Slumburbia

Timothy Egan has it exactly right. As soon as houses are left sitting empty kids in the neighborhoods will start by throwing rocks through the windows unless they're all boarded up. Then they'll vandalize them. Then the squatters will move in and any local rats, raccoons, mice, cockroaches, birds, squirrels. Then you have it even better... meth labs and drug dealers or they become the homes of terrorist cells.

It’s not our cities that are in big trouble: what will fill the empty homes and lots of suburban America?

If the houses aren't as valuable now as when they were mortgaged, just wait to see to what values they drop.

Have a nice day.

...
Note: Headline links to source.