Update on my last post

Helen and I just spent the morning talking to so credit counselors, and there’s a real chance we may be able to salvage our situation, if Helen’s raise does in fact come through.

We initially thought we’d need somewhere in the neighborhood of $36-40K, but with a debt management program cutting some of our payments and interest rates — and the possibility that we could qualify for hardship programs based on Satchel’s medical condition — it’s looking more like $15K would allow us to reach our goal and save our house and car without taking a serious hit to our credit (right now, we’re both in the 700s on our credit scores).

This would allow us time to sell the house, if need be, and downsize, while keeping our credit high enough to purchase a smaller home.

I want once again to thank all of you who have been so generous to me and my family. For the first time in several months, I feel hopeful.

Please pass this post along to anyone you know who might be able to help. My wife and I have thus far tried to keep the boys from worrying about our hardship; with your help and charity — or if you’re opposed to this as charity, just consider access to pw archives and any new material a kind of service — we have a fighting chance.

We are roughly $10K away from solvency — which is a damn sight better position to be in than we thought was our situation last night.

And for that, again, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.