When I woke up this morning there was an email from the FTC regarding my PMI complaint. I was surprised how quickly they responded. They basically said they understand the importance of my concern and that I should talk to a lawyer. Grrr. How frustrating! So the whole thing was pointless. I mean, no point in seeing a lawyer to avoid a $130 fee.

So my husband called the mortgage company and did some more research. Here is what he found out about why they can charge this stupid fee.

He Googled the Homeowners Protection Act and found this…

the principal balance of the mortgage is first scheduled to reach 78 percent of the original value of the secured property (based solely on the initial amortization schedule in the case of a fixed rate loan or on the amortization schedule then in effect in the case of an adjustable rate loan, irrespective of the outstanding balance) if the borrower is current.

Which means that the fact that we are over the 22% equity in our house based on the original value of the property means nothing since we got there early by paying extra. Those dirty filthy [enter bad word here].

So that is where we stand.

Oh, and the $130 is a fee for someone to go online and research the value of our house. They don’t even come out to the house. A $130 fee for someone to look us up on Zillow? Shoot…

I saw a graphic in a magazine the other day that laid out the yearly expenses for your pet. The last time I had a pet I was kid living with my parents, so I’ve never considered what a pet costs. I thought it was interesting.

It says a large dog costs $1,515 a year, while a small dog costs $775 a year. A cat costs $685 a year and a fish, only $235. Do fish live a whole year? Mine never have.

That is quite a bit of money. I was surprised that pets are so expensive. That doesn’t take into consideration the extra living expenses you may have taken on in order to keep Fido happy. For example, did you buy a more expensive house for the larger yard so your dog can run around? Are you paying extra rent or did you have to put down a larger deposit to cover your pet? I can think of several apartment complexes around here that have rules like that.

So if you are in the market for a pet you might want to consider a smaller dog or a cat. Those savings will really add up over the life of your pet.

*Picture by Four Doxn