Right. I have now sort-of-recovered from the sick shock of finding out, last Thursday, that if, as expected, everything remains the same with our endowment policy company (was Sun Alliance, now renamed to Phoenix. Same people. I wouldn't trust 'em as far as I could spit 'em, having missold us the policy in the first place and then gone to court for authority to
not pay out bonuses to more recent policy holders so they
can continue to pay out older policies. Or so I understand it from Ken...) by the end of the term, in 10 years time, we're going to be left
still owing half the original purchase price of the house - a.k.a. £27,000. That's over and above what we're already paying out in the endowment payments and mortgage interest. Sick shock is putting it mildly, actually - it's more like taking a step forwards and finding yourself falling off a cliff. Yes, we knew we were going to be lumbered with some sort of shortfall and have been trying to organise some way of coping with it, but this?
And before anyone asks, yes, we
did contact them when all the endowment kerfuffle came to light, and got the best deal we could under the circumstances - but the same applies now as then. We're freelance writers. Our income is irregular and very variable. Changing mortgage lenders isn't an option. No one wants to know.
We know the house is now worth more than twice what we paid for it. The problem is, even if we sold and paid off this mortgage, we wouldn't have enough to buy anything even remotely comparable. Besides, over and above all its desirable features - the location, the big garden, the nearby amenities - I love this house. It's the first place I was ever really happy. It's a home full of love and happiness, and we want to leave it to Kai when we're gone.
We really need that bestseller...
So - unless things change dramatically in the next six months the Australia holiday is out. It should still be possible for me to take Kai abroad - Paris is a possibility, or perhaps Italy: even with the expected rises in fuel prices the airlines
should still be competitive enough that we can manage something. (And yes, we must fly to the destination, Kai's never been on a plane and wants to so much.)
Other news - not much. My hands are swollen and painful, but that's as much stress as heat, I think. Should ease off soon - though I'm a bit concerned by the soft lump that keeps appearing between my index and middle fingers on my right hand. (Yes, I know, go and see a doctor...) Dentist for me tomorrow, and Kai's Sports Day on Wednesday (my turn to go, but at least they say they're providing seats this year). And next Tuesday is Kai's last ever day at his old school: I shall be going to the leavers' assembly.
More later...
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Joules *Dances with Haddock* Taylor
pontificated this at 4:45 pm
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