Anne, yes, it's true that we fall into the loopholes of the federal help. Our loan is not FHA or VA or freddie mac or fannie mae or ginnie whatever the government and banks want the loan to be moment-to-moment. Our loan sucks. We started building our dream house in April 2005. At the closing table in December 2005, estimates showed that we had already appreciated 25,000 dollars. Now, 4 years later, we have depreciated, while costs to keep the house and our selves keep going up. My husband is not all wrapped up in ego trips or power trips. I too wondered if I was the only boomer woman here who could not get her act together enough that I am about to lose her house. I spent so much money flying to take care of grandma, now to see mom, and there is another complicating factor I've never mentioned for another topic. I always thought it was an invasion of privacy for potential employers to do credit checks. T.G.I. Fridays, the restaurant, subjected my h to a lie detector test when they were screening him for a general manager position! EW, it sounds like if you downsized, you could paint more! Plus, it sounds like it may not be much different economy in Germany. I should check AARP for articles related to our age.