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Another thing I hate about Massachusetts…

…foreclosures are on the rise.  Housing is so expensive here, whether you buy or rent.  This area is VERY pet unfriendly when it comes to rentals, so animal lovers often opt to buy homes, so that they can keep their pets.  I’ve seen many news stories where people who were previously allowed to have pets end up being evicted when the rules change.
The problem is that they often find that they really can’t afford these homes, and they end up dealing with real estate foreclosures.

If you are looking to invest in real estate, buying foreclosed homes might work for you.  You can find many foreclosures online, as well as homes that are about to be foreclosed.  Homeowners who know that they won’t be able to afford to keep there homes can list them on this website, before foreclosure happens.

It’s a sad scenario, really, when people lose their homes.  But it’s a fact of life, the banks are there to make money, that’s just the way it is.  All I know is that when we buy a home, we will NOT buy in Massachusetts, just too expensive here.  We can buy a nice house up in Maine for a LOT less, and we’ll probably end up paying less for the mortgage than we do in rent now.

One thing I hate about Massachusetts…

…is that they are now REQUIRING everybody to carry health insurance. The problem with many insurance plans, though, is that you are pretty much at their mercy. You often cannot get needed treatment because the insurance company won’t pay, the doctor won’t give you a referral, etc., etc., etc. I could go on for days about our bad experiences with a certain insurance company.

I recently learned about an alternative…Ameriplan. Now, this is NOT insurance, but a discount medical plan. They make arrangements with health care providers, to offer discounts on doctor visits, dental care, vision care, prescriptions, and more.

Although Ameriplan is available in Massachusetts, I’m not sure if it would be acceptable under the *you MUST have health insurance* law, because it’s not insurance. I feel that it should be, because I believe that people should have a choice in how they get their health care.

But even if you are in Massachusetts, and have insurance, something like this might well be worth it. Many employers don’t offer dental insurance. Mike’s does, and he used it when he needed to have a tooth pulled earlier this year. That wasn’t very expensive, but what if he needed something more complicated and expensive, such as a root canal…and he didn’t have a dental plan? Lack of a way to pay is a big reason why many people do not go to the dentist.

Vision care from most insurance companies is a joke. They often will NOT pay for an annual eye exam unless you’re diabetic and are at a higher risk for glaucoma. Mike is diabetic and his are covered. But my only problem is that I’m severely nearsighted…but the insurance companies apparently don’t believe that being able to see is “medically necessary”. So I have to pay out of pocket, 100%, for my eye exams and glasses. With Ameriplan, I’d be able to get substantial discounts.

Also, this is a work-at-home company, in case you’re looking for such an opportunity. You can own your own business and work in the comfort of your own home. No getting dressed up, no commute…sounds good to me!