Economic facts

Owning the walls of a building separately may seem eccentric and ill-advised, but perhaps it will make a comeback in the light of stories like these? Deutsche Bank "Stuffed Mortgage Reviews In a Closet". They're also accused of being a slum-lord and a public menace. More slums, via Felix Salmon. And there's a slightly unnerving macroscopic take, from Hernando de Soto. I think that's the first time I've seen anyone link the housing bubble and financial crisis itself directly to the mortgage-servicing fuckups. Via.