa]

20. You're right...what confused me was the mention of foreclosure.

How does that happen if nobody ever bought them?
glurk

[babylonsister]

9. Hold on. Do you live there and have you seen these homes, or are

you assuming what their condition is. This is CA, not OK.

[konnichi wa]

10. The story linked specifically said they had been vandalized which sounded very familiar.

I mean I had no reason to imagine the situation was all that different...why would it be?


on edit...I did see video of the California homes on a couple different news reports. Unless the images were faked, they looked very much like the nearby ones I mentioned.

[babylonsister]

11. So you don't live there-got it.

How about all that wood being used for Habitat? For something useful? That doesn't make sense?

[EmilyAnne]

13. Is the wood being used for Habitat? That would be a silver lining, I suppose.

If so, I hope they also reuse the fixtures such as toilets, countertops, plumbing pipes, etc.
Here in Pittsburgh, there is a place called Construction Junction that takes in all sorts of materials from torn down homes or renovations.
I've had friends patch their roofs with donated slate and remodel their kitchens with donated cabinetry and tile.
Even half used cans of paint can be used to freshen up a small closet or bathroom.
Its an amazing place and I really hope the materials from these properties can be reused in a similar way.

[Liberal In Texas]

18. From the OP's link: "Thieves took everything, including the kitchen sinks."

And from other news sources I read yesterday, the houses weren't finished and were not habitable.

[Richard Steele]

15. Check your PM. nm

[SammyWinstonJack]

21. It's Victorville, CA. Might as well be OK. And I did live there, still have family there.

[Richard Steele]

16. I honestly don't believe that happened.

nm

[konnichi wa]

22. I can email you some pictures...

:shrug:

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. W. T. F.

Un. Friggin. Real.

[Vidar]

12. Two words in the OP make this understandable: 'banks' & 'Texas'.

[babylonsister]

17. Damn good think nothing like this is happening in Michigan.

:eyes: You don't have much room to talk.

[SoCalDem]

14. Why not?

Heaven forbid that some undeserving working-class family have an opportunity to live in a "nice house", big enough for them.. It's their lot to live in small, cramped, run-down housing that's still too pricey for most of them.. It's because they "didn't work hard enough"....because we all know that , in the land of the free and the brave, if you work hard, you will be rich---rich---rich..just ask the bazillionaires..