Kent and Mysti Cope met and fell in love working for one of the nation's top subprime lenders. Now, their life has been turned upside down after the sudden implosion of the subprime mortgage industry.

...

Today, they're trying to get by on his unemployment benefits of about $450 a week, which covers only about an eighth of the basic payments they owe every month.

Their home equity line, mortgage, health and life insurance premiums alone cost about $10,000 a month. Still, they are trying to hang onto what they call their dream home with a view of the Pacific Ocean where they live with Mysti's 11-year old son.

I would be living in a great apartment and setting aside a little every month with $450.

Despite their financial problems, the Copes have worked hard to protect their credit rating, staying current on bills. And they've made cutbacks: trading in Kent's Corvette for a Suburban and getting rid of the gardener, for example. But the couple also has learned that it didn't need everything it used to spend money on.

"We used to eat out a lot. Now we are the leftover king and queen," said Kent.

The gardener?! Not the gardener! Could God be that cruel?

I'm willing to bet that the gardener is now facing tougher time than the Eddie Bauer poster family here.

Mysti is trying to build an online business selling jewelry and beachwear, some of which she designs herself.

A perfectly reasonable way to save one's beachfront property.

For Mysti, 37, all her efforts to find work since she lost her job last May have been futile.

I'll tell her something she's probably told dozens of homeless men on the streets: "I hear McDonald's is hiring."

She said she believes the attention given to subprime borrowers who have run into trouble paying their mortgages work against her and other former colleagues. It's almost like having "Enron" on your resume.

"The media has somewhat tarnished the subprime industry and all the employees, and portrayed them as being dishonest," she said. "We're not dishonest. Not everybody was a bad borrower. Not every company was a bad lender."

Sure, lending to people who probably can't afford it is a perfectly cromulent profession.

Asshole.

Chainlink

Key West, FL

August 2005

MAR 31, 2008 09:15 AM

unfiltrator

San Francisco, CA

April 2004

MAR 31, 2008 09:37 AM

Oooh living by water

adjunct

Philadelphia, PA

July 2002

MAR 31, 2008 09:37 AM

And they've made cutbacks: trading in Kent's Corvette for a Suburban

They traded in a Corvette for an SUV that gets 15 mpg.

Cash

I'm lost

OLD SKOOL

MAR 31, 2008 10:05 AM

We've had to switch from Dom Perignon to Crystal, for fuck's sake. Just the other day, I saw my personal shopper buying Goulden's Spicy Brown instead of Grey Poupon. I had to trade in my $60,000 Corvette for a $50,000 Suburban...only to have my friends at the private country club tease me. What kind of a God would allow pain like this?

Cash

I'm lost

OLD SKOOL

MAR 31, 2008 10:08 AM

Here's ol' Kent & Misti...my God, do they sell WASP kits now?

*Edit to say...oh my God...if you read the entire article...you will hate them even more. Jesus Christ on Crutches....can they be any more delusional & shallow?

adjunct

Philadelphia, PA

July 2002

MAR 31, 2008 12:31 PM

Mysti is trying to build an online business selling jewelry and beachwear, some of which she designs herself.

I skipped this part earlier. I assume this jewelry is actually cheap nickel-plated shit that will turn your skin green a few days later, or maybe it's made out of recycled depleted uranium casings, or some other thing that will totally stab you in the back a year or two later and set off a wave of mall kiosks dumping all their cheap jewelry in a mass panic only to find that nobody wants to buy cubic zirconium from Jewelry Hut? More shitty jewelry made by a mindless trophy wife coming to an etsy.com near you.

Cash

I'm lost

OLD SKOOL

MAR 31, 2008 01:09 PM

How much do you want to bet that Mysti told ol' Kent "If we move out of this house...I stop touching your wrinkled old cock"

Cigarette

Cleveland, OH

April 2004

MAR 31, 2008 04:33 PM

Also... "Mysti"? Really?

adjunct

Philadelphia, PA

July 2002

MAR 31, 2008 05:02 PM

Cigarette said:
Also... "Mysti"? Really?

You don't want to apply for a mortgage for your new trophy house with a broker named Mysti? Why not?

mamet

Charleston, SC

March 2005

MAR 31, 2008 05:14 PM

MrCrisp

Charleston, SC

August 2004

MAR 31, 2008 07:02 PM

mamet said:

thank you

lackofcreativity

Dayton, OH

February 2008

MAR 31, 2008 07:11 PM

Life is hard. Misti and Kent will be in my prayers. I can only hope that they are able to re-hire their gardner and wont have to suffer the indignity of doing their own yard work.

Ahhh to be part of the leisure class.

But really, if that necklace in the picture what Mrs. Cope is "creating" then she will have some serious competition coming from the local pre-school.

http://stores.ebay.com/Mysti-Beachwear <-- Check it

Cash

I'm lost

OLD SKOOL

MAR 31, 2008 07:18 PM

lackofcreativity said:
http://stores.ebay.com/Mysti-Beachwear <-- Check it

SPOILERS! (Click to view)

_DictionaryGirl_

NEWSWIRE

San Diego, CA

MAR 31, 2008 07:31 PM

Jesus fuck, I work full time and don't make $450 a week.

Time to break out the rotini and craft paint?

Wren

SUICIDEGIRL

Minnesota, USA

MAR 31, 2008 07:31 PM

Mmmm, that's good schadenfreude.

Cash

I'm lost

OLD SKOOL

MAR 31, 2008 07:42 PM

Wren said:
Mmmm, that's good schadenfreude.

obviously...you're not a golfer.

MrCrisp

Charleston, SC

August 2004

MAR 31, 2008 07:47 PM

wait, wait, wait. you mean to tell me that i earn more than mysti and kent? rock on! time to get me a gardener and a corvette! suck it, subprimers!

jermhawk

Tidioute, PA

December 2004

MAR 31, 2008 08:57 PM

Its good to know not one cent of my paycheck went to them!

magpieboy

Seattle, WA

June 2004

MAR 31, 2008 09:15 PM

jermhawk said:
Its good to know not one cent of my paycheck went to them!

No, they'll get their $300 rebate just like everyone, assuming they earned some money this year.

DevilsReject

Cleveland, OH

February 2007

MAR 31, 2008 09:27 PM

i feel bad.

SPOILERS! (Click to view)

adjunct

Philadelphia, PA

July 2002

MAR 31, 2008 09:47 PM

DevilsReject said:
i feel bad.

SPOILERS! (Click to view)

Think about that Chevy sales person with a fucking 'vette they're trying to unload now.

BOARDS:

TOPICS:

Cleveland, OH

April 2004

MAR 31, 2008 07:43 AM

Key West, FL

August 2005

MAR 31, 2008 09:15 AM

San Francisco, CA

April 2004

MAR 31, 2008 09:37 AM

Philadelphia, PA

July 2002

MAR 31, 2008 09:37 AM

I'm lost

OLD SKOOL

MAR 31, 2008 10:05 AM

I'm lost

OLD SKOOL

MAR 31, 2008 10:08 AM

Philadelphia, PA

July 2002

MAR 31, 2008 12:31 PM

I'm lost

OLD SKOOL

MAR 31, 2008 01:09 PM

Cleveland, OH

April 2004

MAR 31, 2008 04:33 PM

Philadelphia, PA

July 2002

MAR 31, 2008 05:02 PM

Charleston, SC

March 2005

MAR 31, 2008 05:14 PM

Charleston, SC

August 2004

MAR 31, 2008 07:02 PM

Dayton, OH

February 2008

MAR 31, 2008 07:11 PM

I'm lost

OLD SKOOL

MAR 31, 2008 07:18 PM

NEWSWIRE

San Diego, CA

MAR 31, 2008 07:31 PM

SUICIDEGIRL

Minnesota, USA

MAR 31, 2008 07:31 PM

I'm lost

OLD SKOOL

MAR 31, 2008 07:42 PM

Charleston, SC

August 2004

MAR 31, 2008 07:47 PM

Tidioute, PA

December 2004

MAR 31, 2008 08:57 PM

Seattle, WA

June 2004

MAR 31, 2008 09:15 PM

Cleveland, OH

February 2007

MAR 31, 2008 09:27 PM

Philadelphia, PA

July 2002

MAR 31, 2008 09:47 PM