Financial advice?
Iloveto Cook
7 years ago
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Comments (23)
maifleur01
7 years agosushipup1
7 years agoRelated Discussions
Need some financial advice - I want to buy a house!
Comments (28)Hi. I'm in OC too. Been here since the early '70's. Welcome! The other thing you want to watch out for is Mello-Roos taxes in newer neighborhoods. I paid those on my first condo, but it was based on a mortgage not much over $125k. They can add quite a bit to your property tax bill and they are not tax deductible. Don't rush it. Rent sucks, but so does being house poor. Spend some more time here. North OC is a lot different than South OC. I've lived in both and done a complete 180 on where I prefer to be. In the 20 years I've owned homes, I've been in an equity position and upside down on several occasions. It will work out, but wait until the time is right. Oh, and that thing about waiting until you're married....I think it's nuts. Don't wait to do anything you want (and CAN) for someone else. I know someone who wants to go to Hawaii only when they are married. It's a 5 1/2 hour flight. This person is almost 50. They haven't been. There is no guarantee that two people always mean two incomes. BUT, don't do something you can't afford on your own either....See MoreI need financial advice!
Comments (16)Okay jennmonkey, this is tough, but I just want to give you some encouragement that many of us have been in the same boat and lived to tell. What does your original contract really say? If it says 2008, they can't abitrarily change that. Go back and read. Bankruptcy for reorganization of payments of loans might still be an option. It won't make the debt go away, but it could make it managable. I don't know about Washington, but many states have forgiveness programs which will pay off private loans for a committment of job service. Usually in remote or low income areas. Here in Alaska there are some programs for people who work with the Alaskan Native population. I had one many years ago for teaching special education as long as I stayed in Missouri. Free advice is sometimes as good as you pay for it, so don't discount spending some $$$ with an attorney and someone who deals with many folks with these issues. Don't feel bad. When my oldest son started school 3 years ago, the college tried to steer him to the private loans. The DH is a CPA and a Certified Financial Planner and we found other routes. If he hadn't known, my son would have ended up in the same boat. The real bite for us was that the feds would not consider his father's income, only basing everything on his step-dad's which killed his chances for any grants, even though his dad doesn't make squat. Gloria...See MoreAdvice is like falling snow.
Comments (8)Hi Cube1067, and all, Part of my training as an overseas missionary was to listen and learn, not go around spouting a lot of good, often unrequested advice. Some people have asked me what right I had, as a missionary in another country, to ram the Bible down someone's throat. I asked them if I could ram the Bible down their throat, to which they replied that they would not allow it. I replied that I know the situation here much better than in another country, where I am a guest. That I would have even less success at trying to do that there than here. As a clergyperson and personal financial advisor I've tried to do the same. I sold no financial products, so was not trying to sell stuff: my main goal was to help clients figure out goals that they wanted, and plan how to achieve them, including the steps needed to get there. I value my freedom, and feel that I should respect the right of others to decide how they wish to live their lives. Sometimes when I talk to a group of teens at the plaza about using money to smoke or to save it and put it to work for them, some of them ask me whether I am telling them not to smoke. I say that I'm not: I value my freedom and need to respect theirs, but am only offering some alternative ideas that they might find useful. The choice is theirs. The thousand that you save now, if you learn to manage it effectively, might enable you to retire a year earlier, if there are enough years in between. When you could kick up your heels and do whatever you wish. Good wishes as you continue to consider how to use your money most effectively, joyful guy P.S. When I stayed with an old, arthritic uncle for a couple of months last year, after his wife died, an evaluator for seniors and I recommended that he use a wheeled walker that he has, but he wouldn't. Now, with even more pain in lower back, hip and leg, he has discovered it on his own and now feels that it's a great help to him. How much effect did the suggestions and arguments that we used last year have on him? None, then. How much, in the months between and recently? No one knows, of course. joyful guy P.S. My Dad used to say, "Convince a man against his will, "He'll be of the same opinion still". In politically correct terms, that includes females, as well. jg...See MoreAdvice for Living Together
Comments (43)Just to preface--I never married my longtime partner, we bought a house together and had a child,,,so "judging you" is not involved here! I have to support what Kaismom said very well. You haven't known this gentleman long enough; maybe in another 6 months you will, but... This man doesn't want to get "financially entangled" with you. He doesn't want to you to have any claim on him, or on his belongings (including house). YOUR children..seems he will still think of them as YOUR children, for which you and only you are responsible. And perhaps you feel the same way. However, just his being part of the household will impact those kids in ways you might not be thinking of. It doesn't seem that he sees your future together as much of a partnership, and I really wonder about how the children will feel, because they FEEL things emotionally that they could never put into words.... Not about what example will be set in terms of marriage/not marriage, but about degree of committment to their well being they will experience, emotional distance on his part they will experience. This living situation might be nice materially speaking, but lacking in material things will not hurt them in the long run--but living with an adult that keeps them at arm's length, (and financial separation is a way of doing that) who is not 100% committed to them, WILL. I struggle to put into words clearly all that worries me about this. I totally respect the desire to protect yourself financially, too ... I know of partners who bailed after YEARS and tried to stick the other with the unpaid bills etc, and wives who were left with nothing .. all a sad part of our modern society I guess. I alway kept my retirement, savings, etc separate too and strongly advise that for any woman with her own resources. Men can be golddiggers too! All that said, no joint checking account. If you need to talk him into it, with what he has already told you, it is a bad idea. Discuss,with him, not just the financial relationship (or lack of one) but what will your emotional "partnership" be about, in 2 years, 5 years, 20 years? I hate the term "baggage" but perhaps relationship counseling would be good for this before you make the decision to move in. Best wishes to you,Raee...See MoreIloveto Cook
6 years agoIloveto Cook
6 years agoIloveto Cook
6 years agolam702
6 years agoIloveto Cook
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoSaltiDawg
6 years agolam702
6 years agosloedjinn
6 years agoSaltiDawg
6 years agogreenacresmama
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