Kim W5TIT wrote:
"Brian" wrote in message
...

Mike Coslo wrote in message

t...

Brian wrote:

Perhaps we accept more debt today (as a ratio to income) than ever

before.

Perhaps "we" will get what we deserve for running our finances so close
to the edge. 8^)

- Mike KB3EIA -

Some do.

And that's why this country fears lay-offs so much. There is so very
little slop in one's income to expenses that even a couple of months
out of work spells ruination.

No rainy-day accounts either.

But bankruptcy is easy to get, so everyone else ends up paying for
their houses, SUVs, and big-screen TVs.



I couldn't agree more on that, Brian! For sure, as they would say. I am
shopping for a new home and my husband and I have decided what we are
comfortable spending, what we need and desire in a new place, what kind of
interest rate we'll accept, and what payment we want. Know what? One
mortgage company so far has told us, "you have a lot of room to move,"
meaning that we can get into something much bigger and more expensive than
we are looking for. They seem shocked that we aren't interested in
"maxxing" out our limit!!

And, you're right about bankruptcy, too. When I said to a lender that we
weren't comfortable with the expense they were suggesting, they said we
could afford it and didn't know what the problem was. I told them I think
about things like potentially losing my job or my husband losing his. The
come back was that we always have bankruptcy available!!!

Good grief...

They do soooo love their commission, and the more you spend, the more
they make. A person is better served by thinking of the real estate
agent as their enemy, rather than friend. We went through several
agents, one I left after telling them if they showed us one more house
that cost more than what we were looking for I was walking. Yup, the
next house was more! There should be an i.q. portion of that test they take!

- Mike KB3EIA -