Oh Boo Who!

[Elemental]

67 Years old, and you didnt have any plan for the future. You made your "Bed" I dont fell bad for you. I feel worse for the dogs that are stuck with you.

Mom forced to live in car with dogs - CNN.com

A former loan processor, the 67-year-old mother of three grown children said she never thought she'd spend her golden years sleeping in her car in a parking lot.

"This is my bed, my dogs," she said. "This is my life in this car right now."

Harvey was forced into homelessness earlier this year after being laid off. She said that three-quarters of her income went to paying rent in Santa Barbara, where the median house in the scenic, oceanfront city costs more than $1 million. She lost her condo two months ago and had little savings as backup.

Why did you live in such a expensive area that you had to spend %75 of your income on housing. Are there less costly places to live? I bet there are..

And, 67 years old, and you didnt have any savings. Poor life choices arent anyones elses fault.

Harvey now works part time for $8 an hour, and she draws Social Security to help make ends meet. But she still cannot afford an apartment, and so every night she pulls into a gated parking lot to sleep in her car, along with other women who find themselves in a similar predicament.

MOVE! You are in a car without a house, move to a less costly city...Even out of state. Quit your bitchen!

Harvey stays at the city's only parking lot for women. "This is very safe, and that's why I feel very comfortable," she said.

Nothing like Sexual discrimination at a parking lot.


Seriously, You are living in your car. MOVE TO A CHEAPER CITY! Maybe one with jobs! THEN, SAVE SOME MONEY WHEN YOU ARE MAKING IT! Its totally stupid to think we were all goign to live fat and happy forever.

Amazing that Baby boomers parents made it through the depression, only to produce a generation that has never had so much given to them, and they still want more.

[zed]

You can't get metropolines to move out of their city. They are unaware and scared of what lies beyond. They rely on shcebo's meat market .. without it they couldn't buy hamburger.

That being said.. you have no idea what happened to this lady to get her in that parking lot. She may have been following otherwise sound financial advise.. getting her set up for something.. or lost a husband or room mate and been stuck with a contract.. who knows.... we don't have the whole story.

[Elemental]

She lives in a car now! No reason to stay. She coudl move to St Louis here..Plenty of jobs in her line of work.

[slangel]

Well I am glad that there are plenty of jobs in her area of experience in St Louis - there aren't here for shit - houses here are being foreclosed on everyday, I have friends in the industry that were laid off, work two jobs and moved into cheaper places.

What I want to know is she has three grown children, my mother, no matter how much I can't stand her, would never ever stay in her car. My brother and I would never allow that. I could not in be comfy in my house knowing that my mom is sleeping in her damn car.

Chris as far as not having financial "backup" My mother got taken by someone who was helping her invest her money and is now having to rebuild her retirement. Happens to people all the time. This woman ,since her children don't care that she sleeps in her car does indeed need to find somewhere cheaper to live, she obviously won't be able to afford anything where she is.

[Elemental]

Or, maybe she is a Cleche Baby Boomer. Pissnig away all their money on BMWs, Harleys, the biggest house on the block, etc. She spent 3/4 of her income on a condo in a very high dollar area. Probbaly to keep up with the Jones's. And why not, She is entittled to Social Security.... The government will pay for her retirement.

People are loosing their houses because they made bad decisions. That is the cold reality. If they didnt 2nd mortgauge their houses for a New Plasma TV and 22 Inch Bling wheels for their Escilade, and lived within their means when the goign was good, they woudl be in a better spot when the going got bad.

She has no reason to stay in Cali. Its time for her to load up (well, she already is) her CRV and move to a more reasonable area.


loan processor jobs in St Louis, MO - Yahoo! Hotjobs

4 jobs of Loan Processors here in STL..

[slangel]

Originally Posted by Elemental

Or, maybe she is a Cleche Baby Boomer. Pissnig away all their money on BMWs, Harleys, the biggest house on the block, etc. She spent 3/4 of her income on a condo in a very high dollar area. Probbaly to keep up with the Jones's. And why not, She is entittled to Social Security.... The government will pay for her retirement.

People are loosing their houses because they made bad decisions. That is the cold reality. If they didnt 2nd mortgauge their houses for a New Plasma TV and 22 Inch Bling wheels for their Escilade, and lived within their means when the goign was good, they woudl be in a better spot when the going got bad.

She has no reason to stay in Cali. Its time for her to load up (well, she already is) her CRV and move to a more reasonable area.


loan processor jobs in St Louis, MO - Yahoo! Hotjobs

4 jobs of Loan Processors here in STL..

Gee I am glad you know all about the people I know who lost theirs homes. I have 6 friends who finally lost their homes because they worked for mortgage companies and those companies went under. They applied for jobs with other companies, but to no avail. They now work two jobs just to be able to make rent at the moment. FYI - they didn't happen to live in overly priced homes - just average.I realize that a lot of people made bad decisions and lost their homes, I also know people who had no credit standing because they choose to not have credit cards and had rented and when they were ready to buy a home had to go with 2 yr adjustable to establish credit with intentions of refinancing at the end of the fixed period with a fixed mortgage, and then the rules changed and so did the industry. I guess owning a Toyota Corolla and a Honda civic (both 5 yrs old) is being blinged out. Not everyone suffering this mortgage problem was trying to keep up with the Jones'. I don't know a thing about that woman other than I am sure there is more to her story - you may be right about her, but there is also a chance you could be wrong. But then again she is female so you are going to pick her apart anyway..
Just my thoughts and what I have seen go on around me - none of the people who have lost their homes had 2nd mortgages...

[ultrrunr]

Ok, I have to agree with Elemental. Although we don't know the history of how she got where she is now, there has to be some morning when you roll over on that hand brake between the seats and that just realize "I have screwed up my life, I should change something." For example in south Atlanta, I can buy 4 acres and 3000 sq ft for $300,000. I don't think you can do much in California with that.

Americans are screwing themselves everyday. Considering the average credit card debt is over $10,000 as well as making an average auto loan payment of over $500 there is no wonder we can't stand tough times. These two things people think are unalienable requirements. I don't have either of these and don't ever want another. Most people think they will pay a mortgage forever.....that's ridiculous as well. It just takes a change in perspective. Be responsible for yourself.

Off the box now...

Micah

ps- See quote below.....

[slangel]

I completely agree with be responsible for yourself - but lumping people together who have lost their homes in the group of "well that 2nd mortgage to pay for blinged out cars" doesn't hold true for most. There are unfortunately people who are suffering from current forclosures who did their best to avoid it. Yes I said this woman does need to move where she might could afford something. A lot of people have gotten themselves into bad postions because of spending, but there are a lot who haven't had a choice either.

I don't have a car note and don't want one, even when I had one I think it was maybe 300. Yep I have a mortgage ,and yep I am a single mom, and yes some months expenses come up I wasn't planning on, and yep it kicks my butt at times, BUT learn to budget, stretch your money, and put some back for emergencies. People now longer believe in savings or can't stop spending to have one - such a shame really........

[ultrrunr]

It really is a shame people live like they do now. My wife and I went through a financial management program last year and i am so thankful we did. I hope to change the way my kids view money. That is where the shortfall is - learning early.

[Elemental]

Originally Posted by slangel

but there are a lot who haven't had a choice either.

I disagree, a lot, hardly... Maybe a couple.

Riddle me this. How does Pedro come to this country without a education or the ability to speak English get a job and not live in his car.

Baby Boomers have the attitude that they are owed because they are here. She figured everyone was entitled to whatever they wanted to have.

She needs to step up and get her life together.

Sidebar, what about the homeless men? Do they not deserve a safe, gated place to sleep in their car?

[slangel]

We can agree to disagree because I PERSONALLY know a lot of people who have been laid off here, whether it be from Sprint, or the mortgage companies that closed. They had money aside for several months of mortgage and utility payments, but when jobs weren't to be had and lesser paying ones were what was left, they lost their homes. Yes I know they could have sold their homes I am sure would come next from you, well homes aren't selling here - I can count how many of the same homes that have been up for sale in my neighborhood alone for quite some time - 51. It is sad and yes there are people that got themselves into messes, but not all.

Of course homeless men deserve a safe place to sleep, but I am sure they were listing the parking lot because the article was about a woman. I was waiting for the "what about men" cry from you....

Oh and the Pedro that live around here don't live in their cars because they rent houses and have about 20 people living there to share expenses.

I understand your point, but I don't agree with lumping groups and generalizing.

[ultrrunr]

only 20 where you are? You're lucky.

[TrentE]

What was she doing still working at 67 and why did she still have a mortgage at that age? How if you have done any type of financial planning (i.e. a diversified retirement account and normal debt reduction planning, common sense) do you have no money by that age? I thought if you did things right you could pull the pin between 55 - 60 and do it on your own terms.

I feel sorry for the lady, that life for anyone would suck but all I can do is shake my head at the situation. Over the last 5 -7 years it didn't take an economics degree to see this leverage bubble bursting at some point. You simply can't afford a $1million dollar home on a middle class salary; the math just does not add up. It seems ignorance is a wonderful thing so long as it lasts. I was told once that you can’t just live off the income statement but need a strong balance sheet too, seems to be truer now than ever as it is the only way to withstand this part of the cycle.

[kellijo]

Originally Posted by Elemental

Nothing like Sexual discrimination at a parking lot.

ha! I didn't know there was such a thing!




Ah, the misfortunes of other's that we continue to judge.

[Elemental]

What is wrong with judging? Really, Why is it bad? Do you think we as a social group could benifit from the majority saying..."You brought this on yourself."