My House burned... lost everything whats next

[prospectmom]

Skippy your right my Husband is having a hard time with all the Help , he is shy and hates the limelight. We all are dealing in different ways. I am all organization, lists and paperwork. right now I have no ID no proof of my existance and DMV isn't the friendliest here in Oregon so will drive just knowing my ODL # and hoping the Police are more understanding.,

[pam]

So sorry pmom to hear of your tragedy but sounds like you have a wonderful attitude about it. I haven't been in your situation but I have a friend that has.

In regards to missing photos etc...we gave them as an office a bunch of frames and photo albums with a new digital camera to allow them to start making new memories.

Keep up the spirit..sounds like you are doing great with that.

[Elphaba]

PM! It's so good to hear from you, even in such a difficult time. I'm so glad you posted about this.

I read the article about the fire, and saw your picture. it's great to put a face to your screen name, since you and I have talked a bit.

It sounds like Prospect is a great place to live with the community support you've been given. I envy you that.

The fact that you are so involved in your community does not surprise me at all, given what little I knew about you.

I hope things continue to go well and that you are soon situated comfortably and happily. My thoughts are with you.

Love,
Elph

[Moksha]

Gos bless you during this hurtful time Prospectmom.

[beefche]

I'm sorry to hear that, prospect. I am very happy that no one was injured.

[Iggy]

Prospectmom, my house didn't burn, but it was hit by a twister in a doozy of a rain storm.

Back in 1981- in Nov on the 14th (around 2am'ish) our roof was ripped off and dumped across the street in the neighbors yard.

The wind sucked anything that wasn't nailed down out and distributed it all over the coast of Waldport and Seal Rock OR. We lost everything. Yes our house was insured, and we got the cost of repair for the house. Meaning walls, carpet, paint, roof, ceiling. BUT the contents were replacement cost minus depreciation. Our bed was 8 years old, so they depreciated 8 years worth off of it. Our living room furniture was 12 years old- we got zero for it. Furniture has a life span of years.

It took me 10 years to get over that storm and the losses. THE only good thing that came of that storm is IRS was auditing us (we owned a Tavern at that time), all of the books were in the house- all strung out in the extra bedroom, because I was working on them getting them all in order for IRS. The storm sucked out 1/3 of them and drenched the rest.

I was in shock for nearly two weeks- so it was volunteers (I was not active in church at that time, so the volunteers came from our tavern clients) and they bagged everything in black heavy duty trash bags. EVERYTHING. Papers, plants, clothes.

By the time I was capable of going through all of these bags, they were fermented messes. Yes I lost nearly all of my clothes. Believe me, I tried to launder them. Some I just had to trash.

The paperwork for IRS was a gloppy, gluey mess. They would not believe me when I told them, so I hauled the two, very big trash bags all the way to Salem and personally delivered them to the bitter, bad-tempered IRS Auditor.

They forgave the audit, and estimated from the years they had and reduced all of it by 20% because we were hit with such a calamity.

Our Tavern, by the way, suffered no damage at all. Even though it was a drafty, old place. The huge front door did warp and was a real pain to get opened. Once of our clients, a master wood maker, worked on it and it looked better and worked better once he did. It was an old, old barn door. Well, half of the barn door. Only one side.

Anyway. I have gone through the loss. At that time of my life I didn't have any pictures, and the only thing I really regretted losing was all of the letters I kept from my best girl friend. 12 years worth.

After we were moved back into the house, I made my mother and my sisters take pictures of their homes, of every item in it, and I mean EVERY ITEM, place the pictures in an album (actually two or three albums), give one to your insurance agent, place on in the safe deposit box and keep one.

Now days, take digital pics, put it all on disc's and give one to your agent, and upload to a safe site if you can, keep one disc in a safe deposit box.

Update every year. I did it for Mom every Dec. My sisters and now my brothers do it the first week of Jan. I haven't done it since I remarried(shame on me)

I also did it when I was renting- even though I didn't have renters insurance. I did it because my area was getting hit by home burglaries!

Renters insurance really isn't all that expensive. Think of it as an additional tithe!

[prospectmom]

Thanks for all the comments .. I can only check in on the site from time to time and am greatful for all your comments. Renters insurance would have feally helped us and I am for sure getting it. I have been so busy still trying to work a.. i sub at our school. and go through donations and get our new place ready. I will be online mabey one more time before the weekend then not till tuesday. I have lots to tell but for now thank you all for your support. Terry

[pam]

Hang in there Terry. We're thinking of ya.

[anatess]

Before I was born, our house burned down. My mom had just enough time to grab my 2 brothers out of the house before the gas tank blew (in the Philippines we have cooking ranges that work off a gas tank). Needless to say, she was left with just the kids and the pajamas on their backs. My dad was traveling. She learned one thing out of that fire though - she learned you can rub a tomato on a burn as a first-aid treatment.

When I was 2-years-old, I climbed the stove and grabbed a big boiling pot of porridge and ended up pouring the whole boiling mess over me. We had a mini-store in our front porch where my mom sold tomatoes. She was able to rub an entire basket of tomatoes all over me while enroute to the hospital and I didn't even have to stay in the hospital at all! I have no scars from the incident.

So yeah, my mother tells me all the time, when you think all is lost, that's when you find out you are doubly blessed.

[bcguy]

To many homes that are vacant are often vandalized because thay are vacant. If there are a number of vacant foreclosed homes in your area, ask the bank if you could live in one and keep it well maintained untill its time for it to sell? Might be a good way to build up your savings to buy or rent another place while keeping the foreclosed home in good repair.