Home truths concerning Detroit's cheap housing
<p><span word="Get">Get</span> <span word="Flash">Flash</span> <span word="Player">Player</span></p><p><span word="Faced">Faced</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="sky">sky</span>-<span word="rocketing">rocketing</span> <span word="real">real</span> <span word="estate">estate</span> <span word="costs">costs</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="China">China</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="recent">recent</span> <span word="CCTV">CCTV</span> <span word="report">report</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="availability">availability</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="houses">houses</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="birthplace">birthplace</span>, <span word="Detroit">Detroit</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="little">little</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="dollar">dollar</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="generated">generated</span> <span word="frenzied">frenzied</span> <span word="interest">interest</span> <span word="among">among</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="investors">investors</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="wannabe">wannabe</span> <span word="real">real</span> <span word="estate">estate</span> <span word="moguls">moguls</span>. <span word="Let">Let</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="offer">offer</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="Latin">Latin</span> <span word="words">words</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="caution">caution</span>: <span word="caveat">caveat</span> <span word="emptor">emptor</span>, <span word="let">let</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="buyer">buyer</span> <span word="beware">beware</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="if">if</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="sounds">sounds</span> <span word="too">too</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="true">true</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="probably">probably</span> <span word="is">is</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="CCTV">CCTV</span> <span word="broadcast">broadcast</span> <span word="generated">generated</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="million">million</span> <span word="Weibo">Weibo</span> <span word="postings">postings</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="result">result</span>, <span word="thousands">thousands</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="would">would</span>-<span word="be">be</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="Donald">Donald</span> <span word="Trumps">Trumps</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="expressed">expressed</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="interest">interest</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="going">going</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="property">property</span> <span word="buying">buying</span> <span word="tour">tour</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Motor">Motor</span> <span word="City">City</span>.</p><p><span word="Making">Making</span> <span word="money">money</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Detroit">Detroit</span> <span word="real">real</span> <span word="estate">estate</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="indeed">indeed</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="possible">possible</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="requires">requires</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="patience">patience</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="Warren">Warren</span> <span word="Buffet">Buffet</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="biblical">biblical</span> <span word="Job">Job</span>, <span word="not">not</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="mention">mention</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="personality">personality</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="trappings">trappings</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Rambo">Rambo</span>. <span word="It">It</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="thin">thin</span>-<span word="skinned">skinned</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="faint">faint</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="heart">heart</span>.</p><p><span word="Even">Even</span> <span word="though">though</span> <span word="Detroit">Detroit</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="recently">recently</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="declared">declared</span> <span word="bankrupt">bankrupt</span>, <span word="it">it</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="basket">basket</span> <span word="case">case</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="decades">decades</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="month">month</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="it">it</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="patient">patient</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="life">life</span>-<span word="support">support</span>. <span word="Surrounded">Surrounded</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="pleasant">pleasant</span> <span word="suburbs">suburbs</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="city">city</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Detroit">Detroit</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="prototypical">prototypical</span> <span word="decayed">decayed</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="urban">urban</span> <span word="area">area</span>: <span word="a">a</span> <span word="doughnut">doughnut</span> (<span word="suburbs">suburbs</span>) <span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="hole">hole</span> (<span word="Detroit">Detroit</span>) <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="middle">middle</span>.</p><p><span word="When">When</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="growing">growing</span> <span word="up">up</span>, <span word="Detroit">Detroit</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="prosperous">prosperous</span> <span word="place">place</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="country">country</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="largest">largest</span> <span word="per">per</span>-<span word="capita">capita</span> <span word="income">income</span>. <span word="Back">Back</span> <span word="then">then</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="fourth">fourth</span> <span word="largest">largest</span> <span word="US">US</span> <span word="city">city</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="nearly">nearly</span> <span word="two">two</span>-<span word="thirds">thirds</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="population">population</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="fled">fled</span>, <span word="making">making</span> <span word="it">it</span> 18<span word="th">th</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="center">center</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Michigan">Michigan</span> <span word="universe">universe</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="ceded">ceded</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="center">center</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="dynamic">dynamic</span> <span word="cities">cities</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="nearby">nearby</span> <span word="Ann">Ann</span> <span word="Arbor">Arbor</span>.</p>
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