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There's A Light At The End Of The Tunnel

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with The Real Estate Investment Institute 1retiredsage

There's A Light At The End Of The Tunnel! It's one trick candle.

So many lose sight of equity's light

So many lose sight of equity's light when their homes seem up side down. Blinded by the darkness of ignorant despair they've lost their faith in the magic that is real estate, the magic of amortization!

Misled by those that think "equity" ever existed in the present tense "Equity" only exists in the past tense and the future tense. To buy a home you'll need 3.5%, 5%. 10% or 20% or more equity/money. You can prove you had it. But, once you've purchased the house you no longer have that money/equity. When you sell a house and receive your net proceeds you collect your equity/money, you've proved equity did exist in the future.

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In between purchase and sale does equity exist? People will tell you can borrow against equity, harvest equity, but if you do that eliminates/consumes that equity, so once again equity only exist in the future or the past!

Why worry about equity in the present, since it doesn't exist between purchase and sale? Unless of course you have to sell!

Why default for lack of some thing you willingly gave up at the purchase of your home?

Why accept a lesser life-style, less personal control and security for lack of equity? Equity that doesn't exist in present and never did.

Equity is a trick candle burning at both ends! A candle teetering in both directions!

 

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If you used an amortizing purchase money mortgage to finance your house equity can not be easily extinguished! Equity is a trick candle just like those on a kids birthday cake!

 

 

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Equity always returns to the honorable! No matter how much depression the dishonorable cause. Given time amortization always returns equity.

Those that honor their notes continue to benefit from home ownership they continue with the sure and certain knowledge of a known payment. The sure and certain knowledge that they will have equity.

Unlike those that shun their honor, who's only sure and certain knowledge is that there rents will go up.

As we continue to lose jobs to foreigners both beyond and with in our boarders. As we repress jobs by taxing those that would offer them, many among us will be forced to default through no fault except poor voting!

Foreclosures devastate those with out a choice.

Foreclosures devastate local property values.

Foreclosures devastate Grandma and Grandpa's 401K and other retirement accounts, including pensions that invested in mortgage backed securities and bank stock.

Foreclosures devastate our economy.

Foreclosures devastate our National Debt.

Foreclosures devastate the very value of our dollar, both foreign and domestically.

Strategic defaulters are not victims of our problems they're a major cause of it's severity.

There's A Light At The End Of The Tunnel

it's the sure, but flickering candle of equity!

Now you know the rest of the story There's A Light At The End Of The Tunnel!

Posted by

Bill

William J Archambault Jr

The Real Estate Investment Institute

wja@reii.org      Cell 832-259-7078,      Houston 832-582-8415,       Las vegas 702-516-1569

     http://www.reii.org  Back Cover One House At A Time http:www//reii.orghttp://www.flippingforfunandprofit.info/ http://www.billarchambault.com   

From my past: GRI 1975, FLI 1974, Catalyst from a client 1974 an agent that makes things happen, REII, The Real Estate Investment Institute 1995.

http://www.reii.org

©William J Archambault Jr   ©The Real Estate Investment Institute   ©REII

Comments (16)

Glenn Roberts
Retired - Seattle, WA

Excellent post, Bill. Save your equity for later was the original design plan of home ownership until the lenders came up with refi's and cash outs to invest in something better. Ha. Nothing better than reaching retirement with a home an perhaps a rental property or two reaching that "paid in full" status.

Sep 13, 2010 07:30 AM
Susan Neal
RE/MAX Gold, Fair Oaks - Fair Oaks, CA
Fair Oaks CA & Sacramento Area Real Estate Broker

Hi Bill - I'm glad you made an exception in your rant for those who have to sell.  The short sales that I have worked have been with people who had two choices:  foreclosure or short sale, through no fault of their own. 

One example, a family in which the wife lost her job due to the economy and her husband's salary alone was not enough to support their family and pay al bills.  She tried everything to get another job, and they used up all of their savings and retirement account and finally they realized they had no choice but to short sell their home.  For the seven years they lived there they had no problem making their payments until this happened to them, and now the home they loved was impossible to keep.  I was happy to help them.  What I don't like is those folks who have no hardship at all but just don't want to make payments any more so they want to short sell or walk away and leave the bank holding the bag.

I enjoyed your videos - very cute kids with the trick candles.

Sep 13, 2010 07:41 AM
William J. Archambault, Jr.
The Real Estate Investment Institute - Houston, TX

Glen,

Thanks!

All I could add is three or four or five or six maybe a dozen or two!

Bill

Sep 13, 2010 07:41 AM
William J. Archambault, Jr.
The Real Estate Investment Institute - Houston, TX

I'm glad you enjoyed them, Sue!

I've got no problem with those that have no choice, I wish them well. "There, but for the grace of God..."

Regarding "short sales"  I've been involved with them since 1971. Of course then I was on the other side of the desk. I have no problem using every possible tool to help my clients, but strategic default as it's currently being practiced differs from bank robbery only by the lack of a gun.

Bill

Sep 13, 2010 07:53 AM
Larry O'Sullivan
Sandy, UT

I like candles analogy. Good ecplation of equity and reality.

Sep 13, 2010 08:42 AM
Renée Donohue~Home Photography
Savvy Home Pix - Allegan, MI
Western Michigan Real Estate Photographer

I love this post living in the land of the strategic default.  I wish every homeowner carried this attitude!

Sep 13, 2010 08:53 AM
William J. Archambault, Jr.
The Real Estate Investment Institute - Houston, TX

Larry,

I though it appropriate. Then I found that tipping one and had to included it.

Bill

Sep 13, 2010 09:16 AM
William J. Archambault, Jr.
The Real Estate Investment Institute - Houston, TX

Renee,

There are roads out of Vegas!

It only took me 20 years to find one.

Actually we retired to Houston two years ago to be near our daughter.

Bill

Sep 13, 2010 09:20 AM
Broker Nick
South Florida Real Estate & Development, Inc. - Coconut Creek, FL
Broker Nick Relocation Broker Service

There is a light at the end of the tunnel - it is called prayer - and then in November get those who put us in this mess out of office - and then in 2012 get a new President who will actually help the situation instead of blaming others - the blame game has got to stop - thanks Bill

Sep 13, 2010 09:26 AM
William J. Archambault, Jr.
The Real Estate Investment Institute - Houston, TX

"it is called prayer'

Nicholas,

I wouldn't argue that.

I would say that it depends on what you pray for!

All to many pray for the money.

They pray for other peoples money.

They pray for unearned entitlements.

God gave us free will to make our own mistakes.

God also helps those that help themselves.

So pray for vision.

Pray for inspiration.

Pray for and seek guidance!

Pray for the disseminators of bad advive!

Bill

Sep 13, 2010 09:47 AM
George Souto
George Souto NMLS #65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages - Middletown, CT
Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert

Bill "Strategic defaulters are not victims of our problems they're a major cause of it's severity"  AMEN.

I actually had someone leave a comment on one of my blogs on Strategic Defaults referring to these defaults as an honorable action.  Talk about twisted logic.

Sep 13, 2010 01:31 PM
William J. Archambault, Jr.
The Real Estate Investment Institute - Houston, TX

George,

People believe they're entitled to the banks money!

People believe that the banks got free money so they could default.

Truth is only stock holders and tax payers lost money.

Bill

Sep 13, 2010 01:38 PM
Brenda Archambault
The Real Estate Investment Institute - Houston, TX

Very well said, I enjoyed this and all of the comments. I remember the upside down house. Boy did we ever send a lot of time helping to clean it out.

Sep 13, 2010 02:34 PM
William J. Archambault, Jr.
The Real Estate Investment Institute - Houston, TX

Love,

You weren't suppose to tell that we're a hands on consultant even helping a client, student and client! Then again we did help our first buyer Ron Jones paint over the 12 foot naked lady so many years ago.

My First Sale and The Naked Amazon / A Haunted House

Bill

Sep 13, 2010 02:46 PM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

People don't realize that economics is a system.  One thing always affects another thing.  Just as you say with foreclosures.  Good post Bill.

Sep 13, 2010 10:20 PM
William J. Archambault, Jr.
The Real Estate Investment Institute - Houston, TX

Thanks Jay!

Bill

Sep 14, 2010 12:39 AM