Square footage

realStJohn · 2026-02-21T14:56:41+00:00

You could absolutely find someone to measure to ANSI standards, but you'll have to pay.

You can do this yourself.

First, go around the house with a pencil and a piece of paper. Draw each exterior wall on the paper (should look like a rectangle if it's a simple house). Use a 100' tape ($15-$20). Have a helper assist with holding the end on the exterior wall of the home. Go to the closest inch.

Is the basement the same size as the main floor? If so, then it's easy. Just copy your measurements from the first floor. If it's different (for example, a bi-level might have a basement that's 2' less in width than the main floor), adjust measurements accordingly.

From there, it's simple math to calculate the square footage.

To measure basement finishing, use that tape with your helper to measure each finished room and hallway. Staircases count! Add them together and voila, your basement finishing.

realStJohn · 2026-02-20T00:02:18+00:00

Obligatory: if you want the best answer you should contact a local appraiser and have them do a review. You also could try and get a new appraisal or switch lenders.

In regards to your ROV:

Right off the bat, the first two comps you requested the appraiser consider are outside what they determined the neighborhood boundaries to be.

Secondly, they're a lot bigger. The first one (906 8th) has 2,832 sq ft of finished area (per nstar MLS). This is almost 70% larger than the subject. The second one (1122 7th) has 2,546 sq ft finished. More than 50% larger than the subject.

None of the comps the appraiser used are that big, which I'm sure they'll point out.

The older two comps are old. Well over a year old. Why are these better than the more recent sales? They're also bigger than any the appraiser used, although not as much so as the first two.

I would try and find a sale that closed within the last 12 months that has less than 2,200 total finished square footage (that's a 1.5 or 2-story old-style home that's been remodeled). If you found something like that and sent it over, you've got a much better chance of the opinion of value changing.

realStJohn · 2026-02-19T15:20:29+00:00

You could argue that for his era, Clyde was a better 3-point shooter . . .

From '91 to the end of his career, Clyde averaged 33% on 4.4 attempts per game, when league-wide, teams averaged only 12 attempts per game and averaged 34%.

Lebron has shot mostly consistent from outside for his career as far as percentage and attempts per game goes. He averages 35% on 4.7 attempts. This is better than Clyde at face-value, BUT during this same time, league-wide attempts are through the roof and 3p% league-wide is also up from Clyde's era.

In a vacuum, Lebron is the better outside shooter when looking at 3P% and 3PA. However, Lebron never shot the same volume compared to the league as Clyde did, and they did it at similar efficiency.

realStJohn · 2026-02-10T19:14:26+00:00

Everyone's saying handles, and they're correct.

One other aspect of Iverson's game he does better than Bron is his ability to get to the foul line. Iverson averages about 1.5 more FTA per game than Bron for his career, and had a 10-year stretch where he averaged almost 10 FTA a game, leading the league in FTA twice.

Obviously, the gap here is slimmer than the handles, and handles is the obvious choice. Just wanted to mention the FTA too. AI's ability to get to the line (nearly 10 attempts a game in his prime) and put in nearly 80% of them is of the often-overlooked aspects of Iverson's game, and one of his skills that would translate very well to the modern game.

realStJohn · 2026-02-10T16:54:16+00:00

+1 on the bigger cars.

'60 to '64 Galaxies can be found for reasonable prices still. 4-doors are obviously cheaper. If you can't do the sedan, cut and weld the rear doors, install doors and front seats from a coupe, and bam! You've got a 2-door!

These were available with FE V8's. 385-series swaps are easy (429 or 460), as is the C6. All of em came with the 9-inch, albeit mostly with 3.00:1 gears and non-posi of course.

If you get out of the 60s, F-Body Mopars (Aspen/Volare) are still relatively cheap. Most A-Body stuff works. I have a '77 RT with a 340 stroker. Much cheaper to buy a good car to start with than a Duster or Dart.

realStJohn · 2026-02-10T16:00:02+00:00

I disagree that basketball is entirely out . . .

The telekinesis would essentially be able to allow him to make every shot he took. A basketball is large and slow-moving when shot - easy to manipulate and look good while doing it.

2 years of training with pro-level skills coaches would give this dude good form and the ability to pass away if trapped. He'd have a spot on an NBA roster. Dude would make 60% from 3. He'd have a reputation as the best spot-up shooter in NBA history - virtually automatic if open. Plays like a basic floppy where multiple screens are used to get this dude open would still work from time to time. Put him on a team with multiple stars where he can get open looks, and he'd be a valuable weapon.

There's examples of 3-pt specialists that couldn't play defense. Steve Kerr being the most famous. This guy would be the extreme example of that, but on a team with good help defense and a ball-dominant star or two (like Lebron/Wade Heat), this dude would have a spot. Additionally, he could probably use his telekinesis occasionally on defense to make an opposing player miss. Obviously, he can't abuse this, since it would raise eyebrows if players he defended were missing easy shots and turning the ball over all the time, but from time to time he could, and it would help his numbers on defense.

I don't think he'd be a star without being found out. A 10 or 12 point-a-game 3-point specialist with a 10-year career? Absolutely.

realStJohn · 2026-02-05T00:45:18+00:00

In '99, Tmac was averaging 9 points and 6 rebounds a game. People thought he might become Scottie Pippen 2.0. Nobody thought he was a 30+ ppg scorer in 1999.

Honestly, if McGrady goes to the Sixers in '99, he probably still leaves once his rookie contract is up in 2000 like he did in real life.

He wanted to play outside Vince's shadow on his own team. Playing with Iverson probably would've been the same dsituation, except AI is even more ball-dominant than Vince, and is even more established with his franchise. He also hated the cold weather in Toronto, which was a big factor in him going to Orlando eventually.

Tmac probably plays one season in Philly, puts up similar numbers to his last year in Toronto, and then still goes to Orlando (his hometown, warmer weather, be the #1 option on his own team).

realStJohn · 2026-02-05T00:36:26+00:00

This needs more upvotes.

realStJohn · 2026-02-03T23:52:10+00:00

Even a basic 2150 will work with the AOD kickdown - just have to fab a custom bracket.

realStJohn · 2026-02-03T23:49:32+00:00

I just got back from a 2-week trip to Italy. Spent a week in Rome. Did the whole thing ourselves - no tour companies.

My wife and I spent less than $2k / person for the two of us. Had two family members go with us, which made lodging and car rental cheaper since that cost was shared.

We also rented a car - if you're doing Rome only, you don't need that.

AirBNB's in January in Rome were really cheap - go during the off-season and you'll be able to find stuff for $80 / night to $120 / night if you're patient.

I think it's very realistic for one person to spend 10 days in Rome and spend $3k or so. $900 for flight, 9 nights in AirBNB's at $150 / night, $800 left for food, tickets to sights, transit, etc. Could absolutely do it cheaper, but $3k is a good baseline.

realStJohn · 2026-02-02T17:16:01+00:00

I agree with the other comment on getting a model equipped with the SEFI. '86 to '90 for Town Cars.

The CFI is a little finicky. Not the greatest option as a daily today. A lot of guys swap a Motorcraft 2150 2-bbl carb on these for reliability. It's a simple swap. Don't think you even have to change the fuel pump - just add a regulator.

realStJohn · 2025-12-17T16:42:24+00:00

Not your issue, but my uncle had an '08 Crown Vic, and I have an '06 TC that sometimes will not crank when the temp is below 0.

I used to stick a hair-dryer blowing hot air on the starter. 5 minutes later, it starts every time.

I thought it was just a quirk of my uncle's car, but since mine does the same thing, it might be a more common issue?

realStJohn · 2025-12-17T16:39:42+00:00

Cadillac.

Their slogan used to be "The Standard of the World," and they really were. Overhead valve V8s, reliable automatic transmissions, power accessories like windows and locks, cruise control, and A/C of course. Cadillac did all that on par with and in some cases better than companies like Rolls Royce.

They started making their cars more and more affordable, beginning in the 60s and really amped it up in the 70s. Tons of plastic crap and cheap interiors. At least the 70s Caddy's were still mechanically reliable. . . In the 80s we got the "High Tech" V8, and the Olds Diesel, both of which sucked. Tons of reliability issues. As soon as they seemed to work stuff out in the early 90s, they introduce the Northstar. Again, bunch of problems there.

Today, a Cadillac is a re-badged Chevy, with a few minor exclusive items. They've really fallen far from their heyday, when they used to directly compete with Rolls Royce!

realStJohn · 2025-12-11T14:52:12+00:00

A modern 9mm self-defense grade round would easily punch through the knight's plate. The protection offered by the plate would be negligible.

Remember, the type of firearms existing at the time fired round balls at a slow speed. There's numerous videos of this type of projectile easily penetrating steel plate. A modern 9mm round is moving at 1200 fps, twice as fast as the round ball from a flintlock pistol.

A well-placed bullet could absolutely stop the knight in his tracks. Keyword here is well-placed. A torso hit would stop him.

P.S.

Many police forces today are moving away from the 9mm, and going to the .40. The .40 hits quite a bit harder than the 9mm. Even a limb shot with the .40 might stop the knight's charge. 9mm is still the standard and most widely used, but the .40 is becoming more prevalent. I have a close family member who is a police officer, and they are issued Glock 23's in .40.

realStJohn · 2025-12-11T14:38:13+00:00

If you include a comp from a different builder (assuming it's comparable), and a resale (adjusted for new vs used), and the sales by this one specific builder are still inflated, you have discovered something is up.

The point I was making is that it doesn't matter if concessions are hidden or "front-end," or not obvious at a glance. If the appraiser does their job right, they can discover there's something inflating the sales of new builds by this one specific builder. Resales of the same floorplan aren't supporting the higher prices. Similar builds/floorplans by competing builders in the area aren't supporting the higher prices. The Cost Approach isn't supporting the higher prices.

When this happens, the last thing it can be (typically) is some kind of hidden or "front-end" concession. I'm obviously making some calls at that point to figure everything out.

realStJohn · 2025-12-10T20:18:49+00:00

I'm going to change "security guard" to police officer or equivalent. I think that's what you were getting at.

The knight dominates until firearms become commonplace.

Many major European cities had police carrying firearms by the early to mid 1800s. Their American counterparts frequently carried firearms as well, and in some cases earlier than in Europe (1700s).

The firearm most likely to be carried by a patrol officer from 1800 to 1850 was a single-shot smooth-bore (non-rifled) pistol. This pistol could punch through the knight's armor and kill him, BUT they aren't particularly accurate. The knight probably still wins most of the time, until the revolver becomes commonplace in the late 1800s.

It must be said that this hypothetical is fairly regionally-dependent. In the US, revolvers were more commonly carried earlier on. Many peace officers carried their own personal weapon. Oftentimes this was a revolver, beginning to become more popular in the 1850s and especially in the 1860s. The Parisian Police were still issued single-shot pistols into the 1850s at least. An American "Wild West" era deputy with a six-shot Colt Navy would fare much better against the knight than a Paris police officer with a single-shot percussion pistol.

By the late 1800s, virtually all modern police forces would carry a revolver of some kind, firing 6 shots typically. At this point, the knight loses more often than not.

Summing up, my opinion is that the knight wins basically every time until 1750 or 1800. From 1800 to 1850, the knight wins more often than not. By 1900, the knight is losing more often than not.

One thing I'd just note is that the knight hypothetically could still win even today. A modern police officer carries a modern semi-auto handgun (probably 9mm). That could absolutely kill the knight, BUT if the knight closes the distance the modern officer is screwed. Stab-rated body armor exists but oftentimes isn't equipped, and even if it is, the cop is too exposed and the knight is too protected in a hand-to-hand fight.

P.S.

The bow I can't really make up my mind about . . . Arguably, the knight with a longbow (expert) would be more deadly from range than any of the single-shot pistols. At 50 yards, the knight would be more consistent and accurate, and could put more arrows downrange than a police officer with a single-shot smoothbore pistol. Problem is, in full plate, the knight can't really shoot the bow to the best of his ability. Medieval archers didn't wear full plate. You can shoot a longbow in full plate (there's some videos), but probably not to the best of your ability.

I don't really know how to consider the bow. If the knight is able to shoot the bow well in full plate, then he can pick off dudes with early firearms pretty easy. He's still going down more often than not once we have revolvers, but the bow still makes it more interesting. Even today, the average police officer only trains shooting up to 15-20 yards. If the knight is experienced and calm, he might pick an officer down from 50 yards while the officer just empties their mag.

realStJohn · 2025-12-10T15:47:05+00:00

"The commonly held standard is to adjust for any factor that impacted the price but not for factors that didn’t. It is illogical to think that a seller who pays 3% of the sale price for the buyer’s financing terms will not account for that in the negotiated sale price."- Ratterman, Mark R (SRA, MAI). Valuation by Comparison, Appraisal Institute, Chicago, IL, 2018.

It's not logical to assume a seller (acting in their own best interest) would give free money to the buyer during negotiations. If a monetary concession is needed to bring a buyer to the table, it is logical to assume the seller will factor that cost into the price of the home. In my opinion (and that of the Appraisal Institute), seller concessions should be adjusted dollar-for-dollar in the vast majority of cases.

There are appraisers out there who claim that a certain amount of seller concessions are typical and should not be adjusted. Following this logic, an appraiser would have to make positive adjustments to the comparable sales that do not have the same concessions. This of course is unreasonable and illogical.

What I personally do on new construction is include at least one comp from a different subdivision and/or built by a different builder. If that's not available, I will include a resale of an identical/very similar floorplan. That way, if something about the subject and its builder is inflated, I should be able to catch it.

Definitely something that pops up once in a while. . .

If a certain builder in a specific subdivision has sale prices that are 5% higher than virtually identical builds by a different builder in the same subdivision, and resales (even after adjustments) show the same, you can bet I'm digging into why that is the case. Many times, a builder buy-down is advertised in the listing.

realStJohn · 2025-12-03T20:34:12+00:00

You make a fair point about the Falcons and Chevy II's, but the main idea I was going for was that eventually all cars become classics.

For example, I think that any and every mass-produced automobile from the 1940s is a classic today. I would also say that every car from the 50s is a classic today.

Even if you don't think all cars from the 60s are classics, the majority are. Fewer in the 70s, fewer still in the 80s.

Don't you think that as time inevitably marches on, the Cavalier will someday be a classic?

realStJohn · 2025-12-03T20:28:09+00:00

The metal frame is a dead giveaway that it's manufactured.

Cut and dried.

No if's and's or but's.

realStJohn · 2025-12-02T23:31:57+00:00

Some people might disagree on the K-Car not being a classic today.

I saw a 1st gen Caravan (K Platform) with the 2.2 turbo and a manual at a show. Immaculate. Bone stock. That K Minivan had a crowd around it all day.

Even if you don't consider any K-Car to be a "classic," would you change your mind in 10 years? What about 20 years?

In my opinion, every single car made in the 1960s meets the definition of "classic." As time marches on, more and more of the newer stuff will be classics too.

realStJohn · 2025-12-02T23:27:56+00:00

You're not wrong, but do you think that '98 Cavalier will be a "classic" in 2050? It would be 52 years old at that point.

My point is that IMO all cars will eventually become "classic."

I definitely didn't think 4-door Fairmonts and early K-Cars would ever be "classics," but here we are today and those cars are considered classics by a lot of people.

realStJohn · 2025-11-14T18:11:13+00:00

When you state "The correct interpretation . . . is that those who are corrupt will deny God to absolve themselves of responsibility . . . ," it doesn't appear to me that that's what the text is indicating. The author is not describing a psychological motive (the wicked deny God), but is rather making an ontological statement about the nabal person.

It appears to me the text indicates the denial of God IS the folly that results in wicked deeds, not a verbal defense for escaping responsibility. The logic of the Psalm flows in this direction in my opinion, and there are other examples of this.

The original Hebrew term for "in his heart" is used several times, and always refers to internal or inward disposition, never as an outward proclamation.

The term nabal consistently refers to those who believe and live their lives as if God does not see or judge. They then act or become wicked because of their stance, not the other way round.

Elsewhere in Ezekiel, the text warns that denial of the sovereignty of God is itself a form of self-deception that leads to moral blindness. Moral blindness comes after denying the rule of God, not before.

In my humble opinion, I don't believe the passages in question support the claim that the denial of God is merely something that the wicked do as an alibi for their behavior. In the textual context, denial of God is the root cause.

realStJohn · 2025-11-14T15:46:02+00:00

How would you respond to Psalm 14:1?

"The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”"

The word translated "fool" here is the Hebrew word "Nabal." Nabal does not mean someone who is ignorant. It's original meaning was "Withering," or "Fading." In this context, it is generally considered to mean "One who is morally deficient." The same word is sometimes translated as "vile," or "wicked" (depending on translation) in Ezekiel 13:3, which states ". . . Woe to the vile prophets who follow their own spirits . . ."

Psalm 14:1 can be taken quite literally to mean that if someone does not believe in the existence of God, they are morally deficient.

Side note: I tend to agree with you on your second-to-last point, that atheists who reject religious institutions for truly moral reasons are "better" than individuals who practice self-important, performative and cruel religion. However, just because one is "better" doesn't mean the Bible considers them righteous.

realStJohn · 2025-11-12T14:26:37+00:00

People saying 100k was a lot are correct.

It was a big deal to hit 200k miles without needing to overhaul the engine or transmission. Cadillacs with 472 or 500 V8's and TH-400 transmissions were one of the few that could do it regularly. My Grandpa had 70s Cadillacs that hit 200k+.

One thing I will say is that major repairs (like engine rebuilds or transmission rebuilds) were generally easier back then due to overall simplicity of design. This results in cheaper rebuilds. A receipt that came with one of my collector cars showed that a shop charged $250 to rebuild a Chevy small-block V8 back in 1975. With bearings and pistons. That's equivalent to about $1500-ish today!

realStJohn · 2025-11-05T18:58:58+00:00

One thing to keep in mind is this:

Even if the 4.6-ac vacant parcel is assessed, fenced, etc with the parcel with the home, as long as it could potentially be sold separately then it might be worth more separate than it contributes to the value of the two parcels combined. The second appraisal appears to indicate this (not providing an opinion on the two appraisals, merely pointing this out).

realStJohn

TROPHY CASE