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Strawberry Picker Buys $720,000 House on $15,000/year Income


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2007 Apr 13, 7:12am   24,353 views  336 comments

by HARM   ➕follow (0)   💰tip   ignore  

This is not a joke.

Strawberry Picker Buys $720,000 House on $15,000/year Income

HARM

P.S. Sorry about the lazy post. I didn't have time to come up with something witty, but I'm sure you'll be able to help me out in that department.

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14   sfbubblebuyer   2007 Apr 13, 7:52am  

DinOR,

She probably hoped to help them unload it at a higher price... i bet she double dipped the first sale and was planning on double dipping the second sale.

This skyrocketing market was good for Realtors and MBs in that it allowed them to get serial customers with a timeframe in the months instead of decades. I bet if we look hard enough, we'll find strawberry pickers who've had 3-4 homes in the last 5 years, and made a little money on each one until this last one, and now need 'bailing out'.

15   DinOR   2007 Apr 13, 7:53am  

I also recall that this $720,000 (now "worth" $520,000) home is outside of Hollister. Evidently they couldn't afford the bustling metropolis of Hollister proper so the home is at least close to their work. It should also be apparent that the long time residents view the new arrivals as being "there for the taking".

16   cb   2007 Apr 13, 7:53am  

Back in 2000, we were looking to trade up to a bigger house from a townhouse. We made a little money from dot-com options and the stock market so the downpayment was substantial. I didn't want to use my wife's income and also wanted a 15 year mortgage. With that in mind, I figured the most expensive house we can afford was $650K. I was just not happy about what $650K would get us and refused to pull the trigger. There were many fights between the wife and I because she would say I am too conservative. I guess I am comparing to the strawberry picker and the couple who bought the 1.3M house on 200K downpayment.

17   DinOR   2007 Apr 13, 7:56am  

SFBB,

In that light, it makes sense. Who knows how many otherwise decent people this lady ef'd over? And how many are there just like her?

18   Allah   2007 Apr 13, 8:04am  

This guy definetly deserves a bailout! After all, how could he have possibly known that he couldn't afford it?

19   astrid   2007 Apr 13, 8:11am  

I move to call any mistake, snafu, error, quagmire, etc. "Iraq."

Ex: The war in Iraq is an Iraq because it landed us in Iraq.

20   Peter P   2007 Apr 13, 8:15am  

I reserve my judgment on Iraq. It is still too early to ascertain whether there might have been an error. Time will inevitably tell.

21   HARM   2007 Apr 13, 8:15am  

Just to clarify:

National Council of La Raza (NCLR) = hispanic/immigrants rights advocacy group
Lladró = Spanish manufacturer of fine porcelain figurines.

22   HARM   2007 Apr 13, 8:17am  

I reserve my judgment on Iraq. It is still too early to ascertain whether there might have been an error. Time will inevitably tell.

You've gotta be kiddin' me.

23   Peter P   2007 Apr 13, 8:24am  

Sorry to have spoken in Greenish.

I hope the troops can come home soon. But I will let history judge any war.

24   astrid   2007 Apr 13, 8:33am  

Google buys DoubleClick, that's pretty evil.

25   Allah   2007 Apr 13, 8:38am  

I suspect there is more to the story than this. As SFBubbleBuyer pointed out, the plan was to “get in while the gettin’ is good” - rake in the commissions on the sale, and the fees on the mortgage and then flip the house for a profit after a while. Possibly with a sweet little gratuity for the strawberry-picker, for co-operating so nicely.

You forgot the last part, the backup plan in case things don't turn out the way they planned - The Taxpayer Bailout!

26   Peter P   2007 Apr 13, 8:38am  

Nothing else actually matters with these modern wars since we stopped colonizing and adding square footage to the nation some time ago.

And they are not making any more land.

27   Allah   2007 Apr 13, 8:40am  

$120 billion is a lot of money, and even that probably won't even be enough!

Still economists say bailout could have the effect of causing more defaults. "If the plan is to pay off loans when people quit, then I plan to quit paying my loan," says Michael Englund, chief economist at Action Economics.

28   Randy H   2007 Apr 13, 8:40am  

The Housing Bubble correction will be no Waterloo. It will be a freaking Dresden.

29   Randy H   2007 Apr 13, 8:41am  

There, I worked in Vonnegut. (Slaughterhouse-Five for anyone wondering).

30   Carl in Berkeley   2007 Apr 13, 8:44am  

So it goes.

31   DaBoss   2007 Apr 13, 8:48am  

So these were the Deep Pocket Foreigners we all heard about.

How about that... Cherry picker buys a $750K home...
Didnt all the Shills keep saying this will continue to drive prices
higher...

32   Peter P   2007 Apr 13, 8:51am  

Only people who have any “right” to hope the govt helps them out are true victims of fraud, e.g. where there was forgery.

Even if outright crimes where committed, the loan victims should not be bailed out.

If I get mugged on the street, can I get compensated by the government?

33   Peter P   2007 Apr 13, 9:03am  

Prices in the city continue higher yet again. Very frustrating for buyers.

I do not want to live in the city. Rolling hills are more important.

I played my rainiest round of golf in Watsonville. It is just over the hills from Gilroy.

34   Peter P   2007 Apr 13, 9:04am  

What is so good about the city anyway? Cities are bums magnets.

35   Phil   2007 Apr 13, 9:06am  

http://www.ranchogrande.com/San%20Jose.html

Cant understand a word on that page. Anyone care to translate what she is saying?

36   Randy H   2007 Apr 13, 9:08am  

Peter P

Victims of muggings do often get some form of "bailout". Many times they qualify for various government assistance programs if they are truly in need. They also will receive various forms of help from private support non profit agencies.

37   DaBoss   2007 Apr 13, 9:09am  

This was from 2002...

MGIC executive: Homeownership will climb
By MICHELE DERUS
Journal Sentinel
Posted: April 23, 2002
Homeownership will climb to 70% or more of U.S. households this decade, giving the mortgage industry more than $1 trillion in business, an MGIC Investment Corp. executive said Monday.

Most growth is expected to come from immigrants and minorities, two fast-growing groups "who are significantly below the average homeownership rate - at about 48%," said J. Michael Lauer, the Milwaukee-based insurer's executive vice president and chief financial officer.

Many will have less than a 20% down payment and will require mortgage insurance, boosting the fortunes of companies such as MGIC, Lauer said.

Homeowners will generate between $1 trillion and $2 trillion in mortgage originations this decade, and nearly one in five loans will require mortgage insurance, he said.

Lauer's comments came at UBS Warburg's 2002 Global Financial Services Conference in New York, Webcast to the media and investment community.

America's homeownership rate, now at 68% of households, could hit 71% or more by 2010, Lauer said.

"We expect 15 million new homeowners this decade," he said.

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=37251&format=print

And today they cant even pay due to resets....

BAHAHAHAHAHAHA

38   Randy H   2007 Apr 13, 9:10am  

BigBrother

Thanks. I knew real economics was useless. From now on I'll be sure to follow your NARonomics.

39   FormerAptBroker   2007 Apr 13, 9:12am  

Someone posted a while back that they thought rich white professionals would “gentrify” the barrios of San Mateo and Redwood City.

From what I have seen almost all the sales in crappy parts of San Mateo, Redwood City and the Bayview/Hunters Point have been to low income minorities who don’t speak English or understand the term “NegAm/IO”…

P.S. Almost all the Realtors and Mortgage brokers that have been “helping” these minorities “buy a piece of the American Dream” have been high income minorities who have been making boat loads of money (often selling property that they own themselves) since the minorities usually believe that someone from their country will not screw them…

40   Peter P   2007 Apr 13, 9:12am  

Many times they qualify for various government assistance programs if they are truly in need. They also will receive various forms of help from private support non profit agencies.

Wow. I always worry that I will get robbed and then slapped with a gift-tax bill. :)

41   Peter P   2007 Apr 13, 9:14am  

since the minorities usually believe that someone from their country will not screw them

LOL. Greed is the universal currency.

42   sfbubblebuyer   2007 Apr 13, 9:15am  

I think Prop 13 should be interpereted to make the 2006 buyers' property taxes grow at 2% a year. See how long until they pay the same as people who buy in a few years.

43   DaBoss   2007 Apr 13, 9:23am  

"What is so good about the city anyway? Cities are bums magnets."

I guess you never had a real Italian Cannoli ?
Saw 100 people running in the street buck naked on Saturday Afternoon?
Saw a live show (Rock, Pop, Opera in the ParK, etc etc ) ?
Went to a Art gallery ?
Went to a baseball football or Golf event ?
Been to a actual trade or hobby convention ?
Go to a night club, where the women actually do go back to your place for the evening ?

I dont see this happening in the SouthBay or San Mateo County, Did you...
... frankly one Wine Festival is all can tolerate for the summer?

44   skibum   2007 Apr 13, 9:24am  

I guess you never had a real Italian Cannoli ?

I beg to differ. SF doesn't have real Italian cannoli. They pale in comparison to those you can get in NYC, Boston, or Philly.

45   DaBoss   2007 Apr 13, 9:25am  

Randy H -

Saw your 1996/2006... that was great man!
Dont you want to Bitch slap the banks?
and ask "Whats a matter with you!"

46   skibum   2007 Apr 13, 9:25am  

I will agree that most of the South Bay is a soul-sucking oppressive hell.

47   sfbubblebuyer   2007 Apr 13, 9:25am  

I lived in SF in my early/mid twenties. Loved it. Not exactly where I want to raise my kids, however. I'd like a yard. :)

48   DaBoss   2007 Apr 13, 9:28am  

I guess you never had a real Italian Cannoli ?

Try Marahs on Columbus....

The point being ... you aint got nothing in the
south bay! Damn boring.

49   DaBoss   2007 Apr 13, 9:30am  

"South Bay is a soul-sucking oppressive hell."

Your being way to nice about the South Bay!

50   DaBoss   2007 Apr 13, 9:30am  

"South Bay is a soul-sucking oppressive hell."

Your being way to nice about the South Bay!

51   Peter P   2007 Apr 13, 9:33am  

I beg to differ. SF doesn’t have real Italian cannoli. They pale in comparison to those you can get in NYC, Boston, or Philly.

Many of my favorite restaurants are not in SF.

NYC has much better Italian food.

Saw 100 people running in the street buck naked on Saturday Afternoon?

Can I have them arrested for indecent exposure?

Went to a Art gallery ?

Europe has more.

Went to a baseball football or Golf event ?

You mean crowd?

Been to a actual trade or hobby convention ?

I have been to a gemstone show in San Rafael. I Bought a Tibetan meditation bowl.

Go to a night club, where the women actually do go back to your place for the evening ?

Huh?

52   Peter P   2007 Apr 13, 9:34am  

The point being … you aint got nothing in the south bay! Damn boring.

There are plenty of good restaurants on the Peninsula though.

53   Peter P   2007 Apr 13, 9:35am  

Los Altos has a much nicer downtown. It has fewer weird people walking around.

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