My First Official Blog Post
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Living on Long Island…..it’s not an easy task for most of us. Homes are too expensive, our salaries do not go far on Long Island and when you are married with kids, BOTH parents have to work in order to survive. Struggling is a normal way of life for most of us. NO NOT ALL OF US. There are some people fortunate to have well paying jobs and can afford living on Long Island without worrying about paying a mortgage, buying groceries, gasoline and clothing! This Blog is not for you!
I’m hoping to be able to share my experiences as well as share all the tools, tips and freebies I have found that help my family in our quest to STAY ON LONG ISLAND!
Let me share a wonderful experience I recently had that made me understand why people got our country into financial trouble in recent years:
We are currently trying to sell our condo, as we have outgrown our home and need to find something larger – even though I’ll miss not having to shovel after a snow storm, worry about replacing a roof, gardening and weeding, we unfortunately must move on to an actual house with more than just two bedrooms. So, we have been receiving offers, but all are just failing because the people can’t seem to get a mortgage. Even though they are hunting for a home…..but our latest was the BEST and the one I wish to share.
This couple comes to see the place, first the wife comes on a Thursday evening, loves the place and asks if she can bring her husband the next night. We agree. They show up on Friday night, love the place, the realtor brings them around to the clubhouse, the pool, the tennis court – we get a call an hour later, the realtor wants to bring them over to sign the contract. Fine. We sign the contract, send the papers over to the lawyer. My husband notices on the contract the amount of their approved mortgage. It’s enough to cover buying the condo, but not a whole lot. As we have had deals fall apart many times, I don’t get my hopes up. I expect something to go poorly.
Sure enough, Monday we’re at our son’s well visit appointment and get a call from the realtor – they have decided to buy a house. I just laughed…..these young people, who have been living with their parents since getting married a couple of years ago, have a mortgage that can barely pay for a condo but they want to get a house instead……..
Isn’t this how all those people got us into trouble? Banks gave them mortgages to homes they would NEVER be able to afford and when the bottom dropped out, we had to save these idiots from themselves? And here is yet another couple, after seeing all of that happen, living in the world of oz……truly thinking they can afford a house with the mortgage they were given.
Just wanted to share this lovely story with those of you who have been through this same thing and wonder how people STILL think they can afford things, when they obviously CANNOT. I guess they believe we will bail them out when things get rough, just like this last time.
Well I’m all about living within our means and stretching our money to the fullest. Good deals, free stuff and quality over crap!
