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We’re All Living in the Wealth Gap Doom Loop

A snapshot of our inequality-driven housing market, from McMansions to predatory real estate investors.

Amy Maoz

Read when you’ve got time to spare.

Sometimes there is a definite vibe to the stories capturing reader attention (and saves) at Pocket. In late May 2023, that vibe has been straight out of the Gilded Age. American inequality—from the excess of McMansions to desperation on the streets of San Francisco—has been top of mind for many of us, and it’s showing up in our reading habits. Here we’ve rounded five top-saved stories that make two things clear: That economic disparity continues to widen the gap between rich and poor Americans and that, even still, so many Pocket readers are staying on the same page in their explorations.

Image by Paul Taylor / Getty Images

The Ugly Truth Behind ‘We Buy Ugly Houses’

Anjeanette Damon

ProPublica

HomeVestors of America, the self-proclaimed “largest homebuyer in the U.S.,” trains its nearly 1,150 franchisees to zero in on homeowners’ desperation.

The Greatest Wealth Transfer in History Is Here, With Familiar (Rich) Winners

Karl RussellTalmon Joseph Smith

The New York Times

In an era of surging home and stock values, U.S. family wealth has soared. The trillions of dollars going to heirs will largely reinforce inequality.

The War on Poverty Is Over. Rich People Won.

Annie Lowrey

The Atlantic

The sociologist Matthew Desmond believes that being poor is different in the U.S. than in other rich countries.

The McMansion as Harbinger of the American Apocalypse

Patrick Sisson

The Baffler

Increasing interest rates, inflation, and supply chain disruptions notwithstanding, the McMansion is alive and well. Far from being a boomtime fad, it has become a durable emblem of our American way of life.

Spiraling in San Francisco’s Doom Loop

Elizabeth Weil

Curbed

What it’s like to live in a city that no longer believes its problems can be fixed.