Well that was a flying leap of claiming I said something which I did not. I never claimed you are clueless or crazy. You both have a very good idea of what is going on at least as good as one can have without being on the inside. What you see and what actually happens can be very different. You are judging books by their cover but we get to see whats underneath.
JP’s Driscoll house was a perfect example. Her take on the situation was not reality but rather what she pereived it to be through very jaded eyes. The house is on the market and she could bid on it. The flipper didnt really cahnge anything that I could see and it will sell at the market. The flipper went to the auction and paid cash for it on the steps. JP could have done that also if she had the cash but does not. The courthouse steps are the wholesale market. Every product has a wholesale market and real estate is one of the rare ones that a layperson can buy at wholesale with cash. Can you buy a car or a laptop at wholesale? Can you buy your food at wholesale?
While you are “upset as buyers” there are plenty of buyers who are not upset. Plenty who see value where you do not. You can call them stupid or uninformed and some but not all. You refuse to see any potential for success but the market keeps proving otherwise. Sure its a heavily manipulated market but thats what it is and it is unlikely to change IMO. You dont have to be a participant and can keep renting which is fine too. You live in a nice home, in a nice area. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that.