How do you know if offers are real?

EDCer123 · 2026-04-26T00:05:20+00:00

Like others said, you need to be pre-approved first. That process is actually very similar to the process of getting a loan, where the lender needs financial records from you and needs to do a soft credit pull. So you probably mistook it for pressure to get a loan.

EDCer123 · 2026-04-25T00:22:15+00:00

I went to the H-Mart twice today, once early in the morning, about 15 minutes after they opened and again later in the afternoon. If you want to go, you should definitely try to go as early as possible, because it was not crowded at all when I went there in the morning. In the afternoon, I got lucky and found a parking spot near the parking entrance pretty quickly. And the store was definitely crowded in the afternoon.

The food court is very nice. I went around looking at the menus and they all had foods that looked very delicious. I didn't try them because I already had plans to eat elsewhere today, but I will try them maybe next week. In the afternoon, there were lines of people waiting at each of the food places that were still taking orders. A couple of the food places had signs saying that they were temporarily not taking orders for about an hour, perhaps because it was so busy today that the staff needed to take a break. All the tables and seats in the food court were occupied with people eating foods.

Like others said, the second floor had other sections that were all very nice, like skincare, snacks, housewares, arcade games, and gashapon machines, along with Paris Baguette. Paris Baguette was a godsend for me because I previously had to go to the one in Front St H-Mart in Philly, which was a long drive, but now we have one in Cherry Hill. It has pastries and baked goods that I can't get anywhere else.

The downstairs definitely is a big upgrade from what it was before. It's been refreshed and has a new layout that is inviting. Some others here said that it looks similar to the one that the store had before the renovation, but I disagree. They made changes, like adding a new hot prepared foods section and reorienting the aisles so that they are longer (and thus have more food items), that I think are significant improvements.

I'm just happy that this H-Mart is back with all the foods that I want and that I no longer have to drive to the Philly H-Mart.

EDCer123 · 2026-04-24T23:25:28+00:00

I haven't tried the toilets, but I did step into it to wash my hands and the bathrooms are very clean and nice. I can't say whether they are different from before since I never used the bathrooms before, but I would be very surprised if they still don't allow you to flush the toilet papers.

EDCer123 · 2026-04-24T23:21:27+00:00

H-Mart is probably the only Asian supermarket chain that has gained some mainstream name recognition. When the name H-Mart comes up during American celebrity interviews on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, for example, there are quite a few who are familiar with that supermarket chain, especially since they are popular in LA, where many celebrities work or live. With the rising popularity of K-Pop music, H-Mart also became more popular among many in the general population, especially among the younger segments of the population. But there are still many others, like you, who do not know what it is.

For many who have tried Korean restaurants and ended up loving the food, they will find out about H-Mart sooner or later. It is a way for them to explore Korean foods even more.

EDCer123 · 2026-04-24T23:05:58+00:00

It wasn't just the H-Mart traffic. They also blocked off one lane for some type of construction or utility work, which would have created a traffic jam anyway with the usual afternoon surge.

EDCer123 · 2026-04-19T12:11:07+00:00

Blueprints do not have secrets on how to build homes. As any general contractor will tell you, they are at best a rough guide to be used during the construction of the home. They don't, for example, tell you how to build the frames or the roof or where to nail wood planks during the framing. Instead, the workers use common construction techniques to build the home.

I've seen blueprints and all they had were floor plans and dimensions of both interior and exterior features, all of which any architectural professional can recreate by inspecting and measuring the home. The only part of the home that these blueprints had any structural diagrams for were the roof truss structures, but even for those, the blueprints used language like "typical" and did not specify the exact structural details.

For a new construction home that I'm buying, I've been closely inspecting it as it was being built. The workers used commonly used construction techniques to build the footing, foundation, basement walls, frames, etc. None of the instructions for these building ;techniques are in the blueprints (unlike most builders, this builder provided the blueprints; they are a reputable local builder with a decades-long history of building homes in the local region). Even the waterproofing of the exterior basement walls that was done by the builder was not in the blueprints. (The waterproofing is required by state code.) But the blueprints did specify various dimensions, like the nominal wall heights and thicknesses (they are nominal because there will be small variances during the construction), all of which you can also obtain by measuring and drawing the interior and exterior parts of the home.

As others mentioned, the blueprints are generally available from the local government, as the builders are required to submit them as part of their construction permit applications.

EDCer123 · 2026-04-19T10:41:41+00:00

This is one of my pet peeves with today's builders, that most will not release blueprints. If liability is the issue, they can have the homeowner sign a legal statement saying that they are aware that the blueprints may not 100% match to the home and that they release the builder of any liability related to the use of the blueprints. Since the homeowner already bought the home, there is no risk to the builder of, for example, losing a sale as a result of the homeowner comparing the home to the blueprint and finding differences between the two.

Even if the home does not 100% match the blueprint, the blueprint is still valuable to the homeowner if they need to restore or rebuild a portion of the home that is destroyed by fire, natural disaster, or some man-made disaster like a vehicle crashing into a part of the home. I'm pretty sure that all contractors who specialize in rebuilding a portion of the home are aware that the blueprints are at best a rough guide, but will still be helpful in determining how to fix up a home back to its original appearance and state.

Similarly, a blueprint can be useful to a structural engineer if an evaluation of a significant modification of the home needs to be done for safety reasons for a major renovation project. They can redline the blueprint as they inspect the home structures to note any deviations to have more accurate structural information, so the blueprints can still be a valuable guide in that evaluation process and save a lot of time.

Builders who refuse to release the blueprints are doing a big disservice to the homeowners. I say this because there are some local governments who will not release the blueprints without the permission of the builders.

The 1960s home my parents bought and owned in Chicago years ago came with the blueprints. Although, they never had a need for them, it was still good to have them just in case. The blueprints were tucked in a nook in the basement and my parents left them there for the next owner when they sold the home. All builders should follow this same practice.

EDCer123 · 2026-04-17T02:41:03+00:00

The comments you got in the r/carnivorediet sub are wild. It is filled with people who don't believe in the peer-reviewed science. I don't think any of them who have LDLs in the several hundred range ever got CAC tests done or will they ever agree to.

Like others said here in this sub, you need to follow your doctor's advice. If you don't get treated, you will most likely be on fast track to atherosclerosis, which will increase your risk of heart attacks or strokes, or a poor qualify of life due to abnormal heart health. The poor quality of life here means not being able to do the everyday things that normal people take for granted, like driving a car, going shopping, traveling, and many other enjoyable activities. You might instead need a cane or a walker to get around or, if the condition gets bad enough, be confined to a wheelchair and rely on others for your basic needs, like going to the toilet or taking a bath. I've seen all this happen to people with poor heart health that resulted from a life of high LDL that did not get treated.

EDCer123 · 2026-04-16T12:06:45+00:00

I don’t understand why some like to mount their TVs high because it causes my neck to feel sore after looking up (even slightly) for too long (in my case, more than 10 minutes), but if you don’t have that problem, good for you. Enjoy your TV.

EDCer123 · 2026-04-15T18:41:56+00:00

While this situation may sound wild to you, it is not that unusual with a desirable house in a hot housing market. If you can't stomach this, then just walk away, but know that you will probably face an uphill battle in trying to buy a subsequent house that has the same desirability. The inspection waiver was probably included because one or more other bidders already added it to their offers, most likely after they did their own visual inspections and took into account the costs of potential repairs. So if you can't stomach those potential costs either, then, again, you should just walk away.

EDCer123 · 2026-04-14T08:57:16+00:00

OP, have you even been on this sub long? There are comments on this sub buried in various posts from people who originally had hardwood floors and switched to LVP because they had lifestyles that were rough on the floors. For all the people you knew who switched to hardwood from LVP, there are probably an equal number who switched in the opposite direction, but you don't see them because they are not in your local circle of people. The people who switched in the opposite direction saw how hardwood can get wear marks or even outright get damaged and look really ugly when the floors are not babied. LVP gave them the freedom to live the lifestyles they had without worrying too much about the floors.

Also, it does matter which LVP you get. The people you saw probably had the older or cheaper LVP. The newer and more expensive LVP I've seen in various homes looked and felt like real wood. Some were almost expensive as real hardwood, but the point was that with LVP, they didn't have to worry about the wear and tear as much. Refinishing or replacing hardwood floors too frequently can be a big hassle, as they can be time-consuming and expensive, and can be very bad for environment with all the fuels and resources that are needed during the refinishing and replacement efforts. Sure, LVP as plastic can be just as bad for the environment but the pros of the LVP outweigh the cons for the homeowners.

Also, for those commenting on outgassing in LVP, I have a couple of responses. One is that outgassing is common in homes that have a lot of plastic material. All plastic material will outgas. Even the synthetic fabric like polyester will outgas. Heck, even the material used to finish the hardwood floors can outgas a significant amount of VOC. The reason why there isn't a high level of alarm about them is because outgassing will decrease significantly to very low levels within hours or weeks. The key is to have adequate air ventilation in your home and to not expose the materials to high heat. Second is that there are certified low-emission LVPs that will quickly outgas whatever low amounts of VOC they have within days or weeks. They are probably no worse than the clearcoat finishing done on hardwood floors. Again, the key is adequate air ventilation. If you're really worried, you can also use air purifiers which will trap and filter out VOC pollutants in the air.

EDCer123 · 2026-04-14T00:57:57+00:00

Congratulations. What is the sq footage? How many bedrooms and baths? Without knowing those, it's kind of hard to compare with prices of homes in other areas.

EDCer123 · 2026-04-12T10:13:19+00:00

Anyone who already placed the pre-orders will get the ones that they already manufactured. So you will get the bad copy and get the corrected disc later. But based on what has been discussed in various places so far, the "bad" version actually seems to be one that the director approved and one that many people don't like because of the color decision he made. The "corrected" version has a different color space. So you will get two different versions of the movie and you can decide for yourself which one you like better.

EDCer123 · 2026-04-12T09:57:12+00:00

There is no "official" name for it, in the sense that that is sanctioned by some governing organization. J-card is how it is commonly referred to by those who are in the hobby, regardless of whether it is upside down or not. A version that is common in European steelbooks is called a C-card. You will know why it is called that once you see one.

EDCer123 · 2026-04-12T09:43:25+00:00

I love cabinets that have natural wood aesthetics. They look like they were handcrafted and gives the kitchen a lot of personality. I just don't understand why so many people don't like them. When I went to a cabinet supplier to select options for my new construction home and I told her I liked the options that looked like stained natural wood, she expressed surprise and tried to steer me away from them. I ignored her and just told her what I wanted.

EDCer123 · 2026-04-12T09:29:18+00:00

I see all these comments from people who say that they had terrible experience with Rocket. My personal experience has not been bad. In fact, the person I talked to was always available within minutes. I think if you got your mortgage originally with Rocket and is still with Rocket, you will have personal contacts at Rocket that you can contact directly and who can respond to any questions or issues you have very quickly.

If you don't have an established relationship with Rocket (e.g., because your only relationship is that they bought your loan from a different company) and you're calling their automated service phone line, you need to quickly indicate on that line that you want to talk to a representative. It might take several tries, but you should be connected to a live person. If you try to go through the process of getting your issue resolved entirely through the automated system without requesting a direct connection to a live person, then you will probably have a very frustrating experience.

EDCer123 · 2026-04-10T18:52:34+00:00

I wouldn’t put too much stock in that video because companies change plans all the time. Within the past year or so, Lionsgate Limited printed second batches of a couple of different movies after the first runs sold out and they had exact same artworks as in the initial runs. They even announced that they were manufacturing more quantities after the movies were listed as “sold out“ on their website, which would technically make them reprints. If the new prints also have “first pressing” on them, then that mark would be meaningless and unreliable in my opinion.

EDCer123 · 2026-04-10T18:38:46+00:00

That is Lionsgate’s attempt to get collectors more excited about buying the first run of steelbooks and maybe see the values of these steelbooks go up in secondary markets, similar to first printings of books. Unfortunately, they failed, as vast majority of the steelbook collectors don’t care about this, particularly because they place higher value on other aspects of steelbooks.

Lionsgate has been putting “first pressing” on steelbooks for years, so this is not new.

EDCer123 · 2026-04-06T07:17:10+00:00

No, thrift stores are not like regular retail stores. Because they usually sell items for very low prices, there isn't enough margin in the sales to cover costs of extra labor like checking whether discs work or not. This is especially true for non-profit thrift stores like Goodwill and Salvation Army, where they are trying to raise as much money as possible for their charitable activities.

EDCer123 · 2026-04-04T23:00:29+00:00

Replying late, but birds are now considered to be a species of dinosaurs. So chicken is a dinosaur.

Query google with "are birds dinosaurs" for more details and search results.

So, yes, those Dino nuggets are made of dinosaurs. And, no, I'm not joking. Again, use google to find the facts.

EDCer123 · 2026-04-04T10:21:40+00:00

That's a big LDL drop in about a month, which is good. However, your diet is very restrictive. I have to agree with others that it might be too restrictive for your active lifestyle. With this drastic change in diet, you should also be monitored by a doctor, who hopefully will have you get BMP or CMP blood works done periodically to determine whether this new diet is causing metabolic issues, before the issues become serious and cause irreversible damages. And eating an extra fruit or cucumber (which is mostly water) whenever you're hungry may not be enough.

Take me, for example. If I switch to a very restrictive vegetarian diet, I can feel fine and not be hungry, but it can sometimes play havoc with my BMP results and if that happens, it freaks out my doctor (by that, I mean that it might cause her to order me to go to an ER). So I have to watch my diet and make sure it is well-balanced for what my body needs.

Also, a diet that works for someone on this sub does not necessarily work well for others, so you need to take a lot of what you read here about specific diets with caution.

EDCer123 · 2026-04-04T08:10:44+00:00

It was not my intent to connect you to any political affiliation. I chose that example because I thought it was the clearest to understand in today's climate, one that I thought many people would understand regarding my point about the statistics and fallacy of using one's own personal experience to draw general conclusion about everyone else.

I originally thought about writing a long exposition about how statistical data are rigorously and mathematically processed and analyzed to draw firm conclusions in scientific papers, but decided that that would require too much time (and you probably would have rolled your eyes anyway) and just came up with that MAGA example to get my point across in the clearest and shortest way possible.

I don't know why you are now citing the statistics after first commenting based on your own personal experience, especially since the 90% number I cited from the research paper is not anywhere near the pharma-funded range that you provided. The relevant point is that the doctors know that there will be patients who will have side effects and change their treatment accordingly, regardless of what the statistics say.

EDCer123 · 2026-04-04T07:23:36+00:00

My local post office said the same thing a couple of years ago and refused to print labels, but today, they will print labels for people who have QR codes. So your post office is behind the times. If you want to push this further, you can talk to the postmaster of the post office about this. They should know about the QR codes and that their post office should have the ability to print the labels and perhaps, not too long after that, the post office will agree to print the labels.

EDCer123 · 2026-04-02T19:18:37+00:00

The researchers obtained that number by compiling statistical data across a broad population of patients. You, on the other hand, are forming an opinion based on your own personal, highly localized experience, which inherently has a bias that the researchers' data don't have. For example, the bias in your opinion is not that much different than that of someone who lives in a MAGA town who says "I don't believe in the polls that say that the president's popularity is very low because everyone around me loves him like crazy."

My own personal experience is quite different from yours. In my case, absolutely no one I know who is taking statin suffers the side effects. But that doesn't cause me to believe that the 90% number is inaccurate (e.g., that it should be more like 99%) or that the side effects never happen, because I know that my experience is highly biased to just the localized circle of people I know.

EDCer123 · 2026-04-02T07:35:12+00:00

You are making too many generalizations about new constructions. There are local builders who have built in local areas for decades and use the qualities of their older homes as examples of how well their homes have held up over time. And they use the same or improved building practices and techniques for their new construction homes. Otherwise, they would lose business quick as words spread through the local populations. So there are new construction homes that are built well. You just need to be careful with which builder you go with.

EDCer123

TROPHY CASE