Mr.
Girtsman was employed as a home appraiser from
2002 - 2004 in California. With home prices
soaring, he often wondered, “Who could afford
these mortgage payments?” he says. And while it
didn’t happen often, a lender would sometimes
ask him to say what he thought a home’s value
was before he appraised it, Mr. Girtsman says.
The implication: If the value didn’t match what
the lender wanted, he wouldn’t get the job. Mr.
Girtsman says that he resisted.
"I
got my mortgage and I made my payments/
But my rate reset in my latest statement/
It was 1200, now it's 24/
I'm three months late, so I'm out the door..."
The LA Times tracked down the performers: The
singer is a former real estate appraiser who is
now working as a Web developer. The animator is
a Mexican mask wrestler known to her fans as
Crybaby. Neither one owns a home.