Foreclosures: Hitting close to home

When the sub-prime market went belly-up, I just thought of it as a sector in the market that got out of control. I pitied the people who really shouldn't have taken out loans for a home, and were told they could by greedy loan originators. Incredibly high foreclosure rates are all across the country, as people leave their homes unable to make payments as the interest rate climbs. Businesses in the collateralized debt market got plummeted too, when clients defaulted and stock prices sank.

But for the rest of us, who could afford a loan and were not neccesarily affected by climbing interest rates (had a fixed loan, or could afford the higher rates) are affected by the logistical aftermath of a huge wave of abandoned homes. My fiancee's parents live in a very nice neighborhood, and about a month ago the people across the street suddenly vanished. The property hit the real estate market and it was just another home for sale. But weeks passed and the lawn got overgrown with weeds, uncut grass, and wildlife. The pool had mildew and was a funky greenish color. Neighbors complained and the police hounded the bank to take care of the home; finally the grass was cut. But all around the country, foreclosed homes are becoming overgrown, abandoned pets take over, and critters from outside wreck havoc on the homes' interior. In May alone, authorities found 23 abandoned animals in a house in Lake Carmel, N.Y.
Know of abandoned animals in a foreclosed home around you? Call a local animal group like PetAlliance of Ohio.