featherynscale: Schmendrick the magician from The Last Unicorn (Default)
[personal profile] featherynscale
Car bill will run approximately $300. I think that puts me at about $1800 in repairs for the past 6 months, which is equivalent to a low-end car payment.

On the bright side, the guy at the shop thinks he knows someone who is looking to buy a small car for cheap. I told him to talk to this alleged guy and see what he'd give me for the car. I have to imagine that this will be a better deal than whatever they're willing to give me in trade at the dealership. In any case, it's nice to have another option.

EDIT: Bonus round. I can't get a loan for a vehicle. The PARADE OF FAIL continues.

Date: 2007-10-29 07:22 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] diermuid.livejournal.com
Also keep in mind the insurance factor... cars under loans require full-coverage, and will have higher rates. Although a Toyota Yaris or Honda Odyssey will be much better on insurance rates than a "sporty" civic or SUV. Mik's DayGlo Shoebox was half the price of my minivan, but insurance was 30% more than coverage of both minivans and the motorcycle for me.

Date: 2007-10-29 08:09 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] featherynscale.livejournal.com
If I could get a loan, that would probably be relevant. As it is, I think it's plasma and blowjobs until I can pay cash for the thing. And I better hope I can command a good rate on blowjobs, cause I ain't got that much plasma. :-P

Date: 2007-10-29 08:26 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] celtic-elk.livejournal.com
*stifles the first several dozen comments*

Um...sorry to hear that....

Date: 2007-10-30 04:37 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] diermuid.livejournal.com
Well, the puzzle stated that money was not a factor... 8-)

Funny thing, my favorite martian was just talking about BJ rates yesterday... her sister gets $50 from the truckers down south, and it's a substantial side-income. That has MFM thinking that she can charge $100 since she is prettier than her sister. However, despite such high ambitions, she is still 4 months behind on her car payment. I suggested that at $20, it might be more work, but she would get a lot more takers. Her response was that $20 is meth-ho prices, and she's better than a meth-ho. I had to point out that if I wanted a BJ, not only do I have a number of her friends that have offered me a free one, but if I was going to pay, I would go for the Kmart generic brand, not the Dillard's overpriced one.

::shrug:: this topic is going beyond horrible, I think I'll stop digging now.

On the car, Anything you can get for cash will likely not be more reliable unless you pay quite a bit of cash... remember that everyone else is getting rid of THEIR car because it was too much trouble for THEM. 8-)

Dood, Mac.

Date: 2007-10-30 04:44 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] featherynscale.livejournal.com
He meant to say that money was not a factor, but typed the opposite -- I think he's corrected it now.

Thank you for your invaluable assistance in establishing 'market price' for a blowjob. :-P At trucker rates, I'm about 228 blowjobs from the car I'd like to buy. :) (I'm not considering buying the sort of car I could currently afford to pay cash for, as you mention, there's no percentage in it.)

Date: 2007-10-29 07:48 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] karinablack.livejournal.com
Zomg! :(
That's insane the number of repairs you've had to have!

Time to sacrifice it to the down-payment Gods.

Date: 2007-10-29 08:09 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] featherynscale.livejournal.com
Eh, most of it was one big one. :S

Date: 2007-10-29 08:18 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] otterkin.livejournal.com
How many places have you checked for loans? What about getting a co-signer?

Date: 2007-10-29 08:23 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] featherynscale.livejournal.com
Just my bank, which was the first stop because they're a credit union and the most ultra-liberal financial institution ever, and they know that a) I have money in the account and b) I deposit paychecks real regular-like (which is to say that they could automatically take the payment right out of the automatically deposited paycheck). They said no way, and also no way even if I got someone else to co-sign.

I have a hard time imagining that someone else will lend me the money when the people who can take it right out of my paycheck turned me down.

Date: 2007-10-29 08:34 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] otterkin.livejournal.com
Nah, there's just people who will give you a credit card with a $30,000 limit and 0% interest for six months...

I'd try a couple other places before giving up completely. Also get your free credit report; it's possible there's something on there that shouldn't be. And it can't hurt to ask your bank what, in particular, scared them off; it might be something you can fix. I was told once that canceling credit cards I don't use (mine were those "sign up for the card today and get 15% of your purchases" ones) would make people much more likely to give me a loan.

Date: 2007-10-29 08:39 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] featherynscale.livejournal.com
I don't have any credit cards. The thing that makes me ineligible is a bankruptcy filing from 2005. That's legitimate, and not coming off the report any time soon. There's nothing else on the record at all.

Date: 2007-10-29 08:52 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] otterkin.livejournal.com
Actually, NOT having credit cards is probably hurting you at this point. The only thing on your credit history is bankruptcy, so you need to prove you can make payments. It's dumb - you'd think staying solvent would be enough reason to think you're a good bet - but they want to know you can handle *credit*, not cash.

I guarantee you can get a credit card. So get one, charge $20/month on it, and pay it off each month. This will start to build up your credit to show you can actually handle it, in a language creditors understand. My dad went bankrupt a while back, and it didn't take 10 years for him to get another loan...you just have to play their game a bit.

Date: 2007-10-29 08:55 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] featherynscale.livejournal.com
Since 2005, I have tried to get a credit card three times, and been denied. Two of these were "secured" cards, where you give them money equaling the credit limit on the card up front. One was a normal card, and I was not alarmed to not get that one. The other two were... an odd experience. :(

Date: 2007-10-29 09:07 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] otterkin.livejournal.com
Wow, that *is* strange! Have you considered talking to a real "credit advisor" kind of person? It sounds like there's something different going on here...

Date: 2007-10-29 09:12 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] featherynscale.livejournal.com
I didn't know there were such people. How do you suppose one goes about finding one of them?

Date: 2007-10-29 09:15 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] otterkin.livejournal.com
I'd ask at the bank first. Be careful of "credit counseling agencies" - they can be shady. Ask to speak to a loan officer at your bank, and if they can't help you directly, I bet they can recommend someone.

Date: 2007-10-29 09:21 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] featherynscale.livejournal.com
The credit counseling agency people I have spoken to in the past, before I filed. They wanted me to just pay them all the money, but they wouldn't guarantee that all, or even any, of the money I paid would actually go to my creditors. Somehow, that didn't seem like it was going to be a good plan.

I will call the bank again and see if I can get anything of use out of them.

Date: 2007-10-29 10:47 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] otterkin.livejournal.com
Yeah, it's kind of like finding a good tarot reader (or similar). There are an awful lot of sham people out there, and there are some who are actually good. :) I don't know the title of the kind of person I'm thinking of - but they're closer to a CPA or a personal financial advisor than a for-profit credit counseling agency.

Poking around online, I found a couple interesting things. This article (http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Banking/BankruptcyGuide/BounceBackFastAfterBankruptcy.aspx) says that sometimes your credit report isn't annotated correctly to say that your outstanding loans were taken care of in the bankruptcy - so it looks like you filed for bankruptcy AND you still have all those outstanding loans that you haven't made a payment on in years! It also tells you how to get a free copy of your credit report, and how to decipher it. And this one (http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Banking/YourCreditRating/7FastFixesForYourCreditScore.aspx?page=2) tells you what big errors to look for on your report that may be artificially reducing your credit score.

Date: 2007-10-29 10:09 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dramaticaddict.livejournal.com
yeah, I have the same problem... I put checks in my account all the time, when I do accidentally overdraw my account (ultra rare now that im not with SUCK of America) it gets paid off immediately and is only by a few dollars.
but still, I cant get car insurance from several companies, or a loan for a house with payments lower than rent would be, all because I have no credit, and dont make enough to try to get any....
wtf?

Date: 2007-10-29 08:30 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] chainwoman.livejournal.com
Eh, I may be over stepping my boundaries and if so just let me know. Why can't you get a loan? My car payment is only $215/mo & my insurance only increased $10/mo, because my car is soo much safer than my older cars.

If it's a bad credit thing, spend the next month cleaning up your credit and saving. December is an awesome time to buy cars, especially the very very end as the dealers want them off the lot before New Years and most people are broke due to Christmas and not buying. Duking out two new cars over three years has taught me a lot if you need pointers.

Date: 2007-10-29 08:37 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] featherynscale.livejournal.com
I filed for bankruptcy in 2005 to get out from under the debts I ran up while trying to keep the Crap Ex Who Would Rather Leech Than Work in the lifestyle he preferred.

The cleaning up of credit at this point would require someone to actually give me credit, which no one will do. The cheerful woman from the bank suggested several way to acquire credit that I have already been turned down for in the past year since I came to the conclusion that I was going to have to buy a car before the bankruptcy came off my record, which I thought was supremely Not Fucking Helpful. I have savings. I can afford a car payment. I just can't afford the entire car at a go.

Date: 2007-10-29 08:44 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] chainwoman.livejournal.com
Can you get somebody to co-sign with you?

Dammit. Hit post too soon.

Date: 2007-10-29 08:46 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] featherynscale.livejournal.com
You know, I asked about that. They told me it would not be possible for them to loan me money even if I had someone co-sign the loan. Now, I have never heard of this before, so that was the really cranky-making part.

Re: Dammit. Hit post too soon.

Date: 2007-10-29 09:12 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] chainwoman.livejournal.com
Yeah, screw the banks. I only get a loan through a bank if I'm buying from a person. Otherwise, dealership wants to make the sale so they will jump through hoops to get you financed.

Re: Dammit. Hit post too soon.

Date: 2007-10-29 09:16 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] featherynscale.livejournal.com
I'll certainly try it. I can't keep driving the car I have, and walking to work would occupy more hours than I currently spend there, so a solution must be made manifest.

Re: Dammit. Hit post too soon.

Date: 2007-10-29 09:21 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] chainwoman.livejournal.com
Whatever you do, don't stay at the dealership through the whole process. They try to wear you down that way. Just fill out the credit app and tell them to call you.

Date: 2007-10-29 09:31 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] starrthinks.livejournal.com
I'm sorry you are having all this issues with your car!

Maybe you can find a decent buy here pay here type place? I hope it all works out.

Date: 2007-10-29 10:46 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] magdaleneseal.livejournal.com
Having been in your shoes before, may I offer you some advice? If you have filed for bankruptcy and it has been discharged over six months, you will have no problem financing a car on your own without a cosigner. Understand you will probably need a down payment of some kind. The interest rate will be high- but you should be able to to any major dealership and get financed. CarMax does work with people who are rebuilding their credit. We bought our truck from them and are very happy with it. Check around town and see what you can find before throwing in the towel.

Date: 2007-10-29 10:50 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] featherynscale.livejournal.com
I will certainly try. And CarMax was on my list of places to go anyway -- Asmodeus came from a CarMax, I believe.

I'm planning on making a $1500 down payment, so that part shouldn't be a problem... We'll see. Thanks for the good words.

I will second <lj user="chainwoman">

Date: 2007-10-30 12:25 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] celticwhistlin.livejournal.com
Going through a dealership for the loan is a good idea.

[livejournal.com profile] cerrunos got a good deal with Toyota of Olathe.

Date: 2007-10-30 01:29 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] matchgirl42.livejournal.com
I think this is a trickle down effect from the housing financial crisis; banks are tightening up their standards so that, even someone who would have qualified a week ago for a great loan now no longer qualifies.

That being said, I seem to remember a week ago hearing a commercial on the radio to whit that there was some kind of driving study going on, easier to qualify for, and there was just a $29/month payment. The small print talk went by for too quickly to catch most of it but I did hear the part "this payment is for 6 months only, after that regular payment applies," which makes me think it's a teaser rate. If I had to guess I'd say it was suzuki or Hyundai.

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