Thomas Stroud

When I was a bachelor, I lived in a cottage on a smallholding in Midrand for many years. I tolerated the precarious security there because it was very affordable and I was only responsible for myself, having no wife or child to consider. I had been shot and left for dead in a failed robbery attempt some time back, so my happiness at living there was far from complete. All of this changed in 2009, when I got married to my lovely wife. We very quickly entered into a discussion on acquiring a home of our own in a safer, more densely populated area preferably near Midrand High School, where I have been teaching since 2001. This discussion became more urgent when we discovered that we were going to be parents in 2010 We found the perfect home for our small family at Midway Gardens, situated right next door to the school. I immediately approached the four major banks with bond applications, confidently planning to choose the contract offering the best terms. I believed myself to be a fine candidate on the strength that I held a steady position as a full-time educator with the GDE, had managed all my finances responsibly and paid off two vehicles without defaulting on a single payment. I had also managed a credit card for many years without disgracing myself. I did not think that my confidence in succeeding in all four of my bond applications was unrealistic or improbable.