REOs Aren’t Always Easy

When you are on the other side, it is the crash of your dreams. It’s all your hopes, hard work and pride—gone.

It is the most devastating thing that can happen. It is like a death and you need time to mourn, but you can’t because now you have to pick up the pieces and move. Being uprooted is hard and for most, it is depressing, frustrating and sad. Many are angry at themselves and the system that let it happen.

Behind every vacant, repossessed and REO home is a story. Whether they bought it for their retirement, future investment for their children or just their own piece of the American dream, the loss has left a scar not only on that person, that family but on the psyche of the American people and our communities.

And I am often the first one to knock on the door and tell them that they have to move. I see the pain… I hear the stories. After awhile, there is no way you can protect yourself from the raw emotions you feel.

Sometimes you get angry because they let the pool go green and the lawn go brown, they took the stove and left the trash but beyond all that stuff, they are people, our people, part of our communities and a little piece of us is torn away. And that is when I apologize for what all of us have done.

Some day in the future the grass will be green again, the scars will heal and our hopes and dreams for a better future for our families will be born again.

I hope it is soon.