Dazed and Confused and Economically Challenged
Argh. I've tried to be a player in the economy but it's just not working! I fell down a rabbit hold when I wasn't looking, I guess.
1. I'm trying to buy a house but Bank of America doesn't want to sell it. They've rejected my bid in one of the ruder fashions I've encountered in any business done with a bank. I was presented with an ultimatum that if I didn't accept the bank's counteroffer of $670K by 1:00 PM today that they were going to call my attorney and. . .I'm not sure what they thought they were going to do. They didn't call my attorney. (It's a mystery for the ages, I guess.) Anyhoo, the house started lising at over $800K and was gradually reduced to $650K. I offered $640K (needs new carpet and yardwork) and it was accepted by the seller and the second mortgage holder but BOFA has decided that this house is worth much more. I never thought in this process I would be asked to bid UP a house that had no offers until mine. The seller has decided to let the bank foreclose as they've rejected the only offer he's had since listing it. For all the folks in Seattle with money burning to be spent there's a nifty house in West Seattle. . .provided you agree with BOFA that it assesses for $780K minimum.
2. I bought GM and all I got was this big bailout. Actually, I bought Saturn. Several of them over the years. I was unimpressed with everything else Detroit had to offer but Saturn was different (if you ignored that financing was through GMAC and GM sucked them back into the company fold when they became profitable). Like many other people, I financed with GMAC and when I was offered 0% financing, I took it. However, deals like that had apparently NOTHING to do with why GM is now in recievership. Nor the crappy cars that some of their brand lines feature. Or Hummer. Nope, it's all over "confidence in the marketplace" and the "drying up of financing". Poor business practices had NOTHING to do with GM's fall. Hey, I tried to help!
3. You want to raise my rate why? I used to have credit cards through US Bank that I used to finance my annual buying trip to Tucson. This year I didn't use them. I called US Bank to find out what my rate was and promptly went with a different credit card that was over 3% cheaper. I recently recieved notice from US Bank that I should use my cards more or the rate will go up AND my limit will be decreased. That's interesting. So, if I rack up some debt, don't pay it on time and fail to make minimum payments I'm a better customer? How nice. I have a better solution. Don't use them. I have stellar credit and have banked with US Bank for over 20 years now but that doesn't matter in the face of declining fee income. Looks like I'm a much better customer if I'm what used to be considered "deadbeat".
4. What part of "I don't have ANY employees" didn't get through? I run a small business. I'm a sole proprietor who's part-time. It doesn't get much smaller than that! However, this business climate is apparently so desperate that I'm getting phone spam galore for business services I wouldn't have wanted in better times. It's hella annoying to break off what I'm doing to answer the phone to explain AGAIN that I don't need payroll services as it would require a payroll. Gah. I feel bad for these salespeople but they're also reinforcing my decision to stay small.
I subscribed for years to the theory that one shouldn't take on personal things one couldn't see through on a personal level. Maybe I should have been more reckless. If I hadn't been so much of a coward and willing to risk more and try harder I'd have a house a new car or two, more access to credit at a lower rate and a bigger business. Right? Right?
HA HA HA NOT! Nope, sorry, don't buy into that for a minute. I'd also be the possessor of a crapload of debt with small prospects of paying it off, stress illnesses and depreciating assets that I couldn't use to pay off said crapload of debt. There's no guarantee that I'd even still HAVE those things if I'd bought them. Perhaps it's just as well I play so much World of Warcraft. It keeps me from going out and buying things.
1. I'm trying to buy a house but Bank of America doesn't want to sell it. They've rejected my bid in one of the ruder fashions I've encountered in any business done with a bank. I was presented with an ultimatum that if I didn't accept the bank's counteroffer of $670K by 1:00 PM today that they were going to call my attorney and. . .I'm not sure what they thought they were going to do. They didn't call my attorney. (It's a mystery for the ages, I guess.) Anyhoo, the house started lising at over $800K and was gradually reduced to $650K. I offered $640K (needs new carpet and yardwork) and it was accepted by the seller and the second mortgage holder but BOFA has decided that this house is worth much more. I never thought in this process I would be asked to bid UP a house that had no offers until mine. The seller has decided to let the bank foreclose as they've rejected the only offer he's had since listing it. For all the folks in Seattle with money burning to be spent there's a nifty house in West Seattle. . .provided you agree with BOFA that it assesses for $780K minimum.
2. I bought GM and all I got was this big bailout. Actually, I bought Saturn. Several of them over the years. I was unimpressed with everything else Detroit had to offer but Saturn was different (if you ignored that financing was through GMAC and GM sucked them back into the company fold when they became profitable). Like many other people, I financed with GMAC and when I was offered 0% financing, I took it. However, deals like that had apparently NOTHING to do with why GM is now in recievership. Nor the crappy cars that some of their brand lines feature. Or Hummer. Nope, it's all over "confidence in the marketplace" and the "drying up of financing". Poor business practices had NOTHING to do with GM's fall. Hey, I tried to help!
3. You want to raise my rate why? I used to have credit cards through US Bank that I used to finance my annual buying trip to Tucson. This year I didn't use them. I called US Bank to find out what my rate was and promptly went with a different credit card that was over 3% cheaper. I recently recieved notice from US Bank that I should use my cards more or the rate will go up AND my limit will be decreased. That's interesting. So, if I rack up some debt, don't pay it on time and fail to make minimum payments I'm a better customer? How nice. I have a better solution. Don't use them. I have stellar credit and have banked with US Bank for over 20 years now but that doesn't matter in the face of declining fee income. Looks like I'm a much better customer if I'm what used to be considered "deadbeat".
4. What part of "I don't have ANY employees" didn't get through? I run a small business. I'm a sole proprietor who's part-time. It doesn't get much smaller than that! However, this business climate is apparently so desperate that I'm getting phone spam galore for business services I wouldn't have wanted in better times. It's hella annoying to break off what I'm doing to answer the phone to explain AGAIN that I don't need payroll services as it would require a payroll. Gah. I feel bad for these salespeople but they're also reinforcing my decision to stay small.
I subscribed for years to the theory that one shouldn't take on personal things one couldn't see through on a personal level. Maybe I should have been more reckless. If I hadn't been so much of a coward and willing to risk more and try harder I'd have a house a new car or two, more access to credit at a lower rate and a bigger business. Right? Right?
HA HA HA NOT! Nope, sorry, don't buy into that for a minute. I'd also be the possessor of a crapload of debt with small prospects of paying it off, stress illnesses and depreciating assets that I couldn't use to pay off said crapload of debt. There's no guarantee that I'd even still HAVE those things if I'd bought them. Perhaps it's just as well I play so much World of Warcraft. It keeps me from going out and buying things.