This iReport is part of an assignment:
In need of a Money Coach?
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Posted November 16, 2008
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Location
Kissimmee, Florida
Kissimmee, Florida
Assignment
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Dear Clark & Team, I do not know how to do a video, audio, or image(I tried a photo, guess it will come out), sorry, but I am able to write. I am desperate to help my family from a situation that I feel I am drowning them in due to a very foolish decision I made in 06 to move and I am watching us go down like a domino. We lived in NY, married in 90 after dating for 6 years. Adopted 3 special needs children, who are now 19, 18 and 12. Only two remain home. I have worked in the education field since 1981 with a brief stint in insurance and an administrator at one time. My main field is special education. We bought a home in 92, paid it off in 99! WOW that was great. In 99 purchased a different home to actually save money yearly on services and taxes. We currently still own the home and a $106,000 mortgage. In 02-03 we began to realize with all our trips to Florida we should just buy a vacation home there for our own use...we did in 04 in Kissimmee. We purchased for $150,000 and put down 20%. In 06 I really began to feel the pinch of the cold and was unable to take it any longer and found a teaching job (1st grade in a private school) in Orlando. I was hired. I moved my two children and my pets while my husband stayed with our older son to finish his last year of school and finish his school contract as a school bus driver. We were doing ok. Car payment s of 636, 329, timeshare of 300 I was able to down size and now it is 200 a month, monthly bills etc, remember we had the two mortgages one is 1,160 the other 1,407. Plus there is numerous credit cards. Then we decided to list the NY house, long short one buyer, but no down payment, so they backed out mid stream, but my husband already resigned and a moving truck with personal items was on its way to Florida. We were screwed big time. But, a friend needed a furnished rental and we agreed to rent out our home for $1,200 a month. This of course did not cover the taxes, which I always paid when we got our tax return, late of course...but paid. So, they rented since last October. They were late 10 out of 12 months which made us now late with the mortgage. My husband has not been able to find work here. I am now working "3" jobs. I teach, tutor afternoons and work weekends as a at the Resorts. I am the sole provider for us now and I am earning $729.97 bi weekly! I am drowning fast and need a life boat, life line, anything, a piece of Styrofoam will do LOL. I have not lost my sense of humor..thank heavens. My children have never suffered like this. I have depleted our savings and am down to $1,800. There is $3,000 in an IRA and stock portfolio my dad started for me that is what is left. I have canceled. our home phone to only a basic life line for $14.25 a month. We do nothing for fun any longer or go out eat, we buy ONLY the basic and if it is not on our way to save gas, we do not do it. I sent for my credit report when I learned I was reduced for credit lines at Home Depot. I pay on time and actually more than the minimum due with the credit cards, it is the mortgage that I am late with by 1 month, not the Florida mortgage I have been on time always. Two things not showing on my Equifax are my timeshare Mortgage and my Florida Mortgage. Could be on my husbands. There are no prospects for bus driving for my husband. He went all over, Disney, Universal he went to school districts, one told him they are not hiring until February (ok..so we don't eat until then LOL), then I thought prayers were answered. He gets this e-mail from the Workforce of Florida saying there is a private school looking for a driver..WOW. So he is set for an interview....well, the lady is a no show! They re-schedule him, he goes back to the school, she is a no show again! He is devastated, so are we, he is 59 and cried like a baby! I think we all did. I am the strong one, the glue and the one made of iron (I try my best). He went to the job fair in Kissimmee, so did 5000 and he was turned around! HE called the lady who offered him the opportunity for the driving job and she told him that is how it goes! OMG! I am doomed, we are done! Fried! Then to top it off...like it couldn't get worse..our tenants...moved out these are friends of ours 25 plus years... and did not pay the rent for the month and 10 days they were there. No there was no security taken as they were friends and I offered them a fully furnished home complete with a pool, lawn mower, snow blower, even the use of my Christmas tree and ornaments! Imagine! I count on that money. Then, to top it off, the lawyer we used while our adopted son was in NY and causing some trouble... now we have a bill of $5,900 even after giving him from my savings a nice size retainer. He is willing to wait for his money when the house sells in NY. Great guy, and we appreciate it more than he knows. Clarke, I listen to you faithfully and have taken so much of your knowledge in and am trying to apply it to our lives, when I heard your offer...I had to write to be one of the chosen few for your help. We stand to loose it all and soon. I feel the world is crumbing down around me and never ever did we have these issues. Are you able, and willing to help a family like us, who are truly on the brink of disaster and think you may be our shining star. By the way, we were burglarized on 3/19/08 in broad day light, neighbors saw the guys (3 teens) but failed to alert any one! Well we are lucky to have our lives of course and our pets unharmed as no one was home, but we lost all electronic items and my children lost all their electronic things, all our jewelery and my deceased moms items as well. Life has not been good to us these last 2 1/2 years. Although, the good that came out of moving to Florida was that I learned I have a 1/2 brother and 1/2 sister I never knew I had who live here! So in mnay ways we are blessed with family, now if we can just straighten out the financial mess we can smile again. I pray for your help. Most sincerely, Dawn http://www.ireport.com/upload/upload/#
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- clark_howard
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