[Trapped Behind Enemy Lines]

This was a very surprising list to read.

I would have guessed cities like:

1) Detroit
2) Youngstown
3) Flint
4) Cleveland
5) Baltimore
6) New Orleans
7) San-Bernardino-Riverside
8) Stockton
9) St. Louis
10) Camden

Would have lead the list.

[Dilbert San Diego]

these cities you list all have big numbers of abandoned properties, and for various “sociological” reasons, shall we say, are not desirable places to live.

I know some cities have done “urban homesteading”, in which you can buy a property for a nominal fee, such as $1, but you have to agree to rehab the property and actually live in it to get that bargain. I don’t know how successful these programs have been.

[Vigilanteman]

It is really a rather stupid list if you read the fine print. These are not cities with the most abandoned homes, these are cities with the most abandoned homes under foreclosure.

Boise, for instance, is high on this list, but still has rising home prices. This suggests that the people being foreclosed have the decency to move out rather than squat and drag out the proceedings as long as possible.

The Detroit way is to trash the place and make it unattractive even to foreclose upon. Then strip it of all cooper wiring and other stuff that can be turned into cash to but your next crack fix until your government check comes.

[Steely Tom]

This was a very surprising list to read.

The headline was "Cities With The Most Abandoned Homes." The list was ranked by percentage of foreclosed homes that were vacated.

Therefore, Syracuse - 94 vacated homes - ranked #7, ahead of Las Vegas, with 1670 vacated homes.

[lacrew]

For what its worth, Birmingham is nearly identical to Detroit in recent trajectory.