I don't mean to be a downer on a happy thread, but thanksgiving is about being thankful for what we have.
I just read the OCR article on the <a href="http://www.ocregister.com/money/year-job-mortgage-1926685-time-work">laid off mortgage workers</a>. I realize, more than most, that there were many in the industry who deserve the disdain we have. But, there are, or were many in the industry that were really genuinely good people. Not only does this effect the mortgage industry, but many others. I know of someone in the tech industry who had to move in with his parents, because the majority of his clients were mortgage related. I know of several people in the homebuilding industry, who are out of work. These are people with masters degrees, who were making hefty six figure salaries. This is effecting many people, who I know if you met them, you would respect them. I may be a housing bear, but it does hurt to watch people suffer. Whether it is from ignorance, or just being a statistic of the layoffs, I sincerely wish them the best.
Here is an excerpt that stood out:
<em>
Rhonda Struman of Laguna Niguel is not waiting around to get hired full time. Last month, she began working as a part-time salesperson at Nordstrom at The Shops at Mission Viejo. It pays $8 an hour. Before she was laid off in August from her underwriting position at Paul Financial in Irvine, she was making more than four times that hourly rate, or about $70,000 a year. </em>
<p><em>Her husband also got laid off from the mortgage industry. He was pulling in about $130,000 a year. Now, he's working for $11 an hour at a Costco in San Juan Capistrano.</em></p>
<p><em>Because of their huge pay cuts, they're having a hard time paying their $3,400 monthly mortgage. They sold off their boat to get rid of the monthly payments. They will soon sell their furniture.</em></p>
<p><em>"I cry all the time and I'm stressed all the time," Rhonda Struman said.</em></p>
<p><em>By February, she and her husband will leave Orange County for Colorado to look for mortgage jobs or work that pays better than their current employers. They'll rent out their Laguna Niguel house to help pay the mortgage and then rent in Colorado.</em></p>
<p><em>"We have no choice," said Struman, who's in her 40s. "There's too much competition in Orange County. "There are too many people out of jobs" who are looking for new work.</em></p>
They went from a 30%-40% debt ratio to well over 100% with their mortgage payment alone. I don't care who you are, I wouldn't wish that upon anyone.
So, I am thankful for what I have. I am thankful I got out when I did, and thankful for the friends I made from it. I am thankful I have the talent and ability to live the life I do. I am thankful of what I have learned from this, and how I want to give what I have learned back. I am thankful that I have friends, who support me, and encourage me to make the sacrifices needed to give that back. I am thankful that I am always willing to learn and will never stop learning. I am thankful that the IHB community has become the community it is. I am thankful for the friends I have made at IHB. I am thankful that I have an avenue like this to vent.
{rant over}
Now, I will eat too much, drink too much, and watch too much football, but I know that I will not be the only one. I wish every IHBer a very happy thanksgiving.
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