LITTOF STORIES: Choosing Plan D

It's time for another LITTOF Reader Story!

What do you do when Plans A, B & C don't pan out? If you're like LITTOF Reader, Laurie, you choose Plan D.

That's right. That's what survivors do. That's what resilience is all about. And I'm all about resiliency. So I'm very excited to introduce you to Laurie- who prefers that I only use her first name. So, like Madonna she will be known by only one name. Laurie.

She e-mailed me back in January of this year to say that she was glad I had picked up blogging on LITTOF. In that e-mail, she shared that she and her husband began their modification/short sale/ foreclosure process when she was pregnant with their first child. They now have two children – a 19-month-old and a 3-year-old. It really shows how much life can happen in the face of foreclosure! Life goes on. Life is created. Children grow up!

Laurie wrote to me about their trouble and frustrations with HAMP. And her attitude while sharing about the insane runaround they received while trying to save their home, really struck me.

“We may end up in foreclosure and then bankruptcy like you.  It's all going to take time to tell.  Meanwhile, we love our home that we have remodeled and made our own.  But it is just brick and mortar.  We are excited about our future and the lessons we have learned, that we have each other.   We consider it the price to pay for this painful education we have received.”

Laurie and her husband experienced the nightmare of Fed-Exing payments during a trial modification only to be kicked out of the program for non-payment. Has that happened to any of you? I can't imagine. I've actually been hearing about that happening more and more. Yet in the face of that, Laurie remained positive.

So sit back and enjoy a conversation with Laurie about life in and after foreclosure and choosing Plan D...

           

LITTOF: First, tell us about the house. Where is it and how long have you lived there?

LAURIE: We moved into our first home in the spring of 2006. We moved out at the end of August 2011.  It was in a great suburban area of Northern California, the perfect family town.  We renovated and made it out own and really loved our neighbors, the park I walked the kids to every day and our garbage man, Carlo, who stopped by every Friday and took the time to say hi to our very excited son, Max.

LITTOF: What were the circumstances that led to your foreclosure?

LAURIE: My husband is in the construction industry.  When the economy tanked, banks quit lending and builders quit building.  My husband would go without a paycheck for months at a time.  We had really stretched ourselves, spending probably 70% of our income on our mortgage because we had faith that like our neighbors, our investment would pay off, prices would continue to rise, and we could refinance and be ok eventually.  

LITTOF: Please tell us about the process thus far.

LAURIE: In 2008 we knew we were in trouble.  Our home price had dropped by 30% and our income by 50%.  We contacted the bank right away and stayed in touch the whole 2 year process, first trying to modify, then short sale, then foreclosure with bankruptcy for protection.

LITTOF: How long did the process take?

LAURIE: The process took from fall of 2008 until summer of 2011.  Most of that time was in the roller coaster that is modification.  We were told something different each time we called.  

LITTOF: What has been the most challenging aspect?

LAURIE: The overwhelming lack of consistency and communication with the bank.  We were told erroneous information that would take us down one path and then months later, to find out it was wrong.  EX:  We were told our bank would accept a modification if we just entered into a trial mod for 3 months.  For 10 months we kept paying diligently and Fed Ex-ing payment in advance each month. 

I eventually had the case escalated to a corporate level to see what was going on because we were told during one of my weekly calls that we were kicked out of the modification due to non-payment, then again that same day that things were ok, and then again that we were denied the mod but they didn’t know why.  Corporate investigated and determined that our bank, “didn’t participate in modifications.”  What a waste of time.  

LITTOF: What has been your most triumphant moment thus far?

LAURIE: The day we decided to go with plan D.  We decided early on to come up with a contingency plan because we had heard lots of horror stories.  Plan A was a mod, Plan B was a short sale, Plan C was a foreclosure and D was bankruptcy (and foreclosure).

 Plan D became our realization and actually it was very freeing knowing we had really done everything right and tried our best and it was going to be over soon and we could move on.  Plan D allowed us to close a door and start planning for our future.  We knew everything would be ok once we set our sights on our new reality.

LITTOF: How are you able to stay positive?

LAURIE: Actually, I am a worrier and a control freak.  I unfortunately can easily get consumed with things.  I have always been very conscientious about bills and paying on time and my credit has always been excellent. The stigma and what our neighbors would think bothered me at first. I prayed a lot and got support from some girlfriends and made the decision early on not to let this get the best of me.  I am a Christian and so it was important for me to let go of my need to control things and give it to God.  I knew I would do my best to navigate the issues but ultimately I had no control over the final outcome and I knew I would be taken care of.  Things would be ok.  It might not be the way I would want it, but eventually, I would see it was a blessing in disguise.  It has been. 

 

LITTOF: What is your goal in all of this?

LAURIE: To take the road less traveled by.  The norm in our culture is to strap yourself down with debt, trying to have and be what the world tells you to.  We are living on a cash basis now, much more aware of our spending and our goals.  It opened our eyes to a way of life that is not on the rat wheel.  We are free, mobile, and most importantly are dreaming again, with our heads out of the sand.   

We are planning to rent until our kids are through elementary and then live in an RV…probably a 5^th wheel toy hauler and travel the country, road-schooling our kids through the middle school years and teaching them by exposing them to things they would have only read about in books.  

It is fun to dream again and to plan our adventures.  We have a big map and put tacks on the places we want to see.  There are so many, we will have to narrow them down.  It’s fun to research them and figure it all out.  We have time, so it will be a work in progress.

 

LITTOF: What have you learned thus far?

LAURIE: Material objects can be a huge burden.  It is freeing to let them go. 

LITTOF: How are you better off now?

LAURIE: I am reminded of the song that goes, “I can see clearly now, the rain is gone….I can see all obstacles in my way…Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind…it’s gonna be a bright, bright, sun-shiny day.” 

LITTOF: Do you have a plan for the future?

LAURIE: Oh yes, family, fun, experiencing life to the fullest, and freedom. 

LITTOF: What advice would you give to someone who is either worried about losing his/her home or is actually in foreclosure?

LAURIE: It may be the best thing that has happened to you, giving you a new start and a new perspective.  Don’t waste your energy trying to stay aboard a sinking ship, if foreclosure is the direction you are headed, focus your energy on a plan for a new life.  A house is not a home. 

LITTOF: Anything else?

LAURIE: Just want you to know that your blog really helped me in a time when I thought I was the only one. Your honesty and candid thoughts on the subject as if happened were inspiring.  Thanks.

LITTOF: Thank you, Laurie. And best of luck in the future. I love your idea of road-schooling your kids! Keep in touch!

QUESTIONS FOR READERS - 

- Do you have a plan D? What is it?

- Have you experienced the same runaround in a trial loan modification? What happened and how did you handle it?

About the picture- I asked Laurie to send me a picture of what represents "HOME" to her today. And this is the picture she sent. I love it!

Send me your pictures of what represents home to YOU and I'll share them on the LITTOF Facebook Page. You can send them here: loveinthetimeofforeclosure@gmail.com


Here's a story about the trouble with trial loan modifications:

Gov't Loan Mod Program Leaves Some Homeowners Worse Off - Pro Publica

Related articles

• Seniors Faces Foreclosure After Making Mortgage Payment Too Early (huffingtonpost.com)

LITTOF STORIES: 4 People, 1 Dog and an Airstream

Over the last couple of years I have had the privilege of hearing some pretty inspiring stories from readers of Love in the Time of Foreclosure. Opening these e-mails always makes my day. And because they've made such a difference for me, I want to pass the inspiration along to you.

Meet LITTOF STORIES, a new feature on Love in the Time of Foreclosure that will feature readers' inspiring triumph over foreclosure stories. The key word: Inspiring.

The format of this series will likely change. Nothing is set in stone. I plan to stumble my way into the best format for these stories. Also, I’m not crazy about the name. It’s fine. But fine isn’t what I’m looking for. But it does the job for now. I reserve the right to change the name when I’m struck by inspiration.

With that said, I am happy to introduce you to Tami Rawn.

I "met" Tami when she sent me an e-mail after reading my post Could You Live in an Airstream Without Any Closets? Her answer was, yes. Yes, you can. And I did! 

After selling her Florida home in a short sale, she moved into an Airstream with her two kids, boyfriend and dog. Two adults. Two children. And a Black Lab. In an Airstream. True story.

You know my obsession with Airstreams, right? Well, here she was living my fantasy. And so boldly.

 

Our initial e-mail exchange went like this:

TAMI: Currently my boyfriend, myself, my 8 yr. old daughter, 2 yr. old son, and last but not least my 10 yr. old black lab all live in our 1975 Airstream Land Yacht.  I know, it sounds crazy and that's what everyone says, but we love it.  I owned a house, until the market went upside down and so did the neighborhood, so I was forced to short sell.  Not wanting to rent or buy another house, I went to plan B, my bucket list, to buy and live in an Airstream.  And I am so glad I did. I love it and it has helped me to have the courage to take on other things in my life that I wouldn't of normally tried.

ME: I'm fascinated by the idea that you all live in this Airstream together! An 8 yr old AND a 2 yr old. And 2 adults and a dog?! Where do you live? How big is this Airstream? How much do you pay to have it hooked up to electricity? Do you move around and see the country or are you in one place?

TAMI: Let’s see… my Airstream is 31 ft. long, we have moved 4 times in the Airstream. As my daughter Coral Phoenix is now in the third grade, I am now stuck for a year at our new spot.  It's cheap to live like this, about $575 a month -- that includes power, water, cable, and of course lot rent.  Campground living is different than a trailer park, here people pick up and leave everyday and are replaced with new people from crazy places. My favorite thing about this so far is bbq everyday and watching the kids play on the swing set.  It's quiet and slower. The rat race is essentially gone from your to-do list. Oh one more thing, when you move your Airstream, you don't even have to make your bed, or pack up anything, so the kids adjust very easy, which is extremely important!

:::

So you can see why I had to find out more. I thought Tami had just the type of story to kick off this series. I pitched it to Tami, she agreed and we were off to the races...

 

4 People, 1 Dog and an Airstream-- 

A LITTOF STORIES Q&A with Tami Rawn:

ME: First, please tell us about the house you used to own. Where was it and how long did you live there?

TAMI: My house was a cute little green garden house in Boynton Beach, FL. We lived there almost 4 years, until the neighborhood turned very scary and dangerous.  The houses around us were rented out for very cheap and with that comes neighbors that just don’t care.

ME: Tell us about your short sale/ foreclosure. What were the circumstances?

TAMI: Our house was purchased for $147, 000. It was the perfect first time buyers' home, great to fix up and make it a nice home. But the market went upside down and the value dropped way below.  I tried to rent it out, but the neighborhood turned bad, and in return no one wanted to rent it for the mortgage payment of $1,200.  So essentially I would have to pay for someone to live there and destroy all our hard work that we had put into making it beautiful.  So our only option was to short sell it for a grand total of $38,000.

ME: How long was the process?

TAMI: The process went very quick because the neighbor down the street had moved here from Haiti and purchased my house and the one next to me for his family members moving to the states.  So needless to say it was started and finished in less than a month, once put on the market.

ME: What was the hardest moment?

TAMI: Hardest moment I would have to say was when I signed my home over and left with a free pen from the title company with no money and no house.  Also a month later I drove by the house that I put my heart and soul into, and found it to be without love.  I had filled the yard with beautiful gardens, and the new owners had took them all out. It took the breath out of me.

ME: What was your most triumphant moment?

TAMI: Feeling free of the concrete walls that never moved.  I can say I loved that house, but after that I realized that my family members are my home, not the walls and roof that we lived in.

ME: How are you better off now?

TAMI: I wouldn’t say better off, I would say wiser, freer if that’s a word, and more importantly aware that the “American Dream” isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be.

ME: What does your living situation look like today?

TAMI: Like a “silver bullet” as my daughter says.  But really it is smaller, cheaper, mobile, cozier.

ME: What advice would you give to someone who is either worried about losing their home or is actually in foreclosure?

TAMI: The world can really throw you to the wolves sometimes, but it’s how you handle it that proves how strong you really are.  Never, ever worry about material objects, as long as you have your family and everyone is healthy, then life is good, my friend!

ME: Anything else?

TAMI: I suggest to everyone:  Make a bucket list, and start crossing things off before it’s too late.

Tami, thank you so much for being the first to share your story here on LITTOF STORIES. I still find it to be totally inspiring. 

Readers, please let Tami know how her story has inspired you by leaving a comment below.

If you or someone you know would like to contribute your triumph-over-adversity story to LITTOF STORIES, please e-mail me: loveinthetimeofforeclosure at gmail.com


Thanks!

Steph

Just when you think it's safe to open the mail...

TWO DAYS AGO we received a piece of mail that made our hearts sink into our stomachs. Why? It was from ReconTrust. Remember them? They're the ones that sent us a million foreclosure notices. Here.

First of all, what kind of name is that? ReconTrust? Really? It's suspicious to begin with. It sort of sounds like "We can trust" which makes me think, "No. No, no. We cannot trust ReconTrust." Or reconnaissance. Which is "a military term denoting the exploration used to gain information." So that makes me think we're being spied on by a company that feels the need to put the word 'trust' in their name.

But seriously, what is the origin of this name?

Perhaps it comes from the FDIC's "Regional Economic Conditions" (RECON). But that doesn't quite fit.

Well, regardless the name alone still incites shivers, stomach flip flops and light-headedness. So what was it this time?

It was an official notarized document called SUBSTITUTION OF TRUSTEE AND FULL RECONVEYANCE.

Huh?

Here. This:

Ah, yes... the Substitution of Trustee and Full Reconveyance. Of course. Not really. We had no idea what this was. But we assumed it meant bad news. Because anything from ReconTrust has been bad news. Does this mean that National City is coming after us?

Well, hang on. Let's break this down. According to Websters online dictionary, the word 'reconvey' is a transitive verb that means:

1. To transfer back to a former owner; as, to reconvey an estate.

Oh. Well, that sounds... like good news. Right? Perhaps? I mean, we wouldn't have been able to have sold the house had their still been a lien. So this is really just a formality, it seems.

I visit ReconTrust's FAQ page to learn this:

What is a Lien Release?

When a home loan is paid off, a Lien Release is recorded with the county. A lien release document transfers title from a trustee or beneficiary (e.g., the lender) to the equitable owner (e.g., the borrower) of the real estate when the debt is satisfied (or paid off) under the terms of a deed of trust or mortgage. Every state uses a different name for the Lien Release Document, e.g., Satisfaction, Release, Discharge, or Substitution of Trustee and Full Reconveyance. No matter what it’s called, the lien release document has the same purpose: to release the lien of public record.

So, it is good news I suppose. It is a lien release document. But seriously, every state has a different name for it? Why? To keep us on our toes?

Does this mean that National City isn't going to try to collect on the difference? That the debt is satisfied? I don't know. We were told that they are waiting up to three years after a short sale to go after the difference. But that's another story.

For now, we'd just be happy to never receive another piece of mail from ReconTrust ever again. Let's hope this is the last.

I like happy mail. What about you? What is the best piece of mail you've received lately?

"IMPORTANT INFORMATION ENCLOSED"

A life-changing post... this is all happening in real time.

That's what the envelope said in all caps:

IMPORTANT
INFORMATION
ENCLOSED

I'm sitting here just writing a blog post about how we're so tired of showing the house after 9 months of jumping at every potential buyer's request to see our home and how we've decided to not show the house anymore since we already have 3 offers and how nice it will be for us to have a little privacy back for now... when something happens.

There's a knock at the door. A Realtor and his client. We were expecting them. Then the dog freaks out. Barking like crazy. At what? The mail carrier who arrives practically on the heels of the agent and potential buyer.

Bob picks up the dog as he's growling at the mail carrier.

"Steph, can you sign for something?" he asks, dog in arms. I quickly say hello and welcome the Realtor/Buyer and sign for the 5 (5!) certified letters from ReconTrust.

This is not good. ReconTrust (or RCT) is the company contracted by Countrywide to handle the foreclosure of our house. The last time we had received anything from them was on February 16th when they sent us- via certified mail- our notice of Foreclosure without a Sale Date. Again, 5 copies of the same letter.

I sign for the 5 letters, a sinking feeling growing in the pit of my stomach, and walk back into the house with a plastered-on smile.

"You have such a beautiful home," says the Realtor.

"I love the views," says his client.

"Thank you," I reply. "Would you like me to show you the downstairs room? Can I answer any questions..." I feel like a broken record. We've done this hundreds of times now. It feels like.

They breeze through the house and ask us about the offers.

"Yes," I say, "We have three. We just got a third today."

"And have any been accepted yet," asks the Realtor.

"Not yet," I say. But almost, I think.

They leave. Seemingly interested.... but, honestly, I don't even care right now. I care about the offer that is almost accepted. I care about these 5 certified letters from ReconTrust sitting unopened on my desk. I care about them because I know. I know what they're going to say.

And I'm right.

NOTICE OF TRUSTEE'S SALE

They have set a date. A date has been set. We are now in foreclosure with a date.

Notice is hereby given that RECONTRUST COMPANY, N.A. blah blah blah will sell on 06/09/2009 at 10:30 AM, at the West side of the Los Angeles County Courthouse blah blah blah at public auction, to the highest bidder for cash or check as described below, payable in full at time of sale, all right, title and interest conveyed to and now held by it under.... blah blah blah blah

Here's what Bob just figured out. February 16th, 2009 our house went into foreclosure without a sale date. June 6, 2009 is exactly 3 months and 3 weeks from February 16th. By law, they have to wait at least 3 months and 3 weeks. They are foreclosing at the earliest possible date. This, I have to say, is a surprise.

Why is it a surprise? Because in our attempt to modify our loan with Countrywide we were told by the Office of the President not to worry because they are so far behind that the likelihood of them actually setting a date in 3 months and 3 weeks was so slim. It could even be six months away. We wanted to believe that. So we did.

But that's not the only reason we're surprised. The short sale has been approved by both Countrywide and National City. Why would Countrywide approve a short sale and foreclose instead? At this very moment, Countrywide is considering two offers on our house. We just got a third offer today that we'll be submitting to them for consideration. Three different parties are trying to buy our house at this very moment. Why would they set a foreclosure date in the face of all of this? Well, perhaps it's a case of the right hand not knowing what the left is doing.

That's one explanation. Another is this. We were supposed to close on the first short sale offer (the one that fell through) on May 19th (3 days ago) but didn't. Because, as we've written here, that fell apart. The letter from ReconTrust is dated May 20th. Perhaps they decided to move on this rather than wait for another deal to come together. I don't know.

This is what I know: we have 3 offers. 2 are already at the bank under consideration. The people who submitted these offers really want our house. Our Realtor is telling us not to worry. That the short sale will come together and this date of foreclosure will all be moot. None of it will matter. I want to believe this.

Another thing I know: it will all work out. I don't know how. I just know. In the meantime, we will do everything we have to do to make sure this short sale comes together. Foreclosures don't benefit anyone.

June 9th (the auction date), by the way, is 10 days after our 6 year wedding anniversary.

LITTOF Linkage

LITTOF Linkage
Things that interest us today

-FRIENDS OF THE LA RIVER 20th Annual Great LA River Clean-Up
(folar)

-SEEKING CLOSURE ON SHORT SALE HOLD-UPS - Realtors ramp up call for standards a great overview on short sales (inman)

-ZILLOW: 1 IN 5 HOMES NOW UNDERWATER (latimes.com LA Land Blog)

-HOUSE-PRICE DROPS LEAVE MORE UNDER WATER (wsj)

-A SHORT SALE MAY NOT MEAN YOU’RE HOME FREE (wsj)

-A NEW PLAN TO HELP MODIFY SECOND MORTGAGES (nytimes)

For any readers in L.A., come on out on Saturday to join the L.A. River Clean-Up. We'll be in Frogtown... check out the FOLAR link above for more info.

No Shame in Selling Short

Our house was recently appraised by the bank for so much less than we ever would have imagined a year ago. Even just six months ago. It's hard to believe how much the market has changed... slowed. To a demoralizing halt. Well, everything is shifting. And it's going to take some time for it all to click into place in this new economic paradigm. For now, change is the paradigm. Transition.

What we're seeing now more than ever before is (as I wrote in my earlier post today) we are SO not alone.

We weren't "victims" of greedy lenders or overextending ourselves on a subprime mortgage. No, that wasn't us. We put 20% down on a 30-year fixed. We had the income. Then it went away. Poof. Then the market changed. Dramatically. And we couldn't sell our house for full-price. Couldn't pay the mortgage, couldn't sell the house. Double whammy. And we are where we are. And it is (as Bob has been saying a lot lately) as it is.

We've had over seven months to come to grips with our own situation. The shame, failure and embarrassment we felt at the beginning is long gone. There's just no time to indulge in all of that. AND.... it's happening all over the place- to all tax brackets. The people who did get subprime mortgages, those who overextended themselves, those victims of irresponsible lending, both the expected and unexpected, people in cookie cutter subdivisions in the Inland Empire and people in luxurious mansions in Hancock Park.

Speaking of luxurious mansions in Hancock Park, I found this example on Curbed LA today very interesting:

-Harry Warner Hancock Park Estate Now A Short Sale - Curbed LA

Update: Short Does Not Mean Fast

SHORT SALE = to sell your house for less than it is worth.

We are in a "short sale" situation at the moment. We have submitted the SHORT offer (short in terms of money) to the bank with our Short Sale Packet for approval.

SHORT SALE PACKET = Letter of hardship, last two months of pay stubs, 2 most recent bank statements and some other stuff

The bank is in the process of reviewing the packet and the offer. This can take up to two months, but things are moving faster in our situation. This is due to the fact that I managed to establish contact with the Office of the President at Countrywide. Things move a bit faster in that office.

The next step is the appraisal. The bank has already contacted us to let us know that will be happening. In a short sale situation you are allowed to submit more than one offer and the lender will go with the highest one. This means that we are still showing the house.

The daily cleaning frenzy continues. I've been so busy lately and Bob has really been picking up my slack in the cleaning department. (Thanks, honey!)

We had a showing yesterday and we have another today.

Sunday we're doing an open house.

While we would love to get a higher offer and one a bit more solid, we're hoping the bank will move on the submitted short sale offer and just accept it. Because at this point, it doesn't really matter to us what the sale price is (except that we really don't want to contribute to declining housing values in our neighborhood) because we're losing our full investment in the house anyway.

That's the long and the short of it.

Dear President Obama...

Last week President Obama announced his new Housing Plan. A plan! Could it help us?! I immediately read everything I could find about the plan and contacted our lender to express our interest in determining whether or not we are candidates. Countrywide said that they didn't have any information and wouldn't have any until March 4th. They said that they couldn't 'stall' the foreclosure until then because it might turn out that we're not candidates for said plan. So I was very nice and just expressed interest and our commitment to doing whatever we can to either keep the house or get a short sale together. I reiterated everything I always do each time I speak to the bank... state what happened, that we were never late with payments before Bob got laid off, that we've been in communication since the beginning, that we want to stay in our house, that we've requested their assistance in a mortgage workout and were turned down, that the house has been on the market for six months, that we're responsible people and want to be responsible for our debt and that the last thing we want is to lose the house to foreclosure.

After I hung up, Bob and I decided that we would contact the White House and on Monday morning (because why not?) and we would call the Corporate Offices of Countrywide to learn more about their position on the Housing Plan and state our commitment for the record.

When I sat down at my computer today to read the updates on www.whitehouse.gov, I didn't expect to send an 'off the cuff' letter to our President, but I did. Here's what I sent:


Dear President Obama:

I am writing you as a homeowner who is at risk of losing her dream home in Los Angeles, CA and I have questions about your housing plan. My husband and I bought this house two and a half years ago. We put 20% down and immediately started to build our dream home. We renovated our kitchen and yard to create a place where we could start to have children. This is where we planned to raise them.

On July 10, 2008 my husband lost his job and we lost our family income. Almost all of our savings went into the house and we were immediately in dire straights. We put our house on the market exactly 28 days after he lost his job as we quickly realized we didn't have enough to keep up with our mortgage. We both scrambled to find jobs. I am a playwright and hadn't brought in any money in five years. We both found new employment in October. By then we had sold off all of our stock, we sold some furniture, borrowed money from family and were denied any assistance from the bank. Our first mortgage is through Countrywide and our second is through National City. We requested assistance through a mortgage workout plan with Countrywide but were denied as our loan was not subprime and was not on an arm but a 30-year-fixed. While pursuing all angles to find a way to keep the house, we also went above and beyond to market it. From creating a blog about the house to submitting pictures to design websites. We drew interest, but no offers.

When we received our "Letter of Intent to Accelerate" from the bank we were too far under water to pay the required lump sum to clear our debt- back payments and late fees. We are presently 'in foreclosure' with Countrywide without a sale date. We are in the process of pursuing a Short Sale as we have had no offers on the house after reducing the price to the original sale price. If your plan can help us to stay in our dream home, we would be so relieved. The day it was announced, I called Countrywide and was told that they couldn't stall our foreclosure because they didn't have enough information. I am writing to beg assistance. We live our lives on a foundation of integrity and are committed to restoring our financial integrity. We are both now employed, albeit bringing in 60% less than before. My husband is very happy in his new job and sees a bright future for himself with a lot of room to grow. I am working two jobs right now to do my part and continuing to write in whatever time I can find. We don't see ourselves as victims. We are committed to being responsible. We don't want to sell the house as a short sale, but without assistance it seems to be the only way. Before this happened, we were never late with a mortgage payment. We shared our home with our friends. It became a place of gathering. That's what we wanted. And since we have fallen on hard times, our friends, neighbors and family have rallied around us. No one wants to see us go. We're in a lovely neighborhood in Los Angeles that saw nothing but growth for many years. We don't want to bring down home values in our neighborhood as a result of a short sale or a foreclosure. We have been in communication with the banks from the very beginning. We are committed to finding a way to stay here and be responsible for our debt. We just cannot do it without help. It seems to me, from everything I have read about the plan, that we are the perfect candidates. How do we express this to our lender? How do we encourage them to work with us? We are afraid that the bank will set a sale date on our house any minute. If your plan can't help us, who can it help?

I not only voted for you, Mr. President, but I also drove to Nevada and went door to door in Las Vegas canvassing on your behalf. Before my husband lost his job, we donated to your campaign. Not a lot, but something. We are so happy and proud that you are our President. And we believe in you. We hope that you can help us through this challenging time and together we can start the turn around this country needs. Sometimes it is very hard to stay positive, but just knowing that you are trying to find a way to help people like us, makes a difference.

Thank you for your time. Thank you for your stand for this great nation.
I look forward to a response (from someone.)
Thank you.