A Lot of Houses, A Lot of Pain, But Few Bidders

"Rolling right along," Blair said.

The 28 families whose last gasp of hope for their old houses expired at this auction have, among them, 46 disconnected phone numbers. Two had forwarding numbers, both unpublished. When you lose your house, you lose a lot more than lodging.

In any package of pain, someone is doing well. The auctioneers are busier than ever. But even their success reflects the tough times. Blair is here because his actual career wasn't going anywhere. He was a real estate developer.

"We haven't had a sale to a builder since December '05," he says. "We were on top of the world in December, and by February, we were, like, 'What's happening here?' " He and his partners sold a lot in West Virginia for $26,500 a couple of years ago; they recently sold one right next to it for $5,500.

So he travels the highways of Maryland on the auction circuit. The business these days is mostly foreclosures, the banks collecting enormous portfolios of property and then trying somehow to unload the houses.

"I'd rather be building properties," Blair says. "I'm just glad to be working in real estate, getting paid for talking."

Even if no one is listening. "Can I get any bidders, any buyers?" Silence.

Blair turns to the man beside him, the fellow in the crisp white shirt who represents the banks. The trustee nods. Blair proceeds with the formalities, without much conviction: "Sold."

Of the 28 families whose houses went this day, at least 11 have downsized to apartments, at least four have left the state, and not one returns a call.

"No buyers, no bidders."

E-mail:marcfisher@washpost.com