From what I remember seeing, short-sales are generally the same as normal listings as far as inspection/appraisals/etc.(Some will have stipulations, just like regular listings, but I didn't see any particular trend) The negotiation can take longer, since it usually involves a bank, but the option is still there. I generally see foreclosures sold "as-is" though, and usually without contingencies, although I didn't really look at any foreclosures last time I was in the market.

Anonymous wrote:Could be the connection to 1998 is faulty.

LOL, I was thinking the same thing.

Anonymous wrote:Why are you all congratulating OP? An appraisal has nothing to do with the potential sales price of a home.

No, but it can have a huge impact on the refinancing options available to you.(Particularly if you are on the edge of the 20% equity threshold) Why shouldn't we congratulate someone when they receive good news?

Anonymous wrote:Those of you whose houses appraised for hundreds more than you thought, what price range are you talking about?

In my case, not that high of a price range for this area. We were expecting something around $425k or a little higher, and the appraisal came in around $550k.

Same here as well. Our refi appraisal was about $125k higher than we expected it to be. We are reasonably suspicious as well, since we aren't confident that the house would sell anywhere near the value given. There's not really any downside to a higher-than-expected appraisal though, unless one does something silly like trying to cash out all of the new-found equity. As long as you stick to the amount needed to refinance, there shouldn't be any issues.

We've stayed at Port Orleans a couple of times and enjoyed it, so I think you'll be fine there. We've actually stayed at all of the moderate-priced resorts at Disney, and we didn't find there to be a big difference between most of them other than themes. As for the holiday, I've never been during Christmas, but I have been on other holidays. My guess would be that it won't be too crowded, since the big crowds will be during the actual holiday, not the week before. If you check out some of the Disney message boards, you'll probably find more definitive answers.

I'm terrified of spiders as well. My standard response to encountering one is to scream like a four-year old girl and run away.(And I'm a 37-year old man, so it can be funny to watch) That being said, we have similar issues with shrubs in our front yard(Lots of spiders and webs), and I don't do anything about them. Despite how I feel about them, I know that those spiders keep a lot of other bugs under control. In fact, I wish the backyard had more spiders, since the bugs can be really annoying out there. They aren't going to hurt you, and you should think of them as natural pest control.(Which is really what they are) Yes, it can be annoying, particularly at night, but killing them would be pointless, since others will just move into the now-vacant prime real estate.

I've never actually owned a Tivo, so I can't say exactly what the differences are. But if you aren't familiar with either, I would just stick with what you can get from Verizon. Functionally, I don't think there's much difference between them anymore, and I don't think the costs are going to be that different either. I have FIOS as well, and I've been using their multi-room DVR with no issues.

If I had to buy one today, I would probably go with one of the Samsung Galaxy phones(SIII, perhaps, I haven't looked too closely since I'm not in the market currently). I wouldn't buy an iPhone at the moment, since we aren't too far away from the release date for the iPhone 5 or whatever it will be called. Around that time, the 4s prices will drop, so you would either get it cheaper or a newer model, whichever you preferred. As far as capabilities, there's not much to really differentiate the current batch of smart phones from each other.(The overall differences are fairly minor, and they all work well) I would just go play with some in a store and see which you prefer.

The one reason I've never gone with any satellite provider is that weather can easily disrupt the signal. To me, any extra cost and/or hassle with cable(I actually have Verizon FIOS for TV currently) are worth it for increased reliability.

I love MM and have been three or four times over the past couple of years. There's nothing in the show that I would worry about, as far as kids go. There are a couple of raunchy songs, but raunchy according to that time period, not modern standards.(One of them is called "Maids When You're Young" if you want to get an idea of what I'm talking about) There may be some jokes as well(The script changes regularly, so I don't know the exact story line you will here), but they will likely be fairly mild. Most of the shows and humor involve the Duke getting into trouble with the Duchess in one way or another. I've always enjoyed the food and ale there as well.

As to whether your kids will like it, I think it depends more on the individual children than the show itself. Most of the show is dialogue, so if you don't think he would be able to follow along and enjoy the storyline, that part might not be good for him. However, there is always portion of the show in which two knights have a live duel(With real weapons and audience members judging) that I think he would definitely enjoy. It is more of a play/dinner theater setting for the most part. Considering the deal with the Groupon though(Which I've used as well), it would probably be worthwhile to at least try it out if you think he might like it.

The shows generally run about two hours, I think, although it may run a little after 9:00pm at times. The beer is very good as well

You can also get some good deals at Dell's outlet store on refurbed computers. I've gotten a couple from there that I've used as media centers: http://www.dell.com/outlet/

If he doesn't petsit for anyone else, then there's no loss of income involved.(Since he wouldn't have used the time for anyone else) As long as you give a few weeks notice, which it seems you can, I wouldn't give any money. If you have to wait until close to the last minute, then I would probably consider giving at least part of the money, but it would depend on how short notice you canceled.(Mainly for the inconvenience it may cause him)

Anonymous wrote:Collectivism is for weak nations. Celebration of the individual is the revolutionary ideal that built the greatest nation to ever cross the horizon of this world.

E pluribus unum: "Out of many, one." That sounds a lot like collectivism to me. That's also been the motto of the US since the time of the American revolution, and it is still present on the Seal of the United States. Do you understand what that means? Our nation was founded by many great individuals WORKING TOGETHER to build something greater than they could achieve separately. We commonly refer to our Founding Fathers, not just a single individual, when we talk about those times as well. We celebrate individualism when warranted, but not individualism at the expense of everything else.

Just to add my two cents, if I were looking for three bedroom houses and saw a listing with 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, I would immediately discard it. If it listed three bedrooms and two baths, I would at least give it a look. You'll get more potential buyers in the door(Physically or virtually, at least) to look by having that second bathroom, so I say go for it.