# Public auctions of foreclosed homes After the financial crisis of 2007-08, when many people couldn't continue paying their mortgages and the banks evicted them, their homes were publicly auctioned and often bought by corporate landlords eager to increase their portfolio. Public auctions of foreclosed homes haven't been properly researched and are a potential source of interesting stories. If you have information about this issue, please get in touch with Jose Miguel Calatayud, Arena Housing Project director, at --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://housing-base.journalismarena.eu/access-to-housing/law-regulations-and-other-policy/public-auctions-of-foreclosed-homes.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.