2007-09-27 - 2:10 p.m.

I just found this wonderful quote from a Loudoun Board of Supervisors meeting a few years ago. It is encouraging to me for a few reasons. The main one is that it affirmed a position I held that election year when I voted for the increase in taxes which was to go to our Loudoun Schools. It reminded me also that after voting I was BERATED by my husband at the time for having had an independent thought and having dared vote differently than he did.

But most encouraging is that the speaker who is quoted here seems to me to be a really good person and even better than that A LIBRARIAN.

Now I am not nor ever thought of becoming a librarian.

I have no idea WHY the notion never occurred to me, since librarys are my all time favorite places in the world!

But most of all, this is encouraging as the speaker also happens to be listed on the real estate data base as the OWNER of a home which I am hoping to rent.

Believe it or not, the wonderful arrangement I had to rent this incredible place right here in the neighborhood suddenly became shaken when

LO AND BEHOLD

The owner got an offer for its sale!

My lease was to move in OCT 1, and had the contingency that in the event of a sale I have 60 days left.

So I COULD hold the owner to that and have a new home only until DEC 1

HOWEVER , as his prospective buyer REALLY WANTS a place by OCT 15th and he is willing to give me a free months rent (That would be an additional $1850 in restitution) to sign a waiver and get out of our lease agreement, it seems the right thing to do.

So the day before yesterday I found a marvelous new prospective home, and filled out its application for rental.

That in and of itself was an incredibly ironic experience. I had my DAD on the application as a surity. So all seems OK until the listing agent called me yesterday and said "We are sorry, we forgot you have to sign one more form to give permission to run a credit check."

So I go in, and the form reads that it is a request to run a credit check FOR THE PURPOSE OF PREAPPROVAL FOR A MORTGAGE.

Hmmm... So I just change the language to "for purpose of lease" and sign it.

The realtor tells me it can't be altered. They can't have their mortgage broker who runs credit checks for them pull my credit without THAT UNALTERED RELEASE...

Hmmm....

I don't REALLY mind AS I AM TRUTHFULLY VERY INTERESTED in whether or not I could be preapproved for a mortgage based on my credit rating (which is very good thankfully!)

I KNOW already that there is NO WAY they will get that from my DAD. He WILL NOT LIE to say he is interested in a credit check for a mortgage WHEN HE IS NOT!

So I hoped that the one credit history from me would be sufficient.

It was actually rather funny how the real estate office was then thrown into confusion as to what to do. My favorite quote of the interaction I had was of the agent who insisted "We can't accept any other form, or any alteration as its the law. We have to do it this way"

I didn't tell her I think she might be a bit mistaken... that perhaps the law they are hoping to comply with is that of having PERMISSION before pulling credit reports, or that I am aware that they likely have some kickback arrangement, and SOMEONE gets paid based on how many prospective mortgage applicants they refer... etc... but kind of held back my chuckle, and stopped myself from being at all snippy and did my best to act like I believed that line of BS...

and did my best to not reveal my thought that maybe she really was just an idiot who didn't ever read contracts or understand that there is a violation of law when you compel people TO LIE in an agreement in order to do business with you...

as maybe, just maybe the real estate office that had the listing REALLY IS RUN BY PEOPLE who don't read forms they routinely process!

Maybe, they just don't realize its the culture of that office practice to ask people to lie!

In any case I did think it really somewhat funny, as it is likely the case this issue was just not noticed by many a realtor and many a client who all sign forms en mass... and the ACTUAL intent truly is to be ethical in having permission to run credit historys!

So here is the wonderful quote from a board of supervisor's meeting which encouraged me. It made me feel better as the realtor called today to say the owner is inclined to help me out and is strongly considering my application and looking forward to working with me. She just wants a few more things... like a copy of my child support order to confirm that income, and my Dad's tax return!

I left a message with my Dad... and thought "Good luck with this!" I think I will need it. I just doubt he will be comfortable faxing his taxes so he can be a co-signer--- but I hope he'll do it. Trying to get him to disclose some financial data in terms of figures as oppossed to things like "AAA CREDIT" and other lovely descriptors that fall short of actual NUMERICAL VALUES was a funny thing in this process as well. He was more guarded than I expected.

THe good news is that there are still those in the world who will help out. I am thrilled to have friend who is a realtor who was more than happy to call HIS broker and get a copy of my Dad's credit history BASED ON HIS VERBAL APPROVAL sent over to the listing realtor...

WHEW THANK GOD! There are some who know when rules are meant to be broken.

It seemed to him that to assist me in not being homeless it was a good time for he and his broker to pull that credit without written authorization!

And yet at THE SAME TIME I AM NOTHING BUT PROUD OF MY DAD'S And MY own Integrity. I am PROUD nothing could compel him to lie. I am proud that I too would rather risk homelessness than lie if that was the only thing that outcome hinged on.

That might seem crazy to some, but to me it is not at all. I don't believe that I won't have a place to live just because I am honest and won't lie on a form. (And I did fill out a new unaltered one in good conscience after thinking of how I AM considering a mortgage!! If the market keeps dropping and I get a job I might be looking in a year!)

Here's the encouraging quote from the words of my hopefully soon to be landlord. I take it as a really positive measure that the owner I hope to be leasing from is a caring, empathetic person who places value in things OTHER than money!

"I'm a resident of Loudoun County.
I'm a taxpayer. My husband and I own our home in Western
Loudoun. My son will attend Loudoun County Public
Schools. I was an English teacher at ^*^&$( #$*$ High
School. Currently, I'm a librarian at ^*$ &^$(% School.
Raise my taxes in order to fully fund the school budget. The budget already reflects cutting a librarian position at %&$(%$*^ School. In your advisory capacity, I hope that position is restored. ^*$&^$%*#)@ School has special needs and is projected to have even more students enrolled next year than this year.
Raise my taxes.
The school budget is about the children of Loudoun County Public Schools. I am advocating for
Loudoun County Public School Students. We need to stay
committed to them. We need to buy stock in them. The way
we do that is by fully funding the school budget. Raise
my taxes.
I know that you will be up late making
important decisions. The cups that we put on your places
up there will hold a lot of coffee. My colleagues
complain that I make strong coffee. Call me if you want
me to make it. Thank you."

NOW I THINK I NEED SOME STRONG COFFEE! I wrote in a break from searching through the myraid papers seeking a copy of my temporary child support order! IT IS HEAR SOMEWHERE AMONG ALL THE LEGAL PAPERS! UGH!!!

I hope to find it soon, fax it and hopefully hear some good news about a new home SOON. I'd hate to think I lost out on a home because of being disorganized with my own paperwork and not being able to confirm my support amount... so back to the search. Thank God Alexy is napping and Raitlin is happily playing.

Our home here is just a mess of boxes and stuff strewn everywhere as we try to get packed and organize and clean. The packing takes up time I otherwise use for daily housekeeping so I let that slide the last few weeks to get packing done. The result now is a total wreck! I can't WAIT to be done and clean! I can't wait to move and get organized in a new home!

�

�