I AM HERE!
OK...sometimes people on the rain write stuff just to get people's panties in a bunch. I came across one such post the other day and I have to admit...I do kind of have a wedgie right now! Here's the link...it's short so you can check it out:
http://activerain.com/blogsview/324677/Should-Lie-Detector-Tests
Now, it's one of those "blame" posts about the sub prime thing. As I answered his post, I found myself thinking about how far anyone can go in the blame game. Should we be expected to infringe on people's rights to make bad decisions? They still do that even though there are not the type of sub-prime loans out there that make it easier for bad financial decision makers to get a mortgage.
People still want to overspend in many cases. People who are not in the position to purchase a home because of health or personal issues still purchase. Should we be expected to police them? To deny them our services as buyer's agents and consequently deny them their legal rights because we want to act like God and say how much house they can afford and where and when they should purchase? That's not our job. We are there to help them find the house they want.
Big news...the house they want is going to be, (9 times out of 10), at the TOP of the budget they can squeeze. Whatever they "qualify" for, right?
I told the blame guy that the only people that can truly "AFFORD" to purchase a home are the ones that have cash, (and I should have added and have future cash to keep taxes current), but anyone who needs a loan of any kind, can't REALLY afford what they are buying. Credit cards wouldn't exist if people lived within their means. Neither would mortgages. Like I told Lance, you can die, you can lose your job, anything could happen...
How far do these "blamers" want us to go with our powers of judgment over other people's lives? Should we say if they are mentally and emotionally ready? Should we have final approval over where and when they move and weather we think it's a good decision?