Re: The Financial Collapse hits home!

[Vet-To-Pet]

Barry (& anyone else who reads this), I'm sincerely sorry that this has happened to you. I've also encountered some credit "issues", like being refused credit from loan applications. My problems started from my "delay" in filing my income taxes in a timely manner---I had just moved here, couldn't find anything that I needed (paperwork) since some of my packing had been done by the imbeciles that were hired by the moving company, and they randomly packed various things into any old box without any rhyme or reason. Also, my sister-in-law was diagnosed with cancer & I was 'slightly distracted' by that terrible news. I also had a serious episode of clinical depression when I was being scheduled at my new job with one day working overnight, then after the day "off" following that shift, I was scheduled to work a daytime shift, and back & forth until I couldn't stand it anymore. Anyway, back to my IRS problems. They must have sent me warnings or something similar, telling me to file or else! But I was in a reality warp---unreality warp?---and didn't heed their warnings (Do you believe this shit?) So the IRS got tired of my ignoring them & told me I owed them over $100,000. THAT got my attention, you betcha! By then, however, I had to hire a tax attorney, since I didn't even know where to start. We started working on this last summer & it's STILL not resolved. The IRS has a lien on my income, and that "little fact" is now on my credit report. My plan? I'm moving the fuck out of CA & heading back to Athens, GA, where I can buy a house very similar to the one I bought here for over $600,000, for less than $200,000, and the restaurants are affordable (and GOOD, because it's a college town, so they have to provide affordable food for the students, as well as something a little more upscale for the faculty), there aren't as many "hicks" as you'd think (mostly due to the University's presence, which brings people in from all over the country/world & makes the town an oasis of intelligent, liberal, talented people, a little spot of "blue" in a sea of political red. Yes, I've had it with this place. If you've never lived anywhere but northern CA, then you might not realize that there's a whole country out there, where there are SOME places that are just great, even though they might not have picked up on the term "resonating" until sometime within the past year or so. But you don't HAVE to lose everything, unless you truly believe that there's no place other than Sonoma County that you feel you'd be happy living. If that's the case, then I'm truly sorry for you. Other than NYC, this is probably the most expensive place to live in this country. It's obscene, and no one thinks they're being ripped off, since it's always been "this way". Except it hasn't. See all those street signs with "Apples" on them? This used to be an area full of apple orchards, and walnuts, and other fruit & produce. NOW it's ALL vineyards. Gee, could there be a connection....? I can ignore the wine that's all people know how to talk about, but I can't ignore how it's increased the cost of living around here over the past 10 to 15 years, when I first started to come to Sebastopol to visit my brother & his wife. Over the years, as I visited about once a year, I started to notice the "raping" of the land, every available lot of land was being converted, gradually, into vineyards. By the time I moved here, it was as if apples had never been the main product grown in this region---grapes were King! At the same time, slowly but surely, the price of houses/real estate was going up, up, up, since land was so valuable for the grapes it COULD be growing. It's a very sad story, because Sebastopol has a lot going for it, as well as some of the neighboring towns. But I can't afford to live here anymore---and I went to school for 8 years to become a veterinarian! Gee, you'd think I'd be able to make a living, even a moderate one. But I've been beaten by the cost of living here---my annual taxes are over $8,000! That's absurd! And if I stayed I'd be paying off my mortgage until I'm in my 80s (I'm 54 now), something that's not appealing to me. So adios, muchachas! I'm packing like a fiend, and hoping it won't take a year to sell my house, since I'm unwilling to drop the price to a "giveaway" level, leaving me with a big hole in my "savings" account (does anyone even HAVE those anymore...?).
Well, I'm done venting, but you do have my sincere sympathy. It may seem like a huge blow right now, but you're an intelligent person who'll figure out a way to get through this financial set-back. in the meantime, I think you should visit Athens, GA in the Spring (which should be starting in a few weeks) to simply see that Sebastopol isn't the be-all & end-all on the planet. Good luck. maybe I'll still be around when the next WaccoBB event comes along & I'll stop by to say good-bye.
Smiles, Peace~
Paula/Vet-To-Pet


Hey Everybody,

The financial collapse got very real for me today when I found out that my real estate line of credit has been canceled! Not only that, they tripled the minimum monthly payment on my outstanding balance! I couldn't believe it!

I hope between friends and family I can find some credit if I need it, because I doubt I'll be able to qualify for a new credit line even after this fiasco gets sorted out (unless WaccoBB.n gets a lot more profitable).

I imagine many people don't have access to non-bank credit. Something like this could easily push them into bankruptcy or having to sell their home, especially in these tight times. This is huge!

So first off, if any of you have a line of credit that you think you might want to use, you may want to consider pulling some money out just to have it handy if you need it.

Has anybody else had their credit line canceled or experienced and other effects of the credit crisis first hand?