It's one of those nightmares both sellers and buyers worry about happening -- the appraisal comes in at an amount less than the purchase price. It happens.

A home appraisal is supposed to be an unbiased opinion of the value of a property at a point in time, completed by a professionally licensed appraiser. An appraisal is an art, not a science.

Appraisers determine a property's value partially by researching the sales prices of nearby homes that are of similar...

So many reasons
To fly off the chain.
So much stress
Building the strain.
Tension on the rise
It's very palpable.
If not by my making
Could be laughable.
What do you do?
When anger can lead to blinder?
That which does not kill you
Can make you kinder.


Life's choice

That makes two Chocolat's this month; Claire Denis' 1988 film on the 15th, and now Lasse Hallström's with Juliette Binoche, Alfred Molina, Lena Olin, Johnny Depp, and Carrie-Anne Moss. Completely different, Hallström's film has more title sequences.

Lasse Hallström's filmography certainly is impressive: Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2011), Hachi: A Dog's Tale (2009), The Cider House Rules (1999), My Life as a Dog (1985) (which I need to see next).

I don't know why I...

Pride is not the opposite of shame but it's source. True humility is the only antidote to shame

you got the call at 10:45 pm...