My plan was a good one.  It was the only one I could do.  I started to look for a lawyer under Flint bankruptcy.  There were a lot of lawyers offering this kind of service.  Apparently, it is the only growth industry in Flint.   The auto industry and the auto aftermarket industry is in the tank.  My industry, the hotel and hospitality business is suffering big time.  I was doing okay until I lost money in investments and then lost my job.  I had gone to school to get a degree in hotel management, and had worked at a series of low end jobs for years, doing the graveyard shift, until I landed a food and beverage management position with a mid priced hotel, a small regional chain.  I worked extremely hard and tried to save money whenever possible.  I bought a modest house, then another, and then another — renting out the first two.  It was a nice steady stream of income, and good investments.  The houses appreciated in value, and I was able to increase my net worth tremendously.  All the while, I held onto my job with the hotel chain.  Then I got an opportunity at another hotel, a national chain.  This meant a lot more money.  I was thrilled.  Things couldn't be better.