Keep Throwin 'em While I'm Down - UPDATED

Originally written, 01/24/2007, UPDATE FURTHER BELOW:

Man... last Friday, we decide to buy a house, and thereafter, the wind's taken from my sails, lickety split!

Well, so here's the latest "it gets worse" news... and I'm so embarrassed about it, I contemplated letting it go by, without us telling anyone, but if I hold it in?

What you let out, it can save you... what you hold inside, it can destroy you.

We took my 2005 Matrix to the car dealership to have a couple things looked at, expecting the warranties to cover any needed repairs. Upon closer inspection, initially minor clues made now more evident by a recent LA driver having rammed into my car's front bumper from a parallel parking spot, looking where the paint has cracked from the impact, we can now see glaring evidence of an over-paint body and paint job = Yes, a prior accident, poorly repaired and never reported. So, that clean CARFAX report we paid for was apparently worthless...

After taxes and fees paid and what not, we spent $15K in cash on a car that may be worth only $8K, if we're lucky, and with all auto warranties, now completely NULL and VOID. Yeah, I was going to get an auto loan on this car from my credit union for maybe $10K of it's worth, to return some of that $15K to the bank, but now? I'm not going to pay interest on a car that's not even worth it's loan amount... Losing $5K outright, and owning a car that will look like absolute shit in a couple years, and feeling like a royal idiot's ass is bad enough, thanks.

We so got conned.

UPDATE, as of 3/05/07: Turns out it's not as bad as we'd thought!!! Although the paint job is, indeed, total shit, etc. etc., the car's mechanics are entirely sound and this aspect of the car is still under warranty, thus, the car is worth $13K!!! Yes, we'd bought it believing we were getting a screaming deal on a Matrix normally listed for $17K, if bought from a dealership, BUHHT, $13K is a helluvahlot better than $8K!?! No, I don't think this means we'll now take a loan out on the car... not having a car payment has been rather nice, I must say! Plus, the thought of paying interest on a car not worth its originally expected value kinda irks the hell outta me, frankly! = I just don't wanna do that!