Being thankful in good times AND in bad

We all know it's easy to be thankful when things are going well, but what about when they're not? Today's Love in the Time of Foreclosure post is about just that... and how being thankful in the toughest times is what got us where we are today.

Click here to read.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hear our story on "The Story"

Hi LITTOF Readers!

Bob and I are going to be on NPR tomorrow (Tuesday, November 24.)

Click here to find out the where/when/how.

Happy Thanksgiving Week!

I am thankful for so much! For the support and unconditional love of my family and friends, for a wonderful place to live, for my nurturing marriage and wonderful husband and the adventure of life. And you, readers. I'm thankful for you!

LITTOF November highlights

Pablo lounging on the $50 sofa in his bumble bee sweater. What? It's cold here!

I just realized we're half way through November! Unbelievable! And Bob's birthday is only fifteen days away.

We've been very busy on the island the first half of November and I've been doing my best to document each step along the way over at ChicagoNow. In case you missed anything, here are links to some of the posts from November.... (just click on the title to check them out.)

The significance of 21 days - They say it takes 21 days to adjust to a major life change. How are we doing on day 21 on the island?

The strangest house I've ever seen - Real Estate Mom takes us inside, well, the strangest house she's ever seen. Hidden staircase, anyone? Underground bunker?

How to get the stuff you need for free - Read all about the Great Island Giveaway Event!

This old couch - Meet Bob's new best friend. The couch. The ugly floral couch he refers to as "Eight and a half feet of glory."

Day 4 on the island: Where are the whales - Read about our 4th day on the island and our move into the main house.

Happy mid-November, everyone! And thanks for reading!

Halloween in the time of foreclosure

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

When we moved across the country to accept a position to be caretakers for a farmhouse on an island, we did not sign up for ghosts! Today's post at Love in the Time of Foreclosure on ChicagoNow is about the possibility of our house being haunted. Make sure to check it out and share your ghost stories in the comments section!

Day 3 on the island: Is this house haunted? - Love in the Time of Foreclosure

Last year we threw a wonderful Halloween party on a budget by decorating the house with the help of scary movie projections. The house actually blogged about it last year on its blog. Here's a look back at that:

My Halloween Costume - The House Blog

Are you getting your Love in the Time of Foreclosure?

Hi LITTOF readers!

I'm just posting quickly to remind readers that all the new Love in the Time of Foreclosure action is happening over at ChicagoNow.

We're only 4 days away from our move to the island and a lot has been happening. In case you missed some of the action, here are the LITTOF posts from the last week with links to catch you up:

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8 things that helped us turn our personal housing crisis into opportunity - I am a guest blogger today at Magpie Girl.

-The island awaits - This Friday we begin our trek to our new home for the next two years on the San Juan Islands.

-WBEZ and Love in the Time of Foreclosure - Jeanne Power from Chicago Public Radio wrote a really nice story about us on the WBEZ Blog.

-Al Capone in the Time of Foreclosure - The Chicago mobster's Wisconsin hideaway sold at auction last week.

-One way to save money: Commit to a year of no clothes- This post was inspired by blogger Rachelle Mee-Chapman who has made a pledge to spend no money on clothes for an entire year. Could you do it?

-Top 5 reasons to leave your home on the market during the holidays - wonderful advice and insight from my mom - The Real Estate Mom

-The Insider's Guide to Bankruptcy: The IRS - What we have learned about our IRS debts in bankruptcy.

If you're a regular reader, might I suggest you sign up for the RSS Feed? I hope you will.

And as always, if you enjoy a post, please share it.
Or comment. It makes a big difference.

Thank you!

Foreclosure is a battlefield

WE knew it was hard. Perhaps the biggest challenge of our lives. The fight to save our home from foreclosure. But... more stressful than actual combat? More stressful than the dodging of actual bullets and bombs? More alone than a dry and dusty desert in the Middle East?

According to a Marine who served his country in Iraq, YES.

Fighting to save his home from foreclosure was more stressful than combat in Iraq.

continue reading...

The lesson in change

Hi LITTOF readers!

I completed the 7-day Spare Change Challenge. Go to ChicagoNow to read my post "The Lesson in Change" about see how I did.

Thanks!

Stephanie

How to win a price war & a beauty contest

Today is Wednesday... you know what that means, right? Every Wednesday at "Love in the Time of Foreclosure" is a new & insightful post by The Real Estate Mom. That's MY mom. Pam.

Today she shares her insight on how to sell a home in this crazy, low-down real estate market. Part 1 is all about pricing it right. How do you do that?

Well, you're gonna have to read her new post to find out!

Don't forget... the blog has moved. We're here now. Where? Here. Bookmark it. Subscribe to the RSS feed.

Why aren't ALL my posts there? Because we're having some technical difficulties with the transition. We're working on it! In the meantime, if you want to browse back to the beginning of LITTOF, you actually do that right here. Just for now.

Have I thoroughly confused you? I'm sorry. I know. Thank you so much for sticking with me through this transition, though! Really. Thank you!

The insider's guide to bankruptcy: credit cards

See this new post here and find out what Bob got in the mail yesterday.

Moving back home = the death of romance?

Visit LITTOF'S new home at ChicagoNow to read this article. Thanks! -Stephanie