Simple Arithmetic

 Back in the day, figuring out how much one owned and to whom was easy to figure out.

 But the the mandate became "Growth".
With most people who could afford a home living in a home - what was the next step?
Balloon payments seemed like a good idea for those seeking the American Dream.
But what happens when the note come due?

To avoid huge losses for their super rich investors - Wall Street tapped students inclined towards math and science to come up with a new formula.
After 'derivatives' became the easiest way to make money (on paper) - the super rich were granted a reprieve.
But then everyone realized that everyone had paid too much for what they'd owned.
Panic ensued and the super rich enticed Washington to come to their rescue.

Tell the truth - you knew how much your house was really worth.
You were just looking for a sucker bigger than yourself to sell it to.