Monday, November 17, 2008

Life in Storage

I was scheduled to be back home two weeks ago, interning for an architect in Tomball, TX. Instead, I've been waiting on paperwork at the 94th IS in Maryland. It has not been cool. Aside from missing out on considerable opportunities related to my career, I have had to live in a storage room in my good friend John's basement. Overall I am pissed but not dejected. I've been able to spend a little extra time with my friends here in MD and my girlfriend, Aeree, and have been keeping myself occupied with an online class, working on my car, drawing, reading, and planning for UT.

My flow was thrown off today when I received some fretful news. I was contacted by a VA loan representative regarding my "guaranteed" no interest VA loan, and was told that since I didn't have a job lined up I wasn't getting a loan. Good ole' military benefactions - Hey, can I get some blankets too? Extra polio, please. To be honest, not granting a loan to someone without a source of income makes sense, but why do they advertise it as "guaranteed"? (maybe the 0% interest rate is what is guaranteed?) The thing is, according to the new GI bill that was signed into law by the president on June 30th 2008, I will have a source of income - the government will pay my tuition and provide a monthly living stipend equal to the amount the military pays its members w/ dependents for off-base housing. Apparently the VA doesn't view money going into my bank account each month as 'income'.

My plan was to buy a house in Austin with a mortgage of around $800 (found plenty), find a roommate to split the costs (found one already), sell my art work for spending money, and sell the house when I finish college. Now I don't know what I'm going to do, but I'm definitely not throwing my money down the apartment hole. I'd rather live on the street, which I am beginning to lightly consider. It looks like my next option is to ask my father to cosign a loan, which I am dreading. I take a certain pride in having 'made myself' for the most part, without much help from my parents, and I dislike the prospect of being indebted to one of them :(

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Damn dude, you are still being effected by the 94th. Sorry to hear about your VA, maybe you should get a job at McDonald's. At least until the loan is approved..then quit. Well, best of like to ya!

Thomas G. MacDonald said...

actually i already tried that, lol! i told them i was going to be working for my dad - which i would have done - and would be making $10/hr. this apparently wasn't cutting it for them. thx for being the only one who reads my blog and best of like to you, too!