Save Peter & Ericka's Accessible Home

Has anyone else had problems completing the auction process? I've been sending an email every couple of months to the woman who donated the item I won. At first she'd apologize and say she'd get it off to me. The last couple of emails didn't get a response. At this point I'm wishing I'd simply donated money in the first place and avoided the auction because it's just been frustrating. I've tried to be nice about it, but I'm annoyed and disappointed.

Here's the picture folks:

$10,186 was transferred to Wells Fargo on April 27, 2009.

That should stop the sheriff's sale, but I need to contact the Habitat for Humanity folks to make sure that's what happened. I received a notice from the bank's lawyers that informed me the sale was postponed, so we don't have to worry about the May 8 date any longer.

I have three more payments on the repayment plan:

1. $2,628.46 due May 28.
2. $2,628.46 due June 28.
3. $2,376.43 due July 28.

I'm going to treat these, as much as possible as regular mortgage payments and make them as early in the month as I can. That will avoid the double-whammy of having to pay July 28 and then turn around and make a regular mortgage payment on August 1.

These amounts represent $3,018.33 over what I would normally be paying for my mortgage.

Thanks to the donations that have come in from the auction there is currently $2,739.83 in my money-market account and $497.42 in my PayPal account for a total of $3,237.25 or 218.92 more than is required!

There may be a few more donations straggling in, or auction payments that haven't processed yet.

But we did it! You did it!

I just need to keep on doing my normal thing now and pay my mortgage on time like a normal person and everything will be OK.

That isn't where it stops, though. You all have inspired me a great deal. I started out thinking this might work, that we might be able to raise enough to stall the mortgage company for a couple of months so I could find work and then work out a plan with them. You exceeded my wildest imaginings and did more to keep my hope alive during the long, dark months than you'll realize.

So now it's my turn. It'll take me a while, but I expect to exceed the imaginings of others, to do for people I know and people I've never met a little of what you have done for me. My Free Will Astrology this week gave me a quote that goes along well with the starfish story that cakmpls used to explain our little project. It's from the writer Sydney Smith who said, "It is the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing because you can only do a little."

Just wanted to let folks know that I'll be updating the financial information regarding our efforts as soon as I can. It's been a busy couple of days since the auctions close, but it has been great seeing all those auction proceeds coming into the PayPal account. Thank you everyone!

So look for a more detailed accounting coming soon!

That's it folks! All auctions closed at noon, which was about three hours ago now. I'll be going through them after this posts and making replies to all the winning bidders. Thank you bidders! Thank you folks that offered up the goods to bid on!

I'll also make a financials post later tonight or tomorrow to count up the final tally!

That's all the time you have left to bid on the great items available for auction!

All auctions will close on April 25 at noon Central time.

There is still some great stuff available, folks. And remember, we're not completely out of the woods yet! While the sheriff's sale will be cancelled on Tuesday, if not before, when I deliver the initial payment to Wells Fargo, there are still three payments greater than our normal mortgage that need to be made. So you can still be a big help and get some great things!

Like:

A glossy poster for Mr. Hero, "The Newmatic Man"(tm), signed by Neil Gaiman. High bid on this item is only $25!

A "cunning" hat, of the sort seen worn by Jayne Cobb on Firefly. High bid on this item is $42 and jocelyncee promises a special surprise for non-winning bidders!

In another "life, the universe, and everything" moment, the publishing contract expertise of wild_irises has a high bid of only $42. Get it for yourself, get for an author you know!

Some very nifty photographs by kaytecat, matted nicely and going for bids of $10-$20.

Two copies of Rainbow's Edge, CD by markiv1111 with his original songs. Currently going for $25 and $15. Nate doesn't usually bring this one to cons so it could be your only chance to get one!

And speaking of Nate...the chess set carved by his father has a high bid of only $15!

And, added since Monday: a vintage necklace by our friend elisem with a high bid of only $70!

Get out there and get bidding!

Here are pictures:
http://dd-b.net/obscure/1941neck/
Its name has been lost, so you will be able to help it chose a new one.

ending date 04-25-09

Minimum bid $50

Buy now $100

I will pay for shipping.

The meeting with Habitat for Humanity went well. The good news is that we now have an actual repayment plan, with actual numbers and dates for payments and like that! Once the initial payment is made, the sheriff's sale will be cancelled! I am ... overwhelmed. I want to dance in the streets and have a celebratory burrito!

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Things are still tight, and there's still money to be raised. I'll need $1,928.21 in addition to the amount necessary to pay my mortgage and other expenses by the end of July. Thankfully, my new job should provide the bulk of that.

You, my friends, have taken us this far and you still have a role to play. Anything you can spare in the way of direct donation or bidding on an auction will whittle away at that final amount in short order. That will go a long way to increasing our security and helping us build up a safety net so that this doesn't happen to us again.

Today is a great relief, however, and I want to thank you all for your hard work. Take a moment to spread the good news the same way you did the story of our plight. You have been an inspiration to me and I thank you very much.

Wanted to let folks know that I talked to a representative from Habitat for Humanity this morning. They are the organization that is handling foreclosure prevention in Hennepin County here in Minnesota. They took the information about my current income and expenses and they think they can help! I've arranged a meeting with them at 2:00 p.m. today. Need to pull some documentation together, but that should be relatively easy.

I find it somewhat ironic and somewhat serendipitous that I came down with some intestinal distress last night that kept me home today so that I was able to take this call and answer their questions, and also be available for the meeting. I'm excited!

So here's your weekly report of which auctions are still running, what the minimum or current (as of this writing) high bid is, and when each auction will end. Note: all auctions will end April 25. So there isn't much time left to get your bids in on this marvelous items.

There's a few auctions ending earlier than the 25th, two as early as noon Monday the 20th! I'll break those out into there own section here so you can find them easily:

Hand-knit socks. High bid $25. Auction ends April 20.

BPAL Feb. 2009 Limited Edition Bony Moon 5 ml bottle. High bid $20. Auction ends April 20.

Leather Fringe Key Fob with concho. High bid $10. Auction ends April 21.

The rest of these are running until April 25. There's some new offers since last week, including some nice matted photos and a couple of things from Nate Bucklin. Also look back through all the remaining auctions. There is some cool stuff here folks! Some of the bids are still at their minimum or are very low. Here's your chance to help out and get something really nice inexpensively!

Hand-carved Wooden Chess Set owned by Nate Bucklin. Minimum bid $10. Auction ends April 25.

Nate Bucklin CD "Rainbow's Edge". Two copies go to highest bidders, currently $12/$15. Auction ends April 25.

Matted Photograph: Reds and Blues. Minimum bid $10. Auction ends April 25.

Matted Photograph: Wagon Wheel. Minimum bid $10. Auction ends April 25.

Matted Photograph: Colors of Winter. Minimum bid $10. Auction ends April 25.

Matted Photograph of a fisherman in Maine, casting the line. Minimum bid $10. Auction ends April 25.

Earrings, Long Dangle, Purple shades. Minimum Bid $5. Auction ends April 1925.

Wearable-art Jeweled Bookmark. Stunning piece by skylarker, valued at $350. High bid $50. Auction closes April 25.

Publishing contract expertise. The skills of wild_irises, perfect gift for the author in your life. High bid $42. Auction ends April 25.

Signed hardback editions of Sarah Monette's Doctrine of Labyrinths novels. High bid $200. Auction ends April 25.

Signed trade paperback copy of Sarah Monett's The Bone Key. High bid $50. Auction ends April 25.

"Cunning" hat, a la Jayne Cobb knit by jocelyncee. High bid $42. Auction ends April 25.

Signed Advance Uncorrected Proof of BONE DANCE by Emma Bull, being reissued by Tor in July. High bid $125. Auction ends April 25.

New Emma Bull novel dedicated to you or person of your choice. One of the coolest things available here. High bid $700. Auction closes April 25.

A selection of zines some out of print and difficult to acquire. High bid $20. Auction ends April 25.

Get Tuckerized! Appear as victim, witness, or the Cop of the Week in an episode of Shadow Unit, the coolest SF TV show you can read! High bid $230. Auction ends April 25.

Necklace, "The Rose of the Vineyards" by the inestimable elisem. Ooh shiny! High bid $355. Auction ends April 25.

Mr. Hero poster signed by Neil Gaiman. High bid $25. Auction ends April 25.

Limited edition sampler booklet NOW WE ARE SICK, signed by Neil Gaiman. Very rare item. High bid $350. Auction ends April 25.

Silk-screen Wholeness t-shirt. Minimum bid $15. Reduced! Auction ends April 25.

Signed copy of Women En Large: Images of Fat Nudes. High bid $35. Auction ends April 25.

Fables and Reflections: issues 3, 4, 5, and 7. Australian speculative fiction magazine. High bid $5. Auction ends April 25.

Feminist SF Bundle by Katharine Kerr. High bid $50. Auction ends April 25.

Chain mail Knot Earrings w/Heart and Red accent. High bid $5. Auction ends April 1025.

This week's financial report is full of good news!

Minicon was a boost to donations, auctions are running well, and most-importantly, we have daylight! That is, the amount already collected, plus the high bids on running auctions have gone past the amount that I know we'll have to pay to reinstate the mortgage. There are still some things that I don't know, like what the legal fees involved will be. My goal now is to find that information out this week. This means calling the bank's lawyers and continuing to call them until they respond, the buggers! With that information in hand, we'll be able to build a strategy for stopping the sheriff's sale.

Thank you so much everyone!

You have given me so much hope in such a bleak time over the last couple of months. Keep it going! Keep bidding on auctions! (I'll be making the Monday Morning Auction Round-up post in another hour or so.) There's a lot of good stuff still on offer with low or no bids. There's also some very cool stuff that you still have time to bid on. Remember: all auctions close noon Central time, April 25!

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What gives me the most hope, however, is knowing that over 230 people have donated to help me and Ericka. And more folks donated items for auctions that have raised so much. You people are awesome and you have made a dramatic difference in our lives. Our family will have a place to live because of you; I have no doubts of this now.

Just another week, folks! Let's make it a good one!