Villains Are Rich AND Poor
by Mike Rockwood

Millions of American homeowners had tons of savings, boatloads of equity in real estate and a great high-paying job before the recession and nothing has changed (except their home equity has slipped a bit). This message is for them – congratulations.

Another millions of other American homeowners had not reached such financial heights before the housing market meltdown. Some of them are young, just getting started on wealth-building. Others are less fortunate or not as well-connected. Some are in the midst of personal calamity like a divorce, death in the family or are really sick themselves. Others are working in causes that distract them from wealth-building…things like church, the environment, helping the homeless, AA, etc. And, some just have vocational priorities like teaching or preaching or other fields that don’t pay well.

And millions of other American homeowners participated in a horrendous and shameful scam that foolishly, greedily and sometimes fraudulently enabled them to borrow more money from the rich than they should have been able to. These “shameless” Americans not only used that money to purchase dwellings near and even in “good” neighborhoods way above their class but then had the audacity to actually move their families into them! Everyone seems to agree that these “idiots” should lose their homes and go back to don’t know, wherever such people rent. Foreclosure is ideal to facilitate this transition (I hope you recognize that I’m kidding!).

Heroes and villains abound in all three groups. I work as a foreclosure consultant so I get across the table and on phone consults with thousands of American homeowners in trouble. The vast majority in all three groups are heroes. Americans just trying to extend our heritage of restlessness and hope for a better life for our families.

I bristle when I hear the industry tools pander to wealthy and smug viewers by blasting the vulnerable members of the financial lower class. Without a doubt I have met just as many villains across the $18K dinner table as I have across the $180 one. Palos Verdes villains are scarily-similar to Compton ones.

So, let’s keep after bad guys as we clean up this housing mess. But, let’s be nice. After all, even the villains in this story bought homes with the booty. It’s not like they – well, you know lots of bad things that you can do with ill-gotten gains.

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