As millions of homeowners face foreclosure, NOW investigates the sleazy tactics of mortgage lenders.

NOW travels to North Minneapolis to investigate the mortgage meltdown that's left the city scarred with boarded-up and abandoned houses. What's happened in communities like this one has investors everywhere shaken. Wall Street firms are stumbling, and markets around the globe are reeling. Economists worry the mortgage bust may even lead to a recession. By one estimate, investors could eventually see as much as $400 billion go down the drain - losses almost twice as big as the saving and loan crisis of the early 1990s.

NOW connects the dots to see the extent to which recklessness, corruption and greed created this subprime mess that now threatens to undermine our entire economy. David Brancaccio talks to Rep. Keith Ellison, who grew up in North Minneapolis and who has pushed legislation to address the crisis. He also talks to Ameriquest whistleblower Mark Bomchill, who explains the competitive "boiler room" culture that encouraged brokers to aggressively push mortgage products they knew clients would be unable to repay.

NOW Online (www.pbs.org/now ) will feature this show for free streaming starting Monday, November 26, 2007, as well as useful tips for homeowners worried about foreclosure.