Massive cynical companies buy empty houses and sit on them for years. $5,000 is more than $2,000. A poorer family could move into a house and turn it into a good home but money talks. Many of these companies are not Pittsburgh based, so they don't give a shit about the day to day lives of the people living here. Profits go up, and more is more.
It goes to highest bidder, and most of the time they do get sold. Because that's just 'the way it is'. It's very sad.
There should be laws against this stuff. Because at the end of the day, it's just hoarding. When people do it, we send interventions and specialists. When companies do it, we send awards and more money.
Lunatic stuff.