Category Archives: racketeering

United Breaks Guitars

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Eventually, all of us in this fight for homeowners rights get discouraged. The goal of educating other homeowners is frustrating. Often it seems impossible. We wonder how we can make even a little dent in the massive corruption that infests and characterizes the Homeowners Association movement.

But don’t ever doubt your power as a individual human being to change the world.

Back in 2009, Dave Carroll, a musician from Nova Scotia, was frustrated when his expensive Taylor guitar was severely damaged through the negligence of United Airlines. He was even more frustrated by the callous handling of his damage claim. He couldn’t fight back. But as a musician, he could write a song.

Now, Carroll is a star on the international speakers circuit. He’s making a fortune with his CDs, his books, his concerts and his personal appearances.

Dave Carroll is just one voice out of seven billion. Yet since 2009 his song and his story have been viewed and have impacted more than 150 million people. And United Airlines has spent a fortune trying to repair its damaged image.

The new paradigm is social media. And you and I, my friends, are squarely in the middle of the revolution.

Here’s link to Carroll’s TEDx talk, along with his song, United Breaks Guitars:

Growing Impact of HOA Fees

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The link below gave me some pause to reflect.

It shows the growing impact of HOA fees on different types of neighborhoods. In recent years, more and more people have been moving away from private family homes into life in a condo. The decrease of available land, the mandate by many large businesses that employees should live closer to the city core, and the relatively lower cost of condo living are among the reasons for the demographic shift.

But knowing what we all know about the false promises of ‘easier living,’ the figures below are a little scary. Living in America is all about choice, isn’t it? But more and more we are all losing our God-given freedom of choice. In addition, we are paying higher and higher fees, fines and special assessments for the privilege of living in an HOA-controlled condo.

(link to growing footprint of HOA fees)

 

 

There’s Gotta Be A Better Way!

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There’s yet another home confiscation in Florida, this one in the Waters Edge Homeowners Association. A young Florida family got behind in their HOA dues and their home was snatched right out from under them.

Young families are not wise to the ways of the world. They don’t understand how profoundly corrupt organizations like the HOA movement can simply steal what they own. Young people trust in the honesty of neighbors and neighborhood lawyers. Sadly, too many families who are just searching for a dream end up living a nightmare.

(link to WFTV story on homeless family)

 

Another Sign We’re Winning the HOA Wars!

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The article linked below is exceedingly long. But it’s another sign the mainstream media are finally ‘getting it.’

(link to HOA story in the Houston Press)

http://www.houstonpress.com/news/tipping-point-in-huntington-village-the-community-association-has-all-the-power-7998755

A Fiscal Tidal Wave Coming To America?

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For several years I’ve warned readers of this website that this country is facing a massive fiscal crisis because of too many years of profligate spending. It’s not just the U.S. government, either. It’s China, Russia, Japan, Greece, Brazil, Portugal, Ireland and many others. Because these countries don’t back up their currencies with cold, hard assets, the value of these fiat currencies is whatever the respective government says it is. If a government overspends, then it just devalues its currency and uses inflation to lessen the pressure of its federal debt.

That’s a ponzi scheme, and ever since Charles Ponzi’s stamp selling scam in Boston in the 1920s, the world has known that even legitimate businesses (or governments) that continually spend more than they take in…eventually collapse.

On this website I’ve occasionally warned you that a fiscal calamity could ripple across the nation’s Homeowners Associations and because of a history of mismanagement by HOA bullies, mortgage companies will be increasingly reluctant to lend money where neighborhood associations are mired in a pattern of litigation. If a home buyer can’t get a mortgage to buy your house, what is your house really worth? Did the HOA really fulfill its promise to protect your property values?

Now, going one step further, pay very close attention to news events of this next week. A fiscal disaster that could profoundly affect the U.S. housing market could happen as early as next weekend. Oil prices across the world have collapsed to under thirty dollars a barrel. Some on Wall Street say the price could eventually go as low as sixteen dollars a barrel.

Saudi Arabia, one of America’s staunchest allies, is panicking. Oil sales amount to 75% of that country’s income. For years, the Saudis have pegged the value of the riyal to the U.S. Dollar. If they pull that peg and the riyal is devalued against the dollar, then Katy bar the doors. There’s no one who can predict how this will impact the world economy.

Massive inflation might help the individual who holds a large fixed interest mortgage. For many decades homeowners have been able to inflate their mortgages away. But a frightened financial industry doesn’t like to offer reasonably priced mortgages in risky neighborhoods.

I’m not an economist so I’m open to criticism. But these are interesting times, aren’t they?