for a while people were moving back to cities instead of suburbs as cities had improved/gentrified and people wanted to save money on transportation, gas, upkeep of cars etc. That may reverse as cities have been getting looted and pillaged. But it's a fact there are thousands of houses not being sold and banks would rather let them sit and rot than sell them at a loss because they're worried it becomes a trend and housing prices go down. Just like how the fed tries to keep inflation high. We would have deflation in a normal market where prices go down because people's wages go down and there are less jobs than before.

Yeah that is why it is more profitable to not sell them. Asbestos, great point, this is what made the WTC buildings worth less and hard to sell. Of course asbestos is in shtty urban shitholes as well as the suburbs.