Jane Powell, the author, not the actress!

I've made a separate page for the February 12th benefit with a photo of the house and the invitation. And we have a sub-page for the Silent Auction! (Click on Save the Bunga-Mansion Benefit above and the Silent Auction page will drop down.) Only a few of the items are listed so far, but more donations are showing up every day. In addition to the items shown, we have four Posters from Bradbury and Bradbury Art Wallpaper, THREE design consults (one from yours truly, one from Debey Zito of Debey Zito Furniture and Design, and one from Michelle Nelson (some of her design work is featured in my article in the current Old House Journal: http://www.oldhouseonline.com/fireplace-ideas-for-bungalows/) Keep checking back as new auction items will be posted daily.

There should be an article in the San Francisco Chronicle later this week. Also, if you missed it, the article from Sunday's Oakland Tribune: http://www.insidebayarea.com/oakland-tribune/ci_19791304

Also, if you plan to attend the benefit, please RSVP. I know it's annoying, but we'd like to have a vague idea of how much food and drink we might need.

The temporary modification papers arrived on Friday. It started out, "As your loan servicer, we are committed to working with you to help make your payment more affordable." Translation: " We don't give a damn about you but we need some good PR." The second paragraph goes on to say, "At this point, however, it is important for you to understand that you have not yet met all of the qualifications for a Permanent Modification. In order to qualify, you must first comply with the provisions of this Trial Period Plan. We will then evaluate your qualifications for a Permanent Modification." Translation: "You're obviously a deadbeat, and we're going to see if you can pay on time for three months, even though you'd been making the real payment on time from 2006 until quite recently. Besides, it will give us time to get the foreclosure ready to switch into high gear when we eventually deny you the Permanent Modification, which we will do, based on the fact that a) you don't make enough money, or b) you make too much money, or c) whatever other reason we can come up with."

So the Trial Period payment will be $1493.91. This includes an impound for taxes and insurance, because impound accounts are a profit center for the servicer, as they get the use of your money for most of the year before they have to pay the property taxes or the insurance. And also, you know, us deadbeats can't be trusted to pay our own taxes. But whatever. It's certainly more do-able than $2600, which is the real payment. Of course, when eventually they deny the Permanent Modification, as I fully expect they will, they will immediately send a bill for the difference, plus an previous arrears, late fees, and any other fees they can think to tack on (The Annoying Deadbeat Fee? The How Dare You Call Us On The Phone Fee?), which will all be due and payable immediately. Since few people are able to pay all this at once, or they wouldn't need a freaking modification, they can then go on with the foreclosure they've wanted to do all along.

But I will play their little game. And save money for a lawyer.

Thanks to all who have sent donations- the response has been awesome. We're getting a lot of excellent donations for the silent auction, and hope to have that page up soon, as well as a list of supporters. It's going to be a very excellent party.

Also, the press coverage begins: http://www.insidebayarea.com/oakland-tribune/ci_19791304

_I know my house is excessive. Even though I call it the bunga-mansion, I’m not sure it really qualifies as a mansion. But it is a very large house (3800 square feet). Clearly when Jesse Matteson built it, he was part of the 1%. The Matteson’s had servants (how many is unknown)- they were housed next door in a house he had built in 1903, on the other side of the tennis court. Finding out about this cleared up a question I had when I first bought the house- why was there no maid’s room or other servant quarters in the house? The Matteson’s were clearly part of the upper social strata in Oakland- their garage-warming party in 1906 was written up in elaborate detail in the society pages of the Oakland Tribune.

I could still use servants- or some kind of paid help. Even after being subdivided, the lot is still 10,000 square feet, and a gardener would be extremely useful. Right now all the fruit trees need to be pruned, but it’s a choice between that and working on the floor in the green bedroom, or finishing the kitchen, or replacing another part of the roof, or replacing the rotted wall at the front of the porch, or fixing the slant of the back porch so that water drains better, or putting stain on the new shingles on the back porch, or epoxying some rafter tails, or fixing the gutters, replacing the non-matching downspouts, painting the ceiling in my bedroom (it’s sky blue- I have woken up every morning for nearly ten years and thought, “I hate that ceiling.”), etc., etc.

A cook would be nice too. I don’t get home from work until after seven, and by the time I fix something to eat it’s often nearly eight. Like all single people my dinners tend to the “chicken breast and a salad” school of cooking. Sometimes I just don’t have the energy and end up eating a bowl of cereal.

I do have a housecleaner. Don’t start throwing mental tomatoes- yes, I am financially desperate, but she only comes for four hours every other week, and it’s the only thing keeping me from killing my housemates, because they are all messy. I’ve become a slob too, more from stress and lack of time, because actually I really can’t stand clutter.

An administrative assistant would be nice, too. Someone to do my Quickbooks data entry, answer my e-mail, do filing, keep track of where the hell I’m supposed to be at any given time- that would be awesome.

The 1% have no idea how easy their lives really are. It makes me furious when some overpaid hedge fundie starts talking about how hard he works and how hard it is to make ends meet on $500,000 a year.

So yeah, as some troll commented on an earlier post, I’m just sitting around in my mansion eating bon-bons and whining about how hard my life is. I don’t even like bon-bons. Hell, I don’t even know what bon-bons are.

Every time GMAC tells me they have all the paperwork they need, I don't believe them, but I can never get them to cop to it. Instead, two or three days later I get a letter asking for something else. The latest they wanted was IRS Form 4506T- this allows them to order  copies of my tax returns. I did, of course, send them a tax return in the original packet, but clearly I must have cooked the numbers on that one, conspiring with my tax preparer to do so. (Well, she is my sister.) Anyway, I called them today to make sure they received the 4506T, and to ask if they needed anything else. "The application is complete," said the GMAC rep (still not the mysterious and elusive Nicole Nesby). "That's what you told me on January 4th, yet two days later I got a letter asking for the 4506T, as well as for the three separate months of Profit and Loss statements, which I had already sent," I replied. More checking. She comes back to the phone, says, "You're scheduled to start a temporary modification on February 2nd." "What?!!" I said, "No one has said anything to me about a temporary modification."  So it turns out that once again they sent a letter instead of calling, and it was mailed last Friday, thus it is not here, due to the MLK holiday.

Don't get excited- this is all part of the game. The idea behind HAMP (Home Affordable Mortgage Program) is that if you faithfully paid the temporary payment for three months, you would then get a permanent modification. Except it's not really permanent, it only lasts five years, and I'm not at all sure that anyone really knows what happens at the end of that time. That was the theory- here is the reality. You pay the reduced payment for three months, or six months, or a year, or however long the servicer wants to dick you around, and then, at the end of that time, they announce that you don't qualify for the permanent mod, and by the way, here's a bill for all of your previous arrears, plus the difference between the modified payment and the original payment, and that totals, oh, twenty thousand dollars or so, and it's all now due and payable in a lump sum. Oh, you can't pay it? Well, then we'll just have to start foreclosure proceedings, which is what we wanted to do all along, because seriously, the thousand dollars we get from Treasury for doing a modification doesn't even cover the coffee we have to give our employees to put up with all you deadbeat homeowners whining. The fees from foreclosure are at least twenty times that, maybe more. Everybody gets screwed in a foreclosure except us- the homeowner, the neighborhood, the city, the county (well, we were already screwing them out of billions with the Mortgage Electronic Registration System- we just have to go on pretending it's a big proprietary database that is very complex, in order to cover up the reality that it's just a giant Excel spreadsheet that no one is checking for accuracy).

Needless to say, the benefit is still on. Response has been awesome so far. I am trying to get a page up listing the auction items, but it may be a few days, since tomorrow I'm having a tooth extracted, and I'm thinking I won't be good for much after that. There are some who think I'm not good for much anyway, but those people are not my friends. My friends, in fact, are totally awesome.

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Help noted author/community and preservation activist Jane Powell save her landmark home from the Bank!

Our friend, Jane Powell, needs your help. She’s behind the 8-ball--a chronic and expensive disease, a major fixer for a house, and underwater with a huge mortgage with out-of-reach monthly payments, that the bank refuses to modify. But if we all pitch in, we CAN make a difference!

Jane Powell is probably best known for her informative, witty, and passionate writing about restoration and renovation--the big picture philosophy behind preserving historic bungalows and buildings of merit in general, combined with nuts and bolts expertise.

Her best-known books include Bungalow Kitchens and Bungalow Bathrooms, in addition to countless articles for The Old House Journal, American Bungalow and other publications. Jane has given lectures around the country and actively participated in preservation efforts locally, including serving as President of Oakland Heritage Alliance.

All the while, Jane has been battling lymphoma, pitted against the well-documented problems of the expensive, difficult health care system. Her part-time job qualifies her for coverage by an HMO, but Jane can’t afford many of the additional out-of-pocket medical expenses. 

She acquired Sunset House in 2002. This one-of-a kind Arts & Crafts treasure from 1905 came with years of deferred maintenance. Jane succeeded in getting Mills Act protection for the house (and some property tax relief), but she’s obligated to make ongoing, expensive repairs.

Jane has been trying, with all of her writing and persuasive ability, to get a loan modification, even lobbying representatives of GMAC, the lender, in person in Washngton, D.C. But the bank just demands more paperwork, and stalls, as Jane falls behind in her payments....

Keep Jane Powell and Sunset House together! It’s tragic that so many people have been separated from their homes by heartless banks and lenders--let’s make a difference on this one! Here’s how you can help:

ATTEND: A fabulous event at the “Sunset House” Feb. 12, Sunday, 2-5 p.m. This house was featured on the 1996 Arts & Crafts House Tour sponsored by Oakland Heritage Alliance and the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association, built by architect/contractor Jesse Matteson for his own family. Sunset House was the cover story of the Nov. 2006 American Bungalow magazine.

Hosted bar, good food. Silent auction with objets d’art, consults, autographed books, massages, and fine collectibles. Check out the Restoration Comedy section of Jane’s blog, JanePowell.org, for the latest auction items. Cash, checks, or credit cards accepted.

Live entertainment: Sharon Knight (Celtic-inspired music--to hear a sample of their music & for more info, go to: http://sharonknight.net/music-neofolk-romantique.html), and other performers.Surprise guests.

Singles $25/couples $40 (no one turned away.) Sunset House, 2708 Sunset Ave., is east of Fruitvale Ave., at Lynde and 27th.

MAKE A CALL OR WRITE: Jane has been involved in negotiations (fruitless so far) with her lender, GMAC Mortgage.  Tell the bank to modify her mortgage to reflect the true value of the house and reduce her huge, and unaffordable, monthly payments.

GMAC contact info: Nicole Nesby ("relationship manager")                             1-877-928-4622 (option 5, then ext. 236-8552)                                                                1- 866-709-4744 (fax)                             
P.O. Box 780                            
3451 Hammond Avenue                            
Waterloo, IA 50704-0780

GMAC's CEO: Michael A. Carpenter      
200 Renaissance Dr.     
Detroit, Mich. 48265

GMAC Public Relations--ALLY
Gina Proia, VP/Chief Communications Officer
(646) 781-2692

MAKE A CONTRIBUTION: Contributions to help Jane with her mortgage can be sent directly to her at 2708 Sunset Ave., Oakland, Ca. 94601. Or click on the DONATE button to your right.

TELL YOUR FRIENDS/ASK FOR ENDORSEMENTS/LEND YOUR NAME: Oakland Councilperson Nancy Nadel; Becky and Michael O’Malley, Berkeley Daily Planet Editor and Publisher, and Lesley Emmington, Save Strawberry Canyon, are early supporters of the ad hoc Friends of Jane Powell group. Sign on!

For more information, and to RSVP, Robert Brokl/Alfred Crofts, (510) 655-3841, broklcrofts@earthlink.net.

Press contact: Ralph Kanz, (510) 535-9868, rkanz@sonic.net

Finishing the floor in the green bedroom has become critical, since I can't rent it in its current state, so tonight when I got home from work I went up and put another coat of shellac on it, making three coats so far.  It's actually not as orange as it looks in the picture, but it is blotchy. I have looked for some explanation of why Douglas fir gets blotchy when you sand it, but so far that remains a mystery. In any case, I think of it as patina.
The date for the house benefit has been decided- it will be Sunday, February 12th from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. There will be music, food and drink, tours of the house, and a silent auction. Admission will be $25 per person or $40 for couples, but no one will be turned away. The official announcement will be posted here soon.

Well, as expected, GMAC requested more documents for the loan modification. First, they wanted a Profit and Loss statement with ONLY business income and expenses, and only for the last three months. Here's the deal- like many people with sole proprietorships, I have my whole life in Quickbooks. This is wrong, as my sister, who has done accounting for many years,  likes to point out.  So besides the income from books, lectures, and writing, my P&L also has rental income from my house, my employment income, the generous donations to the house made by relatives, friends, and readers, etc. To have it all in one place works for me, but apparently not for GMAC.

I spent an entire afternoon re-classifying all the stuff not directly related to the business, and duly faxed in a new P&L, along with more bank statements reflecting the rental income (with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back explaining what each one was to be used as evidence against me...). Yesterday I called to make sure they had received the fax. They had. But they still couldn't deal with the new P&L- they wanted it broken down into three individual months. My suggestion that they might have mentioned that little detail when first making the request did not go over well.

I have ostensibly been assigned a "relationship manager"- I was even given an actual telephone extension for this person. Yet I have never spoken to her, and whoever answers the phone assures me they are on her team, but I am starting to think she is imaginary, kinda like the guy you get when you call tech support who tells you his name is Chris when you know damn well it's Sanjiv. So far it seems exactly like the same customer service roulette I dealt with the last time. They are all very nice, which merely makes me suspicious.

In other news, some friends have gotten together to put on a benefit for me and the house (the two are kind of inseparable)- they're calling it "Friends Don't Let Friends Lose Their Houses." It will take place the first or second Sunday in February, here at the house. There will be food, entertainment, a silent auction (possibly to be accompanied by an online auction if someone can get that together). Still in the planning stages- I will post updates as things progress.

And some lovely end of the year linoleum from the 1937 Armstrong catalog (sorry they're sideways- didn't have time to rotate them properly)

Today marks the the day in 1863 when Frederick Walton invented linoleum. I assume December 19th was the day he actually took out the patent. He invented a really great product, though he was apparently not much of a businessman, as he didn't defend the name, and fourteen years later, lost a court case regarding the use of the name "linoleum", which thus became the first generic term ( to be followed later by escalator, kleenex, and jello).

Sam Walton, on the other hand, started Wal-Mart, now the world's largest retailer. The net worth of Sam Walton's heirs now equals the combined net worth of the bottom 30% of Americans. That, in a nutshell, is what is wrong in this country.

But in honor of Frederick Walton, today's festival of fabulous linoleum.

I spent yesterday cleaning the gutters. Luckily my roof isn't that steep so it doesn't involve ladders- instead, I sit on the edge of the roof and scoop debris out of the gutter with a special tablespoon, left to me by the previous owners. The reason for the tablespoon is that the gutters are rather narrow. They are the original redwood gutters, and except for being badly patched in a few places with other pieces of wooden gutter whose profiles don't match, they are in remarkably good condition. Usually I hang Christmas lights from the roof at the same time I'm doing the gutters, but I'm not feeling terribly festive this year, not to mention I can't afford the electric bill for the lights.

It's kind of a tedious job but what I realized while I was up there is how much I enjoy working on the house, taking care of it. After I finished the gutters I pruned some redwood branches that had grown too close to the roof, then went inside and sanded the floor in the green bedroom some more. If I hadn't had to stop for dinner, I probably would have kept going till midnight.

In other news, GMAC has received my loan mod package, and they have actually assigned me a "relationship manager", as promised. They said to call once a week- apparently they're not allowed to call me- something to do with my bankruptcy. I expect the requests for more documentation will now begin.

At least I finally got my car back.

Also, I was contacted by someone with a BBC radio show- they want to interview me about linoleum!

Today I sent my second loan modification package off to GMAC. It took me more than a month, with help from my friend Alison, to assemble it. It has the loan number on every freaking page. We put it in a notebook with tabs for every single document and an archival photo of the house on the front. It was accompanied by a suitably humble hardship letter, which Alison had to rewrite for me as she felt mine was too snarky. Really? Moi? Gist of her letter: "Please, please, please give me a loan modification and I promise I will pay it faithfully forever and ever!" Gist of my letter: "You destroyed my income, my retirement, the value of my house, and my sanity- the least you can do is give me a fucking loan modification!" My mother was fond of saying, "You can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar," to which I usually responded, "Why would I want to catch flies?" One might add, if you really want to catch flies, dead meat works much better than honey, but I digress. We went with Alison's version. We also included, for all the good it may do, a copy of the chapter about my house from Nancy Hiller's book, A Home of Her Own, as well as a copy of my C.V. (that's Curriculum Vitae- a fancy form of resume on which you get to list everything you've ever done. Used mostly in academia, it makes you look far more awesome than you actually are.) We'll see what happens. According to the GMAC website, they will assign you a "relationship manager" for your loan mod- maybe this means it won't be another round of "whoever answers the phone at customer service" roulette.

There was a lot of discussion about whether to include the CV and the book chapter- would it make the house look too good? Would it engender sympathy or disgust? Would it make the application stand out or would it cause it to be rejected simply for not fitting into their stupid parameters? Eventually I decided the whole thing is a crapshoot anyway.

In other news, thanks to contributions from viewers like you, plus a small royalty check (buy more books!), I have managed to scrounge up enough money to pay the property taxes, which are due this week. The "donate" button is to your right- even small amounts are welcome!

And, of course, linoleum.