Bailout

The blogosphere is all over this bailout decision. This is such a scary time in most of our financial lives. That is unless you are debt free & don't have any gov't backed loans.

Here's what I know.

We don't live within our means. And by "we" I mean most Americans. I know many folks who make 50k a year & live in a 400k house. Seriously. Who did that math? What banker looked at those numbers & said "sure! I'll loan you 400k. As a matter of fact, let do it via an 80 / 20 loan or an interest only loan so you can avoid mortgage insurance & you can LIVE YOUR DREAM!" That banker is selling a lifestyle, not arranging responsible mortgage loans. Whatever happened to 3% down or ANYTHING down for that matter. Loan officers are approving people left & right that really have no business getting a loan that size.

Even worse is the fact that the Federal Government hasn't stepped in to say "Whoa...this method of loaning money isn't working. The risks out weigh the benefits." The banker isn't saying it because, he got his money. The Gov't isn't saying it either. People were taking out large loans which (ideally) would mean large amounts of $ coming in. But now, responsible homeowners are being punished because these bankers & govt officials didn't do the jobs they were hired to do.

But I think there's another layer. What about personal responsiblity? Why on earth would I find it ok to get a 400k loan if I only made 50k a year? Several reasons. 1)I think people aren't taught personal responsibility at home. Our parents shelter us when it comes to consequences. 2) We don't have enough knowledge where finances are concerned. Most HS finance courses are developed by credit card companies. Hello? Red flag.

If the Gov't doesn't buy these loans, they could be called. Which means you'll have 30 days -6 months to pay your loan in full. Yes, IN FULL!! Which bank are you going to go to, to get a loan? You won't be able to find one. Many will lose their homes in this situation. Those that have cash on hand will have the opportunity for some great buys at that point.

If the Gov't DOES buy all of these loans, they could hold on to those that are being paid by homeowners. Those that aren't being paid could be sold (yes, maybe at a loss) but that money could be loaned out to recoop that income several times over. Then, when the market picks up again, those loans could be sold to banks at a large profit. I MEAN LARGE. Trillions.

One fear is, the Gov't may find some charity to give the housing to at little or no cost & that income will be lost. Yes, the charity will benefit. Don't think I'm not for charity, but this is a HUGE deal for our economy. Especially when discretionary income is at an all time low.

I don't claim to know everything about this situation, but I do know a lot about the housing market.

Would love any input on this subject...

Do Something

I'm loving the new vibe Mandy Thompson's blog has. If you haven't seen it...check it out!! Seriously, some folks over there are changing the world.

I just don't know where I fit into all of it. I'm not good at listening to what God wants me to do, to be a part of. I usually come up w/ my own ideas, and then get worn out.

For example: I decided in 04 that I was going to use all my Mom's old fabric & make baby quilts for the Eugene Mission. I had the stuff, I had the machine, I had the time, I had the skills. The first few were beatiful. Flawless. Warm. I even quilted John 3:16 into them.

The next few were less quality. The last few were thrown together. I was so worried about quantity that I gave up on quality. I ended up making 17 of them. The Mission was grateful, but I was disappointed in myself. I wasn't giving my best to these folks even though they deserve it.

How can I stay focused in my "Do-ing" for others instead of getting off track so easily?

Disney 2008 Part 1

Heading out to Disney was so much fun! This time I had only given myself a few days to pack, so I made these huge lists w/ everything I needed on them:

snacks

ibuprofen

map

tickets

laundry soap

hundreds of other things.

We left at around 11:30 headed to Indianapolis. We stopped at Cici's pizza for lunch. Ok, that place is just weird. Mac n cheese pizza? Seriously? Weird thing is, my kid LOVED it. I loved the breadsticks & the cinnamon rolls. Mmm...

We stayed at the Adam's Mark hotel. It looks better in the pictures than it did in real life, but it had 24 hour shuttle service to & from the airport. The property was kind of 70's so it was fun to explore. We found this section of leather couches in a small lobby out back. We stayed there relaxing w/ a drink & letting kids run. It was fun. Sorry about the fuzzy picture. I was trying to keep up w/ the fam!