MOVING OUT

WINCHESTER, CA--The Filipino couple has given up the house on Summer Grape Court after moving into it in 2008 when they relocated from Amarillo, Texas in late 2006. The monthly amortizations were eating our incomes, says the husband, a nurse, like his Pangasinan-born wife. They belong to one of the highest paid professions in America, but most of their earnings went into taxes and the amortizations ($4,000 per month).

With the worldwide economic meltdown hitting the USA two or three years ago, their house which was purchased for more than $450,000 suddenly went down in value to more than half the original price. And they were paying the same monthly remittance to the bank! They were not alone, of course, in that situation as more than a million homeowners across the USA have also put their homes either on the auction block or have these dwelling foreclosed or repossessed by the bank. In their case, their house was sold (short sale) which was better than foreclosed with respect to their credit score--they could buy a house again after 15 months.

The house in Menifee is much smaller than that of Winchester, so they have to downsize with respect to the furniture. Some furniture and other household items have remained unopened since the transfer because it was difficult to find their proper places. A sofa--it had cost them $3,000--was given free to a relative in the Los Angeles area. Another sofa and a dining table are outside the house, exposed to the elements like the rains now falling steadily.

There is a phenomenon in America; companies building small homes for sale and multi-families living together in 4-bedroom houses and 2-car garages. Some Americans are building their own homes, no more than a kalapaw by Philippine standards. Of course, these structures have all the amenities of a modern American home minus some appliances.




Photo caption: The 2-story 4 bedroom house on Summer Grape Court (bottom, right)and the house in Menefee(top, right, which is also 2-storey, but smaller.. The furniture in the front sala of the house in Summer Grape Court, where I used to do my emails and writing with my laptop.