That little acorn that fell from the tree sure is getting a bad rap these days. To figure out why the acorn is taking so much heat, you really need to draw a few comparisons. What is an acorn? By definition, It’s a nut, containing a single seed, enclosed in a tough, leathery shell, and born in a cup named a cupule. The cupule holds and protects the seed during its growth and maturation.  Because of their high fat content, acorns can become rancid and moldy.

That brings us to ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) and it’s path of littered, abandoned properties in neighborhoods across the country. By comparison, the definition of the word acorn (the nut) and ACORN the organization have many of the same words when describing themselves – tough, protection, high fat content, toxic, rancid and uncontrollable mold growth.

So what’s the real difference between ACORN and Acorns? Acorns (the nut) appear only on mature trees, and thus are often a symbol of patience and the fruition of long, hard labor. The differences at this point are glaring.

Take a city like San Ramon, California.  San Ramon is a medium sized town in Contra Costa County with about 51,000 residents.  It’s an affluent community where the average household income is $95,856, more than twice the national average.  In September 2008, the average home sales price for a single family home or condo in San Ramon was $709,137.  It takes several years if not a lifetime for many people to work their way up into a community like San Ramon.  I have a tip for those that want to live in San Ramon with a very low down payment, however, in order to do so you’ll need a high debt to income ratio and a low credit score.  Here’s the tip, contact ACORN Housing Corp - Oakland (510) 436-6532 to become a homeowner in this affluent community or visit the City of San Ramon ACORN housing page.

Now, extending a helping hand to those in need should always be considered the right thing to do when the situation warrants it. However, the question now becomes…..who’s cleaning up the rotten, rancid, abandoned ACORNS in your neighborhood…….CitiMortgage, Bank of America, the Housing Trust Fund, the Community Reinvestment Program………keep guessing.