A Distant Soil by Colleen Doran

Very long post updated from old blog, with important tips from comments section added. Please bookmark

If you are an artist or a writer working from home, whatever they say, DO NOT BELIEVE YOUR REAL ESTATE AGENT, MORTGAGE COMPANY OR INSURANCE AGENT WHEN THEY TELL YOU THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH YOU, YOUR MORTGAGE, YOUR ZONING, YOUR INSURANCE POLICY, OR ANYTHING ELSE.

READ THE FINE PRINT YOURSELF!

When I first moved out on my own and bought my little home, I was very poor and qualified for a low income home loan. Great! My tiny 750 square foot condo was more than enough room for me and a little office. I told my real estate agent who I was and what I did, and what I intended to do in my home. I also told my mortgage company who I was, what I did, and what I intended to do in my home.

I got my loan, and set up a little studio space in my dining area.

Yeah, I had read my mortgage agreement, my eyes got bleary after about five pages, and I couldn’t tell you what the thing said if my life depended on it. I bought the house and can draw pictures in the house, right? It’s my house.

All was well. Until I began learning some scary things about zoning, and mortgages, and so on.

I sat down and REALLY read the fine print in my home loan agreement, and even though I had been told that my home office was OK and that my being an artist would not be a problem, the actual language of the loan specifically forbade my running any business from my home.

Ever.

For any reason.

The real estate agent and mortgage company were more interested in making a sale than they were in paying attention to the fine print, and I was more interested in getting my loan than paying attention to the fine print. So, they told me what I wanted to hear to make a sale.

And at any time if I had been called on it, I could have lost my home. The bank could have withdrawn the loan and foreclosed on my home because I was drawing comics in my home. No kidding. One neighbor with a grudge and a little smarts, and I could have lost my HOUSE.

In fact, there are MANY mortgage agreements that forbid home offices.

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