FACT: Banks are in trouble because home owners are going to foreclosure.
SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY: Let's try to cure the economy by giving a few $Trillion Dollars to banks.
CONGRESS: Good idea. I have a list of contribu. . . . er um, ddistinguished banking institutions that could use a few $Billion Dollars. These distinguished bankers are telling me that they've lost a bundle on their investments in mortgage backed securities.
CONSUMER: "How is giving money to banks going to help home owners?"
CONGRESS: "We don't have a clue but the bank lobbiests are saying that if we give a few $Trillion Dollars to the distinguished banks, the distinguished banks will lend money to home buyers and homes will sell."
CONSUMER: "Why not just give the money to home owners so they can get back into the real estate market?"
CONGRESS: "We do not trust the American home owners to know what to do with their money."
CONSUMER: "Yet, you trust the bankers and insurance companies who made bad investments and lost $Billions in credit default swaps and mortgage back securities to know what to do with our money."
CONGRESS: "Indeed. We have received proposed legislation from a distinguished lobbyist for a distinguished bank holding company to fund a program under HUD that will help a few home owners on the verge of foreclosure by giving incentives to mortgage servicing companies to take the home owner's arrears and just add it to the mortgage balance."
CONSUMER: "But the mortgage balance will still be far more than the price for which the home owner could sell his home."
CONGRESS: "That's too bad, but the decision to sell a property is not our problem. That's between a home owner and their real estate agent. Perhaps they can sell it as a short sale. Or, they can just stay where they are. If they can't make the payments, they'll just lose their home. After all, a contract is a contract and the home owner agreed to pay"

"Any good news today Honey?"
"No Dear, the mortgage company says we can't get any help because we've been making our mortgage payments.
Courtesy, Lenn Harley, Broker, Homefinders.com, 800-711-7988, E-mail.

Very funny and very true. . .The sad thing about this is that a lot of homeowners that are borderline in their finances have a shackle in their ankles for the next 10 years or more. . calculating a slow appreciation in housing because of the lessons learned. . some people in their 50-'s maybe be upside down the rest of their lives!
Not a good thought . . when life is so short.