Abandoned Foreclosed Homes Keep Some Contractors Busy

In Jacksonville, Florida, The New York Times reports on a story featuring David Law and Trey McCallister, two local contractors who have had their hands full with business as a result of the ongoing Florida foreclosure mess. From the story:

• Mortgage companies hire contractors like these men to inspect and maintain houses that once-proud owners can no longer afford and no one else wants. These days, business is brisk.

• These contractors and thousands like them see first hand the detritus of the subprime era: peeling paint, gutted interiors, family dogs left behind to starve, overgrown lawns infested with snakes.

• In Florida, the crisis can seem overwhelming at times. It can take months, even years, for some homes to wind through foreclosure in the backlogged local courts. The longer a home sits vacant, the more vulnerable it becomes. After a few months, the Florida weather starts to takes a toll. Mold and mildew creep. Algae chokes forsaken swimming pools. Sometimes vandals strike. And sometimes wiring or plumbing just give out.

For more, see Abandoned Houses Are Keeping Contractors Busy. neighborhood destruction from foreclosures kappa