Saturday, May 12, 2007

We are moving !

Well it seems our Burbank days are over and it is Sherman Oaks for us. For 13 years we have sat here in the worlds worst valley full of pollution, the fires , the soot , the car exhaust. Our apartment building was flipped three or four times which each speculator wanting more in rent because as you see Burbank is not rent controlled and now they want 2000 a month rental for a rat trap. I had dinner with a friend and mentioned it and she told her landlady and we got an apartment in a better building, better location , rent controlled area, right off a park in a really nice community for what we are paying now. Oops! Half our building has moved out and the cost of renovating our apartment here after we leave will destroy any profit for the owners for years to come. Dumb, very dumb. But that is real estate in America today.

This year two million home owners will go bankrupt and have their homes foreclosed on by banks/lenders that tricked them into loans or refinancing they couldn't afford . So now the apartment renters are trying to gut what is left of the American middle class and turn them into indentured slaves for the New World Order living hand to mouth. Capitalism with a capital A (for assholes) .

And all this started because Bush needed to fake the GNP so in league with the Federal Reserve (a conglomeration of banks that run America) they removed credit checks and standards for home purchases. And it worked because construction rates went up and inflated the GNP. Neocons and war mongers pointed to the numbers trying to pretend that out president isn't anything but a sock puppet. End result ? 90 % of the applicants lying about their income and getting homes without the slightest ability to repay them. A market made up of 25% speculators. Massive consumer debt and bankruptcy laws put in place to keep you paying till you are deep in the ground and buried. Who was stupid enough to believe the housing boom would never end or that a 120,000 house is actually worth 600,000 ? LOts of people. Everyone who didn't buy in should feel like a million dollars. And while we are at it how about the loan industry targeting old poor black women for personal loans . How about that for kindness ? For every poor older black lady you see on the news getting help to save their home from bastards who tricked them into poverty there are ten who just gave up and lost everything they had.

23 comments:

Jun said...

Dammit! I'm a homeowner! I was tricked by the MAN!!!

Good luck in your move, holla if you need help (cos I need exercise).

TotalD said...

Yeah you were but I think you bought before it peaked so you have a chance to sell for what you got it for. I have friends who took ARMS and who's house costs jumped by 60% per month. They can't even live in their houses , they have top rent them and by the end of the second quarter even CA will not be able to hold back the crash.

I know other people who have to rent out and still pay a 1000 a month above that rent for a house they are paying into an interest only loan. They are basically indentured servants to the bank and have no equity in the home they are saddled with. 12,000 a year up in smoke. It's criminal.

Thanks Jun , we should get together anyway.

Kevin said...

Great for you! Like Jun, I am a homeowner too, but bought well before all this happened. During the last presidency in fact. Before the fake war! Hopefully I can trick someone into buying mine this summer, ha! But for a fair price mind you. I actually just got my loan adjusted in lieu of re-financing to yet a lower fixed rate by our same bank. But then our credit is very good, cuz we've owned for 11 years.

I'm happy for you that you are moving outta Burbank to quieter and sunnier pastures. It's about time! Still getting rid of things? Slot cars perhaps?

I know what you mean about all those poor folks and even less than honest folks who lied and cheated their way into homes and/or the no credit checks for loans. You still hear the ads today for those on tv and radio. Sickening.

Good luck and happy days in Sherman Oaks. Nice new pics too.

TotalD said...

Yeah Dietech offers 120% financing Kev, I mean , what is that ? So you can borrow 120% beyond your homes value ? Recipe for disastor. Oh you can not only lose your home but carry even more debt ? We are in a credit crisis and Americans are already deep in debt.

Bush raised the retirement age while he pilfered from SS to pay off corporations with tax breaks. I believe that he is getting the country and everyone deep in debt to the banks so they can have free run of the society. Every president before the Federal Reserve rejected having a Federal Reserve since it would give the banks control of the money supply and hence the country. Anyone see John Carpenters "They Live" ? Well , we are living it.

Thanks for the links Kev. Yeah it is crazy and greed abounds. A hard reality is coming.

el pancake said...

Yes, if there is only one other person on the planet who enjoyed They Live like I did, it would be D.. recreating the alley fight scene in your Roncesvalles digs will always be a treasured moment....maybe the last half decent film by Carpenter...(oh yeah, like I could do better)...now excuse me while I go cheer on the Hideous Sun Demon

TotalD said...

As I remember that fight recreation was you jumping up with your feet on my knees screaming:

"Life's a bitch, and she's back in heat! "

Funny how time refines these memories. How ironic that statement was =)

el pancake said...

that's odd, because as I remember it , YOU were the one smacking ME in the face and yelling "Put on the damn glasses!"
..I refused, and we've been close friends ever since...it's a funny world

TotalD said...

Hmmm. Why do I remember it with me as some passive victim for your monkey shines ? Much like a valiumed Kato to your cocaine fueled Inspector Jacques Clouseau .

Allen said...

Glad to hear you are moving D. Was worried about where you were living for years. Guess we don't have it too bad buying a house up here in Canada. Near a park... Does that mean you will be getting a dog? (asks Connie) Will be trying to update the blog with links as soon as Connie has recovered from removal of some female parts, so she sympathizes with some of what you had done. Chuckle Chuckle,
Allen & Connie

RedDiabla said...

Good luck with the moving!

We have a house, but bought it right before things went insane real estate-wise. We've played with the idea of selling our place for a ridiculous amount of money, but we wouldn't be able to afford to stay in the state if we did!

Probably for the best, I imagine!

David Scott Smith said...

Like Jun and Kevin ... catch 22. Can't believe what I sold a box in the valley for in '91 (in the valley for 1 year too long) ..a paltry sum by today's escalated standards. On the other side of the white picket fence we bought into where we are now and at that time suffered for quite a while through the real estate nosedive but hey... eventually pulled out and upward.

It's a rollercoaster.

Personally... outside of your views and mine. Congrats! upside/change is good and like Jun, if you need help call me... call me anyway.

TotalD said...

How cool is this, a moving crew ! Well as you might guess I have lost a lot of that boy muscle thing so moving has a new challenge to it.

the doodlers said...

Hi D! God luck with the move and we absolutely refuse to fly down there to help you do it. :) Sounds like you'll have lots of help.

Now that Mr. Bush insists all us dangerous Canadians get passports, we'll have to stand in line for three-quarters of a day then wait 90 days to get ours renewed to travel south of the border.

The way you describe living in the USA, I'm not sorry we'll be missing out. There was a real-estate crash in the late eighties but nothing compared to the crazy inflated prices going around right now. As you say, we're heading for a fall. Canada may not be far behind the States, though the prices are higher in the US, it's all relative and affordability gets more and more unattainable.

TotalD said...

Lol , well I know the thought is there . Oh god that sucks Arna , like Canadians have a history of terrorism , NOT ! Oh , hand out passports to Saudi Arabians extremists like free homemade biscuits but you never know about those little affable snow creatures, they could have plastic explosives in their TUKES!

Oh well, yeah buying here is like hooking yourself to a Dr Kevorkian machine. Don't do it!

And you are right Sandra , you and Steph bought wisely. As soon as the apartment wave starts in these non rent controlled areas everyones toast.

Hobo Divine said...

I learnt of a word the other day.
It is "proletariat".

It means:

1 : the laboring class; especially : the class of industrial workers who lack their own means of production and hence sell their labor to live
2 : the lowest social or economic class of a community

Then I became very scared and depressed that they would have such a fancy word for such a thing.

I was thinking of investing in a tree fort. But now Vancouver has made it illegal for home owners to have tree-forts because the city owns the trees... and have force every owner to tear down their tree-forts.

I used to think, wow, England was so loopy charging "Window Tax" in the late 1600's.

But now I realise we are just as ridiculous.

I know I went off on a tangent but hey...

I'm a hobo!

Here is a link to the window tax:

http://www.longparish.org.uk/history/windowtax.htm

TotalD said...

Oh good god how I missed Socialism Jamie. Yeah so they own the trees do they.


Oh, just a warning about what is coming.

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=14965

Welcome to the machine

Greg Manwaring said...

Darli, I lost alot of that boy muscle stuff too... ...but mine just moved to my middle age man gut!

TotalD said...

Awwww Greg, well what about all your martial arts ? You could have your six pack back in weeks. You atheletes can do that stuff, I never was.

It's funny, what all this is doing to me it's , incredibly moving. I don't know how to explain it actually. It's 30 years overdue of course but , it's like you are picking right up back then. Except, well I'm not that young, lol. I know that doesn't make sense , still, every day is like a step on an amazingly beautiful journey. Even I never expected to feel like this. What a touching surprise.

m.j. Nuñez said...

Felicidades muy buen trabajo...!!
suerte con todos tus proyectos.


Saludos.

TotalD said...

Not till the 15th Shane. Finishing the website and a few additional character designs for the cast page. JUst giot back from Dallas so soon. Work work work.

Jamal O said...

Its even worse in Atlanta.

Georgia has one of the highest foreclosure rates in the nation.

Georgia’s foreclosure laws have a super highspeed accelerated process, that can drag on for months in legal proceedings in other states. while here lenders dont waste anytime and can reclaim a house in as little as 60 days.

To me the concept of borrowing money to buy a house doesn't make much sense anymore. You never truly own the house, your bank does.

Miss a couple of payments, and poof. see how fast your homeownership dreams go up in a cloud of white picket fence smoke.


Haha HOBO. I thought the exact same thing Proletariat sounds so important!

Anyway good luck wit your move TotalD

peace.

TotalD said...

No I didn't know about Georgia's accelerated foreclosures. Bastards. That is horrible.

I saw this program where a lawyer (working for free ) was trying to save this older black woman's home from foreclosure . By the time her hubby died the house was paid off and she was getting by. The bank targeted her for some ARM equity loan, telling her she was qualified when she was on a pensioners income. She was an intended marketing target by salesmen the bank had hired . In the end , after taxes she only got like 15,000 of that loan anyway ( I think the loan was for 25,000) , then the bills stated coming, 1,500 a month ! It makes my blood boil. What form of the worst human scum would do that to an old lady for gods sake ?! Anyway, luckily the got another bank to replace that loan. Still!

I'm a nice person but , I'd give the creeps 25 years to life for doing that shit.

Andy said...

Whoa, you are a wise lady. I'm going to have to start following your blog.