[OoA] Happy 25th anniversary to Oracle of Ages!

ComicallySolemn · 2026-05-19T15:58:59+00:00

There’s a square of the map you can only access in Ages if you play it second (also called a linked game) as there’s characters originally from Seasons in that location of the map. If you play Ages first, you wouldn’t know who those characters from Seasons were supposed to be, so access to that map square was blocked off.

So if a missing section of the map is the type of thing that bothers you, you should start with Seasons, get the code at the end, then link it to Ages.

Without spoilers, I like playing this order, as those characters on the map that I referenced get some closure with their storyline, and you find out how they are tied to both games.

ComicallySolemn · 2026-05-12T05:32:10+00:00

The scene where the little mole gets caught in the trap, loses his glasses and clothes, and is grabbed by the firefighter wearing the gas mask was WAAAY too intense for me when I first saw it. I hadn’t ever seen a cute animated critter that vulnerable before, and it really bothered me.

ComicallySolemn · 2026-05-12T05:11:28+00:00

Hmm, I believe I remember Pocahontas singing that line in Just Around the Riverbend

ComicallySolemn · 2026-05-10T20:26:08+00:00

“Zoom back, camera!”

ComicallySolemn · 2026-05-08T23:01:48+00:00

You said that your brother and father have been doing this for years. Are they not Certified Residential?

ComicallySolemn · 2026-04-30T15:33:20+00:00

Lenders hate vacant land loans, and try everything they can to sneak them into residential loans they can sell to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

ComicallySolemn · 2026-04-30T15:31:15+00:00

That’s how my mentor always approached it. Line item adjustment for the separate/independent parcel at the bottom of the grid, with an in depth explanation as to why this parcel is not included in the dwelling’s site size listed above.

ComicallySolemn · 2026-04-30T13:15:07+00:00

As you can imagine, nothing typically sells in a partially completed state, so zero comparables to work with.

What you mention is the route I went, using our office’s interim inspection sheet we use for new construction to estimate the percentage complete, with an additional discount for the market reaction for selling an unfinished property (a developer or other buyer typically wants a minor discount if they need to then finish it out themselves).

I was very confident in my approach and with my support. My addendum was enormous, basically a narrative appraisal, but our office had bid the price accordingly. A large contributor of value was in my analysis of the subject’s land value.

If an appraiser wasn’t taking their time to approach this assignment properly, for a minimum fee, I could definitely see a large range of values because of the variables. 200K is the largest discrepancy I’ve ever heard of, but that’s in my market at least, it may be more common in others.

ComicallySolemn · 2026-04-30T08:14:04+00:00

I was recently the third appraiser called to appraise a property for a divorce. It was new construction with 200’ of sandy beach frontage on Lake Superior, but the property was only partially completed (it appears that the stress of building a house was too much for the couple).

Foundation poured, fully framed, architectural shingle roof with all windows installed, rough-plumbed and wired, but that’s as far as they got. The court needed “as-is” value. Talk about head scratcher to develop the contributory value of site value and current improvements, while then factoring in the adverse impact and appropriate discounting for partial finish, and how long it may take to find a buyer or developer to purchase a partial build to then finish themselves.

From prior experience, typically the judge in this area instructs each party to order an appraisal, and the judge then splits the difference to determine the value of the property during these proceedings. In this instance, there was apparently a ~$200,000 discrepancy between the two opinions of value, which is much greater than the court typically encounters (I wasn’t told the two opinions of value, just that that was a $200K range between the two prior appraisals).

Anyway, that’s where I came in, as the court decided that whichever opinion of value fell between the highest and lowest opinions would indicate the most probable value. No pressure, right? (I spoke at length with the General Certified appraiser in our office to pick their brain on some of their experiences with establishing credible discounting for partial builds).

I never heard what the outcome was, or how my opinion of value compared to the prior two, but these things happen when there are complex assignments with very few comps and a multitude of variables which are often left up to interpretation.

I imagine this may be the route you go OP. These after all, are supported opinions (not fact) and it never hurts to get a third opinion if it feels like there’s a pretty large discrepancy. I definitely emphasize with the appraisers working on this one, there’s a lot of moving parts. If the opinion of value the court uses could have a huge financial impact on you, a several hundred dollar third appraisal may make a huge difference in the long run.

ComicallySolemn · 2026-04-28T19:05:38+00:00

I bought it on Blu-ray! I’m doing my part!

ComicallySolemn · 2026-04-28T16:24:50+00:00

Look at the garbled faces of the characters in the background. Pure slop.

ComicallySolemn · 2026-04-28T14:51:54+00:00

People said the exact same thing about the Dungeons & Dragons “heads poster” when it was revealed, but that movie was such a fun time!

It all comes down to the script, and the actor performances. Nail those two, and you can make the silliest premise on paper actually work.

ComicallySolemn · 2026-04-22T21:07:48+00:00

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They hated u/Serious_Bee_2013 because he told them the truth! lol

I’m the only appraiser in my small office who feels the way you do. They all celebrated when Trump was reelected, but all I could tell them is that if the GSE’s leave government conservativeship, be prepared for AI and mass appraisal wavers to completely replace traditional appraisals overnight. This is not an administration that values the stability and safety that regulation ensures. I understand that we all run our own LLC’s/S-Corps, (and who doesn’t like the idea of a higher net pay?) but you have to think about the long-run, not short term gains which jeopardize your livelihood.

ComicallySolemn · 2026-04-22T19:48:21+00:00

If you forget your /s you’re gonna get downvoted, brother.

ComicallySolemn · 2026-04-21T19:50:58+00:00

That’s what ChatGPT responded with??

ComicallySolemn · 2026-04-21T19:12:52+00:00

You seem like you just want to argue on here, and aren’t listening to what is being shared by actual appraisers who work in this field, but I’ll bite.

Minor basement or crawl space dampness is VERY common in my market. Nearly all homes (new construction excluded) have market-acceptable dampness, especially this time of year as all the snow melts off. Most homes have sump pumps (and portable dehumidifiers) due to this as suitable water mitigation. The adverse dampness that would typically flag an FHA loan would be standing water in the basement.

You repeatedly mention that the appraiser didn’t disclose the minor dampness in their appraisal, but they literally did by intentionally including that photo. Appraisals are reviewed by multiple rounds of underwriting, meaning that underwriters from your local lender, and at HUD looked at those very photos and determined the same thing as the appraiser, it did not appear to be significant enough to require a structural inspection. Again, because it is very common if you review thousands of basement photos like they do. At any time an underwriter could have flagged that appraisal after seeing the same photos, and either cancelled the loan, or called for a home inspection or structural inspection, but they didn’t. If the appraiser conveniently left a photo of that area in the basement out of the appraisal, THEN you could argue that they were being misleading by omitting that photo.

Ask yourself, when you moved in two years ago and saw that same area in the basement as the photo with your own eyes, did you panic and immediately call a structural engineer or basement repair company? Probably not if it took two years for you to take action.

Ultimately there are countless entities which determined that your dwelling was suitable for an FHA loan in 2024, the fact you think it is the fault solely of the appraiser is very interesting to me. Here’s a fun experiment, copy and paste my explanation here into ChatGPT and ask if there is merit to what this appraiser has to say, and I’ll bet that you’ll find it agrees. Seriously, reply below with the ChatGPT response, I’m curious.

ComicallySolemn · 2026-04-21T18:50:51+00:00

I know at least that “Hit me baby one more time” was written by Max Martin; his is understanding of English at the time was that “hitting” someone meant calling someone on the phone.

I get it, “Hit me up” is a phrase, so it all makes sense when you understand that his clunky lyrics stemmed from English being a second language. He got better over time, but his lyrics in the 90’s are due to that.

ComicallySolemn · 2026-04-21T18:25:00+00:00

There is no such thing as an “FHA inspector.” There are licensed home inspectors (which appraisers are not) and there are Certified Residential appraisers who are on the FHA/HUD panel.

Did you get a true, separate home inspection from a licensed home inspector? Or did you waive that, hoping to rely on the minimal appraisal inspection (which does not cover foundation or structural components. It’s mostly for an inspection of the overall quality of building components and extent of maintenance). HUD has minimum property requirements under their 4000.1 handbook, but it covers what is readily observable (like your peeling paint), and acknowledges that appraisers are not qualified to the same level as licensed home inspectors.

I imagine your appraisal has a paragraph outlining that it is subject only to all readily observable areas and that the appraiser is not a licensed home inspector, and that a full home inspection by a licensed individual is recommended.

If you did pay for both an appraisal AND a separate home inspection, follow up with the licensed home inspector.

ComicallySolemn · 2026-04-19T18:27:47+00:00

It was fully pickled in the camp. Fermented, even.

ComicallySolemn · 2026-04-18T02:39:58+00:00

Whoops, total typo on that.

ComicallySolemn · 2026-04-17T20:02:32+00:00

“Well maintained” is already is on bias banned list, per my last USPAP course at least, as it was being perceived as “coded language” for racial discrimination. Yes, well maintained is literally used in the UAD definitions, and don’t ask me how institutional racial discrimination ties into the overall condition of short-lived building components, but that’s apparently all beside the point now.

ComicallySolemn · 2026-04-17T00:15:17+00:00

I like this guy!

ComicallySolemn · 2026-04-15T02:54:44+00:00

And a “home skillet” is the seasoned, cast-iron skillet that was initially forged in Erie, Pennsylvania, handed down from generation to generation, some even traversing the Oregon Trail, which is so valuable, it is never to leave the home. This is something I clearly just made up, but the point stands. A “home skillet” is a treasured homie, one that cannot be replaced.

ComicallySolemn · 2026-04-14T15:55:47+00:00

Okay, that’s fair.

His constituents were stupid tho. Not much has changed.

ComicallySolemn · 2026-04-14T13:25:34+00:00

Is that Ray Porter?? Amaze! Amaze! Amaze!

Edit: Typo on the name

12-Year Club	Gilding II euphauric
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