Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Boarded up houses
Whenever they show pictures of foreclosed houses in the states, they're always boarded up. Why are they boarded up? Who does the boarding up? Does the bank do it? If I was kicked out of my home I certainly wouldn't make the effort to board it up (plus I probably couldn't afford boards).
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2 comments:
I read this the day you posted it, and have been puzzling over it ever since.
The houses are boarded up to try to prevent vandalism (broken windows and ripping the place apart) and homeless encampments inside it.
But who does the boarding? My guess is it's the bank, in the form of the agent who physically does the foreclosing and evicting. The big meanie who is "only doing his job, ma'am", posts the Eviction Notice on the door, then comes back to make sure the family gets the hell out.
X-ref Grapes Of Wrath... or Charles Dickens.
That's my guess, but a good one.
I wonder if the boards affect the resale price? Because I would never consider buying a house with boards on it (aside from the fact that I don't want a house etc.) It just wouldn't register as "That is something I could buy and live in," it would register as "That is not for human habitation." And I have considered (on a theoretical basis, I haven't gotten that far in reality) buying a foreclosure condo, it's just boards seem to be a subconscious dealbreaker.
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