An observation: I remember getting many offers to refinance my home in the mail during the early 2000's. I had a paid-off mortgage and I was tempted to re-mortgage so I could have a lot of things that some of my friends had: a sunroom, a nicer kitchen, a cruise.
I never did re-finance and I was/am happy.
i note that no one forced me to take on more/new debt with my house as the security. No one offered to pick anyone up and take them to the closing, as far as I know.
My neighbors did clearly get a liar loan for $112,000 in 2005 when only the wife was employed, and that cleaning airplanes at the airport. By 2008 they had abandoned the house.
But don't they bear any blame? Are they blameless victims? They saw the payment schedule. They were in their late 40's with some experience that should have told them that they weren't going to suddenly start making a lot more money.

I get those emails from Nigeria - how much would I be to blame if I sent the deposit they request.
How much should people be asked to think through- or maybe every wrong consumer decision should be some other entity's fault?