Sunday, December 4, 2011

Disabled Mother Of 6 Trades Her House For Minivan To Get Her Kids To School On Time




LaWanda Flake is a 36-year old disabled mother in Detroit trying to find a way to make a way.  The mother took some heat from friends and the public when she traded in her four bedroom brick house in a nice neighborhood for a minivan with 85,000 miles on it.  The house was in the same neighborhood once frequented by Diana Ross, but Flake didn't care, she made the trade anyway.

The mom wanted to make the trade so she could get her kids to school on time. She was disappointed with the local bus service, and wanted to make a change.  So, she put her house up on Craig's list, which led to a pile of offers from all over the country.  She was even offered better cars, like Corvettes and a Bentley.  But instead, she settled for a 2006 Chevy Uplander minivan.

 "I had a lot of good offers, some from out of state," she said. "It turned out I took one of the first offers I got because I felt like it helped us both. "

She said that the person she spoke with really needed the house, and she wanted to give it to them.  The house was valued at $96,000.  She bought it last year for $3,600 at a foreclosure sale.  The minivan was valued at between $5,000 and $8,500.  Flake took the minivan over a 1996 Bentley, worth $20,000.

The family that took over the home from Flake made repairs that she could not afford to make.  She has now moved her family into a three-bedroom house in Detroit that she got on a land contract for $4,000.  Flake said that some of her friends were angry at her for making the offer.

'A lot of people felt like I was begging,' she told The Detroit News. 'I wasn't. I lost a friend over this. She felt my decision made me look bad.'

6 comments:

bev. washington said...

Ms. Flake felt she was doing what was best for her children and I can RESPECT her decision because she knew what was needed too make things better for her and no one else has a right to criticize what she did. It would be a better World if we all would mind our own business, whether family, friends or whom ever. Live and let Live. All the best to Ms. Flake

Anonymous said...

I agree

One Million Words said...

I agree with you Bev!

Unknown said...

All I can say is that the "friend" that she lost was not a friend at all. She will be better off, I hope.

Ms. Metafly said...

She's obviously no dummy. She did what she HAD to do. She's apparently clear headed enough that not only does she have a van, they are now living in another home. People....too many mouths in the mix and not enough hands.

tasha said...

She got a car and another house..I betcha her kids are the ones that is "gonna make it". Becuase she showing them that material things really doesn't matter, when you have a full belly, a warm place to sleep and an education.