Its been the best credit weekend I've had since I closed on my house. I want to thank everyone here who has helped me with all the great advice I've received. I seriously couldn't have achieved any of my dreams without you all. I lurked on these pages long before posting.
I grew up middle class and lived a middle class life (some might even say upper middle class life) until 2004. I knew very little about credit. When my credit was destroyed in 2004-05 I knew nothing other than pay your bills on time, every time and you'd be fine. In 2004 my ex husband decided it was a good idea to become a raging alcoholic. IN 2004 he got a DUI and spent 28,000.00 of our savings to get out of it even though he was guilty as sin. He proceeded to get 3 more DUI's and he spent the rest of our savings (over 70 thousand) trying unsuccessfully to get out of those charges. So the last year we were married he was in and out of jail for 3 different DUI offenses. He would get out for a few days then have to go right back in. During that time I was in a wheel chair from a badly broken ankle. I had 4--5/6 hour long surgeries in 5 days. At first they wanted to amputate but I threw fits and wouldn't allow them to cut off my foot. They said I would never walk again but I KNEW I would.
We were married in 1980 and over the years we built up a fairly successful construction company. I was the office manager, gofer, painter, construction clean up crew, payroll and accounts manager, I put together the materials lists, etc. Suffice to say over the years I did a little bit of everything. He was the talent. He the skills and he had a good reputation for honesty and quality work. We had vacations in Cancun, the Virgin Islands, taking our child to Disney land and Disney World, etc., kind of life. I had a housekeeper because I was so busy. We had a lovely home, nice cars/trucks and we were able to give our daughter a new car on her 16th birthday..paid for in cash. Life was great-- Until he started hitting the bottle heavily that is.
By 2005 we were flat broke. We lost the business and our home. I was homeless. I had no family to go to. I was too proud to turn to any friends. I did get to keep my car since it was paid for. Never having been forced to deal with homelessness before I was terrified. I loaded up my car with brilliant things like my computer, my clothes, cosmetics, blow dryer etc, 1 pillow, 1 blanket and our 2 dogs. I could walk by that time but not very well. Since I had unpaid medical bills I couldn't continue going the doctor much less to therapy but I did continue the exercises on my own. That was in Movement of 2005.
At night I lived in the Walmart parking lot. During the day I tried to find some place to rent but with my credit in the gutter and two dogs, no one would take me. All my credit cards had been cancelled. I had no money. Even gas to look for a place was an issue. It was getting colder and colder and I was going hungry. The only place I could sort of clean up was in convenient store restrooms. Luckily my dogs didn't have to go hungry as I did think to load a 30 pound dog of dog for for them. Otherwise is was a nightmare I wouldn't wish on anyone.
Finally on Dec 15 2005 I convinced a man to rent me a very shabby trailer in an even shabbier trailer park. The only way he would let me move in was if I could pay the first and last months rent, a large deposit and a pet deposit x 2. AND I had to beg and beg him to let me do that. I promised him I wouldn't ever let him down. He gave me a very doubtful look but he accepted the cash that I had pawned all of my jewelry to get. The very first thing I did was to take a long hot bath and wash my hair. No bath ever felt so good in my life. I had to dry off with clothes because I hadn't thought to take any towels. Brilliant, huh? .
I had no furniture so I slept on the floor but it felt good having a roof over my head and heat. Oh the heat...how good that felt. I didn't have a television but it wouldn't have mattered since I couldn't afford to pay a cable bill. Since, being such a genius when I was packing my things I had taken my computer I did at least have music I had downloaded and lots of pictures of my former life. I could barely stand to look at those. No internet, no house phone and I didn't have a cell phone either. I didn't know what I was going to do but I knew I had to do something fast. I was pushing 50 years of age. I had a high school diploma and about 3 mins (okay 3 semesters of college) as my educational background. I found there just isn't much demand for 49 year old, crippled ( I limped very badly still) ex wife in the work force. I couldn't even get a job flipping burgers and I did try. I applied for every job I could find out about to no avail. Because of my shame I had "moved," in an area where I didn't know a single solitary soul. I was becoming more and more terrified with each passing day. I had one more ring I could pawn if I didn't get a job by the time the rent and utilities were due but I didn't think it would be enough to cover both rent and electricity. Water was included in my rent thank goodness.
Finally I went to the library to access the free internet and I attempted to put up an ad saying that I would clean houses. There were I don't know how many similar ads, most poorly written but at least they had phone numbers to call. It dawned on me that I couldn't even get a job cleaning houses without a phone so I spent a few precious dollars on a tracfone, then I went back to the library and put up my ad but I fibbed on it. I said __ __ Cleaning services had two openings to clean residences on Fridays only. All work was guaranteed and for a free estimate call _____. I got a call that very afternoon. Since no one had my phone number I answered __ ___Cleaning Services this is ___, how may I help you? Wanting to appear busy I said we couldn't get someone out to give her an estimate that day but could the next afternoon. I went, gave her a very cheap estimate and got the job. I was thrilled. Meanwhile I had talked talked my landlord into letting me do the cleanups on the move outs and thankfully those were frequent. I got a few more calls and a few more jobs and pretty soon I was in business. Still sleeping on the floor, still no furniture but at least I could pay my rent and electric bills. Food was another matter. For three weeks I lived on 1 pack of crackers, half a jar of peanut butter and 2 cans of Vienna Sausages. UGH but you will eat anything if you get hungry enough. My Christmas dinner in 05 was a few saltines and one can of Vienna Sausages. I had saved them for Christmas.
I lived in that trailer park surrounded by crack heads and drug addicts of all types for 2 years. I always paid my rent on time. I kept my place in the best shape of any and ended up being the favorite tenant of my landlords. I still didn't know anything about credit and wasn't really thinking about it very much because I was trying to pay off all the liens and bills my ex and I had left behind. During that time I met a woman who cleaned offices at night and she gave me a job so I was working night and day and paying everything I could on those bills. Then I got a break. One of the people I worked for by then knew the truth of my story and offered me a job working for the state. I jumped on that opportunity so I would have health insurance. I continued working nights cleaning offices. One night in 2007 I was watching TV and Warren Buffet was on saying how it was the very best time to get into the stock market because stocks had never been any lower and the only place they could go was up. I had 1500.00 to my name that I had intended to pay on my old bills but instead I took a chance and started investing. By 2010 I had paid all of the liens and bills in full.
Then I started to learn about credit repair. I got my secured Capital One card, started lurking on another credit forum and finally I found this one and the rest as they say is history, lol.
Sorry this post was so long but this is something I have wanted to get out for so long and you guys are my victims. I should note that when I finally was able to buy a house I did come back to the area I was from. I got to transfer on my job and now everything is really starting to go in my favor. For those not familiar with me, I got my first prime card over the weekend and a 1000.00 limit increase on my Walmart card and its because of all of you that I have been able to accomplish being a home owner with decent credit scores.
Thank you all from the very bottom of my heart. You cant imagine how much this all means to me.
Closed on home Jan 30, 2013. Yay!
Capital One (secured) $1000.00 | Capital One (former Orchard Bank) $500.00 | First Premier $500.00 | Credit One Bank $750.00 | Wal-Mart $3550.00 | Citi Thank You Preferred $6,800.00 | Discover It $4,800.00 | AMEX BCE $4,500.00
TU:552 | EQ:561 | EX:567 | Starting Score [LP from 08]
Discover IT $17k / US Bank Ace (VSig) $13.5K / US Bank Cash+ (VSig) $13.5k
Starting Score: 639 (Walmart TU)
