Yesterday I noticed a sherriff’s car in front of the house that’s catty-corner behind me. After driving by the house, I realized why the car had been there. They were evicting or foreclosing on someone. The time had come, they had to get out.
Kathy T took this picture while driving by. I think it really humanizes this whole mortgage crisis. All these people’s worldly possessions were out in the yard.
But it gets worse. Last night at almost 11 o’clock, I was at the gas station getting gas when I looked over and noticed these people in a van with a couch strapped on top of the roof, and it was stuffed with things and people.
The man came up to me and said, "Could you possibly help us out? We were evicted today and we have nowhere to go." I wanted to help, but had no cash on me. I told him "Sadly, no." and he thanked me for my time and walked away.
The sad part of this was, these people were not my neighbors that had been evicted earlier that day. So there’s at least 2 families from my town out on the streets with nowhere to go. My heart breaks for them, yet I have to tamp down the hard, judgmental part of my heart that asks, "Why didn’t they make arrangements? It’s not like they didn’t know this was coming."
I don’t know, this is such a hard subject. My area doesn’t seem to be one of the hardest hit areas, I know there are still jobs- my husband is having a heck of a time finding enough servers at his restaurant. Is it a matter of people not working or not wanting to work? Is it the rising costs?
I look at this and all I can do is feel sad.
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This is sad, Ivy, and I also have to try not to be judgmental when I hear about things like this. My neighborhood, which is made up of condos that people could purchase for only $500 down, apparently has the highest foreclosure rate out of all of the Ghertner (homeowners association assbags) properties–including Nashville. I think a lot of it might be people renting their places to people who then can't pay, and then the homeowners are left with two mortgages when they can't rent the place out again.
I also remember how ridiculously easy it was for Ian and I to qualify for our home loan. We bought our condo because the mortgage is actually cheaper than what it would have cost us to rent a similar (yet smaller) place, but I know several neighbors bought it because it was cheap to get in and have since had to move because they could no longer afford their payments.
(Sorry for hijacking your post here.)
Posted by: Megan | July 3rd, 2008 9:36 am |
As a homeowner, with a tenant, who is having payment issues.. I see a serious issue that most are just living unaware of their surroundings..
I'm not a dreamer, I guess. I can see reality. Reality, for me, this month, is not paying money to a credit card, so I can leave it in my bank account, in case my tenant (a step niece) doesn't have her full rent and hoping she has as much as possible, so I can live my own life, too.
I want to help her out. Her husband has skipped out, now. She's young. She needs room-mates. I don't live in north Florida, anymore.
But.. on the other end of this is me and my family and our own battles to endure. There is no profit on this rental. It barely gets by.. and this has been a problem for about 8 months now.
Posted by: Heidi @ Carolina Dreamz | July 3rd, 2008 9:51 am |
That's scary stuff.
Posted by: chez beziat | July 3rd, 2008 9:51 am |
I find it so sad too and I know what you mean about passing judgement .
My heart goes out to some people (especially their children) though I see others spending their money on alcohol, take out,cigarettes etc rather than pay their rent - live beyond their means and expect others to bail them out.
Posted by: Trish | July 4th, 2008 1:28 am |