From Fear to Empowerment

OK, so, we're selling our home. Not because we want to, but because we can no longer afford mortgage payments and our debt load. A private investor has come forward to buy the house, and last night, he made me feel about 12 years old. He kept spouting off these financing terms I don't understand, and when I asked for clarification, he really didn't explain, he repeated himself. My first instinct was to tell him to bug off, and go back to the realtor who helped us buy the house. But, we really need to rake in some cash to make this work, and I'd rather save the 4-6% in realtor fees. I cried a little bit, and this morning, I started to do things do inform and protect us. I found some pamphlets that explain escrow and the costs of buying/selling, I ordered our free credit reports to find out exactly where we stand (on shaky ground, I already know that), I asked a friend in the know for advice on how to estimate the market value of our home, and I contacted an attorney!

QUOD: How do you find a family lawyer to represent you in a broad range of personal interests?
A: Get hired to write a tagline, postcard, and some web copy for a law firm, and get to know them just well enough in client meetings to make a connection, and feel like you could trust them. Coe Law: Counsel for life and your life's work. For the first time ever, I may "retain" an attorney. Big step. This from a woman who doesn't feel like a grown up because she doesn't have a bed frame for her mattress, and whose husband still keeps his underwear and socks in milk crates on a shelf.