AJ Kohn

AKA “rearranging deck chairs” - Anthony Citrano

in what way will aid come to the ones who don't own but rent? i say "no fair" - - sally stokhamer

@Sally: don't worry, the helpees don't own, either. - Anthony Citrano from BuddyFeed

@Anthony: Correct, kicking the can down the street doesn't mean the can goes away ... just delaying the inevitable and propping up housing markets for a little longer. - AJ Kohn

This is a good plan. It saves the expense of foreclosure and avoids the owner/tenant filing for bankruptcy to buy more time. More time is good for Fannie Mae if they own the house because they are more likely to get a better price for the house next year. Also, the owner/tenant many be able to repurchase the home next year. - Jimmy Walker

Here is the way I see it: ( http://money.cnn.com/news... ) These Guys divided by ( http://answers.yahoo.com/questio... ) Equals 6.4 Trillions committed to this fiasco, ($62,750- apiece to home owners ) counting 103 million home owners receiving the money. So if the money went to struggling home owners instead of the... more... - ThatDBD

@ThatDBD: I don't like giving that money to homeowners either. Many of these homeowners are as much to blame for this as the banks. Instant gratification and pure ignorance of money matters - they bought way too much house then they could afford. Also, by giving the money to homeowners you're really just giving it to the banks. Home prices were (and still are) artificially high. Who... more... - AJ Kohn

@AJ Kohn Well the home owners are not starting wars out there and they are not subsidizing banks who are using the money both on and off shore. If I were to make a sounder investment with an immediate return, IE money going right back to the Gov, homeowners would make that happen. Banks are paying all sorts of high fees for go-between people and their presidents and high officers. Little of the money is applied to the problem. Just an opinion Sic. - ThatDBD

@ThatDBD: Oh, I'm not saying the banks deserve the money. I'm anti-bailout in general. I'd rather concentrate on getting our money out of Iraq (though Afghanistan is still necessary IMO) and putting money to work for jobs, education and health care. Personal and corporate responsibility means you have to learn from your mistakes. Giving banks or over-extended homeowners a mulligan doesn't lead to responsibility which - IMO - is what this nation needs to get back to. - AJ Kohn

@Jimmy: a better price next year? not likely. @AJ: if they have found themselves in this situation, they are not homeowners. - Anthony Citrano from BuddyFeed

@Anthony: Good point. A type of housing serfdom. - AJ Kohn

10% unemployment means this is pointless exercise in postponing inevitable - WarLord

So now Obama wants to take over the housing industry? This basically makes Uncle Sam the ultimate landlord! Let's make this clear, Uncle Sam "allows" homeowners to GIVE him the deed to their HOME. Then, Uncle Sam charges the EX-homeowners RENT to stay in their own homes?!?!? This must be stopped. - David C. Cooper

David, the homeowners didn't actually own the home, it was mortaged through Fannie Mae. Which means Uncle Sam already held the deed to the home and was taking money in order to theoretically transfer it to the new owner once the balance was paid 30 years down the road. Now the person in question will just pay money for rent and Uncle Sam will keep the deed. The person can break the lease and move if they need to without going into foreclosure and Uncle Sam can sell the property when and if appropriate. - FFing Enigma (aka Tina)

Yeah, I'm not sure I'm excited by the idea of Fannie Mae being a landlord. They do realize that renters generally trash the hell out of a house, right? The resale value when the market improves will be terrible. - Jason Huebel

@warlord: yes, thus my original metaphor. @Tina: don't bother; with David, everything is the President's fault and/or evil plan - Anthony Citrano from BuddyFeed

@ffing enigma You are right to point out that these houses have no monitary value to to the homeowner. Being on a lease that the owner can walk away from is a matter of value to the homeowner. @Anthony Owners evicted ejected from foreclosed home are notoriously abusive to the homes. They tend to take things like dishwashers, light fixtures and mantles. Worse, after they vacate the homes, the vandals go in and take whatever is left including copper wiring and water pipes. - Jimmy Walker

Everyone, mortgages and deeds are not like car titles and car loans. When your name is on a deed, regardless of whether you owe money to a bank or lender for the purchase (a transaction called a mortgage with all kinds of legal precedent on the rights that bestows), you own that property. You are responsible to the community it is in for taxes and duties regarding upkeep. That property... more... - Cole Jolley

Cole, the manner in which you describe mortgages is in fact no different than the way my current car payment works. My name is on the title, I am responsible for the taxes and duties of upkeep, I can use it as collateral, and I am free to resell it. The simple fact of the matter, though, is that my car on which I make payments and my house on which I make payments are mine *in name... more... - FFing Enigma (aka Tina)

Tina, actually it is quite different. If you purchased a car using a loan, the lender will be listed as a lienholder on your car title. Some lenders even maintain copy of that title until the loan is paid. You won't be able to transfer that title (i.e., sell the car) without their agreement. Title to property works differently. Conveyance is a matter of public record. Your rights to the... more... - Cole Jolley

This notion of "ownership" is a curious illusion, even when the property is debt free. You really can't own anything beyond the point where the law will recognize and protect your exclusive possession. Where the property is encumbered by debt, the law still protects the owner, until foreclosure, just as much as if it were debt free. Either way, we enjoy this illusion of ownership. It's no surprise that "owners" in bankruptcy cases propose to pay much more than the property is worth to preserve "ownership." - Jimmy Walker

LOL - I'm going to use that phrase - "ownership is a curious illusion" - sometime! - Cole Jolley

Oh man ... this is just crazy heart-breaking. - AJ Kohn

Oh wow. This took my breath away. - joey

Wow that is seriously one of the most thoughtful and heart breaking stories I have ever heard. - Nicholas Kreidberg

That is so cool, but must also have been so painful. - Spidra Webster

joey: Me too, literally. - Nicholas Kreidberg

Oh goodness... *cries* - Mellissa Jane

Wow... that's cute and incredibly heavy all at the same time. - SAM

It is so sad and heartwarming at the same time. Can't fathom what she must have gone through doing this and what her parents are going through finding the notes. - jamar78

ohhhh! girls are sensitive - ffcode

how her parents could come to terms with this; don't know what this feeling is called - ffcode

It's fake. 255 days later they find all this stuff? I call bullshit. And using your dead kid to sell books is pretty low. - KapitanObvious

It's a book to raise funds for a non-profit org. dedicated to fighting pediatric brain cancer. It's not as if they're taking the funds and vacationing in Hawaii. - pea ♥ fierce as a woozle

Still sounds fake. Too many holes. Sorry. - KapitanObvious

Story breaks my heart but as others have pointed out on other sites, it does seem a little fishy that nothing was noticed for a whole 255 days later. - Andrew Trinh

I would imagine that for the 255 days the little girl lived, her parents were totally focused on giving her quality of life, not really noticing much of anything else. After she's gone, part of the recovery process for the parents is to re-organise the home, whereupon they start to discover these things. Or perhaps they found one note in a semi-obvious place and decided to investigate.... more... - Slippy "Threadsbane" Lane

Aww that is so sweet. Poor girl had to go soon :( - AJ Batac

wow! - Loc

That doesn't appear to be too hard to do. - Derrick

+1 Der - Shey, Jamaican of FF

Oh, I left a post on his blog lecturing him about how he didn't grok why lists wouldn't work. Don't get me wrong, I like Robert. And part of the reason is he does get passionate about things. - AJ Kohn

lists in general or just on twitter aj? - mike "glemak" dunn from iPhone

@mike: mmmm, Twitter for the most part but I find lists overall to be pretty blunt instruments too. - AJ Kohn

oh yeah? what did u do man? - Bishal Adhikary

I gave him a lecture instead of a conversation. Everything is fine now. http://scobleizer.com/2009... - AJ Kohn

I've seen people asking to be put on lists of other people. If my followers did that to me, I'd block them on principal alone. - Anika

@Anika: Yup, that's how it's going to start. People asking to be put on lists. Trading membership on lists. Accounts set up specifically to get you on a list or lists. It's just ... foolish. - AJ Kohn

And you make a great point as far as being on one list, yet pushing tweets on a different subject. For some people that may be a turnoff, but I'm not going to stop being me because of that. - Anika

I agree with you. Who cares what list you're on? People are just going nuts over the new and shiny toy. - Trish R