Speculators have remained a consistent part of Detroit's bankruptcy and post-bankruptcy stories.
They own nearly 20 percent of all land parcels in Detroit.
Joshua Akers is an assistant professor of social sciences at the University of Michigan Dearborn. He's also one of the creators of an interactive website called propertypraxis.org.
Akers joined us on Stateside to talk about speculators in Detroit and how speculation might play into the city's decline and recovery.