Re: Americans are just spoiled!

herekitty_kitty · ‎10-19-2011

On 7/2/2014 wookie said:
On 7/2/2014 ------ said:
On 7/2/2014 wookie said: Gato, you are absolutely correct about the difficulty in obtaining a mortgage nowadays. Prior to the economic crash in 2008, you practically wrote your own loan and terms. Those days are GONE.

Hi wookie! Do you remember the credit cards that were just about handed out on street corners? Every week I got several credit card applications in the mail. I even got credit cards I never applied for.

Yes, I do remember. I also remember that right up until the crash, we would get letters from the bank saying we were pre-approved for yet another mortgage. Right after the crash, we called to ask if the offer was still in place and were told in no uncertain terms, NO. Things changed overnight.

it did change almost overnight. it's not easy to get the loans even with money in the bank.

Catitude · ‎01-09-2014

1/3 or more Americans are 6 months worth of paychecks away from being homeless, is that a correct statistic?

Mominohio · ‎08-08-2010

On 7/2/2014 pridequeen said:
On 7/2/2014 mominohio said:
On 7/2/2014 pridequeen said:
any interesting Op-Ed piece by the OP since she started a thread about clutter in the home and stated:People who keep a reasonable amount of "things" are not being evil or sinful or lacking faith that they will be provided for, which is what her statement was saying to me. People who keep a reasonable amount of useful things are better able to have what they (and possibly ...others need

In this post you are saying Americans are spoiled because they have so many things and in your other post you chastised me for being a minimalist which is exactly what you stated is all we really need in this thread....

Are you spoiled then too? Keeping extra things in case of a disaster is just an excuse to buy more stuff. I would not hesitate to place bets on how many Americans kept loads of extra stuff on hand and then were able to give it away to others when the need arose. My guess would be "not many".

You were not chastised for being a minimalist, you were chastised for stating that anyone who did keep more than the bare essentials was lacking in faith that the Lord would provide. You were chastised for trying to insinuate that anyone who prepared for the future with basic daily essentials was in essence not walking with faith that He would take care of their needs.

nope, that wasn't me at all. I had nothing to do with posts about faith, sin or whatever. Just about living a minimalist life which on this thread you seem to advocate but on your clutter thread you rambled about storing up lots of stuff for that "emergency". Read it again.

Pridequeen I apologize and stand corrected. I didn't take the time to go back to those postings to see that you were indeed NOT the poster of those comments about the sin, but since you quoted them, I just assumed (yes I know, the whole a-- u and me thing) that was the focus of your point,and yours.

I don't see where you were chastised for being a minimalist either, and find your postings sometimes confusing to follow the logic, but i'm trying.

I chastise no one for being on either end of the scale (never have), and I've repeated that in many posts here and elsewhere. Once again, my point was that people are calling things "needs" when they are clearly "wants". People can want as little or as much as they see fit, it matters not to me, but don't disgrace the truly "needy" by crying that three bathrooms or something similar is a "need".

Mominohio · ‎08-08-2010

On 7/2/2014 Opurrra said:
1/3 or more Americans are 6 months worth of paychecks away from being homeless, is that a correct statistic?

I've heard similar type quotes, but I recall it being more like a couple of paychecks away. Most people I know who are part of the "working poor" can't make it past that last paycheck because they don't or can't save anything.

Catitude · ‎01-09-2014

On 7/2/2014 mominohio said:
On 7/2/2014 Opurrra said:
1/3 or more Americans are 6 months worth of paychecks away from being homeless, is that a correct statistic?

I've heard similar type quotes, but I recall it being more like a couple of paychecks away. Most people I know who are part of the "working poor" can't make it past that last paycheck because they don't or can't save anything.

yes, I have heard them too.

many are an illness away from not paying their mortgage, too.

Shorty2U · ‎03-09-2010

I agree people in America ARE spoiled. YES its their money and they can do with it what they want but people who over charge and over loan money shouldn't complain when they cant pay it all. As my dad always said, if you CANT afford it, DONT BUY IT. My dad paid cash for everything but our house. He never had a credit card. I live my life by that and Im glad.

And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make~ The Beatles

PuppyBreath · ‎03-09-2010

Back on topic. These day dreaming, unrealistic home shoppers will soon find out what "house poor" means. The mortgage pymt, insurance, and taxes on what they think they must have = need, will leave them too house poor to do, or afford anything else in life.

Lila Belle · ‎01-24-2013

On 7/2/2014 Shorty2U said:
I agree people in America ARE spoiled. YES its their money and they can do with it what they want but people who over charge and over loan money shouldn't complain when they cant pay it all. As my dad always said, if you CANT afford it, DONT BUY IT. My dad paid cash for everything but our house. He never had a credit card. I live my life by that and Im glad.

We had a lot of hoops to go through when we bought our first home in Dec 2012. It's just not that easy to get a mortgage now.

Since when is it being spoiled when someone buys what they want ?

loveschocolate · ‎05-11-2012

My DH's younger brother and his wife bought a $500,000 house a few years ago. Fancy cars, designer clothes, expensive trips. Turns out they couldn't afford any of it. The house went into foreclosure and they filed for bankruptcy. If people can afford fancy cars, fancy trips, fancy houses....great. If they can't then they shouldn't.

terrier3 · ‎03-10-2010

I often wondered how such young couples could afford large expensive (to me!) homes on these shows.

A friend used to work at Scripps in NYC and she had the answer. Many of the couples have pro athlete or semi-famous musician husbands, stockbrokers/traders or 2 doctor or 2 lawyer couples. They are all WAY above average for income.

When she moved here from NYC, she sold her co-op at a great profit. She invested it in another condo in a new high rise in Toronto, which she rents out. She found out about the building from the guy on Love It or List It. It has appreciated 100% in 7 years - a great steady investment. She rents out the 2 bedroom with Lake Erie views for $3500 a month US dollars. The renter pays HOA fees and utilities.

What fun would it be to see couples shopping for a $50,000 fixer-upper?