To be honest, 
I wasn’t sure if I was making the best decision. Some people advised against renouncing US citizenship while others recommended it. Yet, after unsuccessfully warning American politicians, I elected mission safety and handed in the blue passport.
To the left is a picture of my buddies and myself on the right, loading a ship to bring us to Somalia.
Now, it is official. I could hardly believe it when I read it, but it is true. Renouncing US citizenship saved the mortgage for our primary residence. Two days ago, the provider of my mortgage stated the following in press:
“In the mean time, we have distanced ourselves from almost all of our American customers. Currently, the bank has 5 investment accounts and 39 bank accounts belonging to US citizens. The only thing in the path of reducing that down to zero is that we haven’t been able to contact the clients yet.”
Source
To the right is a picture of my grandfather who fought for America during WWII.
There is no guarantee that I would have been able to refinance my mortgage with any other service as a US citizen and neither the US Veterans Administration nor the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development are willing or able to assist Americans living outside of US jurisdiction.
Unfortunately, the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) does not have jurisdiction to handle complaints outside of the United States.
STATUTE – It is the policy of the United States to provide, within constitutional limitations, for fair housing throughout the United States.
Sec. 802. [42 U.S.C. 3602] Definitions
(g) “State” means any of the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any of the territories and possessions of the United States.
FHEO administratively enforces federal statutes, executive orders and regulations designed to afford all persons an equal opportunity to live in housing of their choice and to participate in HUD-assisted programs and activities without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, religion, familial status (families with children under 18), disability, or age.
Source
I volunteered to fight for America in the US Army, yet which American politician fought to save the home of an American veteran living abroad? I could care less about banking secrecy as long as the innocent are protected and I’m all for combatting money laundering. Yet, America needs to do much more to ensure that its policies do not cause harm to innocent Americans living overseas in violation of US federal laws prohibiting national origin discrimination.
Federal law prohibits housing discrimination based on your race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or disability.
Source
A residency-based tax system would prevent national origin discrimination against Americans for having a mortgage on their primary home or local checking account, and fighting for such would not violate US federal laws. Maybe it is time to fight for America and Americans like how my family and myself have done so.
