You might want to read that again, Jeannie. I said "helping" to create,
not "sole reason."

Read again, Anne. No one is laying the blame solely on Obama. I said
he is part of the reason. The Community Reinvestment Act is something
Obama supported and was part of - an act that forced banks to make loans
to people who were poor credit risks, mostly minorities. Of course, the
other part of the problem is stupid people who went way in over their
heads because they had to "keep up with the Joneses" and now want to
blame someone else and want the government to bail them out. Either
way, this mess could all have been prevented with common sense,
something that seems to be sorely lacking these days.

Let's see now. Obama was born 8/4/61. The Community Reinvestment Act
was enacted in 1977. Obama would have been about 16 at that time.
Now please explain how he is part of the reason.

To blame this on Obama is the laugh of the day.

Read again, Anne. No one is laying the blame solely on Obama. I said he
is part of the reason. The Community Reinvestment Act is something Obama
supported and was part of - an act that forced banks to make loans to
people who were poor credit risks, mostly minorities. Of course, the
other part of the problem is stupid people who went way in over their
heads because they had to "keep up with the Joneses" and now want to blame
someone else and want the government to bail them out. Either way, this
mess could all have been prevented with common sense, something that seems
to be sorely lacking these days.

Marsha/Ohio

Of course, the > other part of the problem is stupid people who went way

heads because they had to "keep up with the Joneses" and now want to blame
someone else and want the government to bail them out. Either way, this
mess could all have been prevented with common sense, something that seems
to be sorely lacking these days.

Marsha/Ohio

lose your job and your medical insurance and have to have your property
foreclosed on and then...gasp....you might be really thankful he
encouraged
lenders to give people another chanc.

You're right. Common sense seems to be lacking in some people when it
comes to buying a house. We bought a house we could afford on one
paycheck even though we were both working. When Bror became ill, we still
managed, and before I was a subject of the "let's downsize" mentality, our
house was paid for. Our cars are paid for and we have no debt. We just
didn't buy what we couldn't afford, and we still don't.

However, only one of our children has followed suit. His house is paid
for, his truck is paid for, and he also has no debt (age 51). He recently
told me how wonderful it feels to know debt isn't going to kick him in the
teeth.

Our next expenditure is our funerals (grave lots are paid for) and we have
over half enough to prepay them for both of us. If neither of us dies
before next year, we'll be able to prepay them entirely. Thinking ahead
is a prerequisite to staying debt-free.

"Marsha" <mas at (no spam) xeb.net> wrote in message
news:g00d5j$enb$2 at (no spam) news.datemas.de...


Of course, the > other part of the problem is stupid people who went way
in over their
heads because they had to "keep up with the Joneses" and now want to
blame someone else and want the government to bail them out. Either way,
this mess could all have been prevented with common sense, something that
seems to be sorely lacking these days.

Marsha/Ohio

Phyllis, and I'm not saying this to criticize, because what you have done
is the smart thing. We also bought a house we could afford, and we have
no mortgage. However our property taxes have gone from I think it was
$1,900 the first year to over $11,000 currently, and our insurance from a
little over $2,000 to $9,000. All the planning and frugality didn't
foresee that much change. We both have enough insurance to cover our
burial. Houses can and will be foreclosed if you don't keep the taxes
paid, so being mortgage free is not always the answer.

Barb C.
"Phyllis Nilsson" <phyllisnilsson at (no spam) buckeye-express.com> wrote in message
news:8eOdnYATv5b79bnVnZ2dnUVZ_t2inZ2d at (no spam) buckeye-express.com...
You're right. Common sense seems to be lacking in some people when it
comes to buying a house. We bought a house we could afford on one
paycheck even though we were both working. When Bror became ill, we
still managed, and before I was a subject of the "let's downsize"
mentality, our house was paid for. Our cars are paid for and we have no
debt. We just didn't buy what we couldn't afford, and we still don't.

However, only one of our children has followed suit. His house is paid
for, his truck is paid for, and he also has no debt (age 51). He
recently told me how wonderful it feels to know debt isn't going to kick
him in the teeth.

Our next expenditure is our funerals (grave lots are paid for) and we
have over half enough to prepay them for both of us. If neither of us
dies before next year, we'll be able to prepay them entirely. Thinking
ahead is a prerequisite to staying debt-free.

"Marsha" <mas at (no spam) xeb.net> wrote in message
news:g00d5j$enb$2 at (no spam) news.datemas.de...


Of course, the > other part of the problem is stupid people who went way
in over their
heads because they had to "keep up with the Joneses" and now want to
blame someone else and want the government to bail them out. Either
way, this mess could all have been prevented with common sense,
something that seems to be sorely lacking these days.

Marsha/Ohio

Phyllis, and I'm not saying this to criticize, because what you have done
is the smart thing. We also bought a house we could afford, and we have
no mortgage. However our property taxes have gone from I think it was
$1,900 the first year to over $11,000 currently, and our insurance from a
little over $2,000 to $9,000. All the planning and frugality didn't
foresee that much change. We both have enough insurance to cover our
burial. Houses can and will be foreclosed if you don't keep the taxes
paid, so being mortgage free is not always the answer.

((We just didn't buy what we
couldn't afford, and we still don't. ))

Phyllis, I've lived that way all during my working career, and it was
difficult at times. That habit has stayed with me into my retirement
years where my income is very much less. The only thing I splurge now
on is cat food since they deserve the best I can give them.

I still remember lusting over a gorgeous ring with a lavender jade
center stone surrounded by diamond and amethyst gems. I saw this in a
jewelry store window display almost 20 years ago. The first time I
saw it, the sun was shining on the ring, making the entire ring glow.
Every day after that, once I saw the price tag of $2,000, I'd go by
the jewelry store and just stand by the window dreaming of owning that
ring.

Let's see! Ring---cats, pretty ring---purring cats. Which gives me
more enjoyment?

Judity

There are a lot of reasons for losing one's house, but if one
buys what one can afford and saves for the future, the money would be
there when the job is gone.

You're right. Common sense seems to be lacking in some people when it
comes to buying a house. We bought a house we could afford on one
paycheck even though we were both working. When Bror became ill, we
still managed, and before I was a subject of the "let's downsize"
mentality, our house was paid for. Our cars are paid for and we have
no debt. We just didn't buy what we couldn't afford, and we still
don't.