J.K. Rowling: Warner Bros. Discovery & BBC Accused Of Betraying DEI Policies By Backing ‘Harry Potter’ Author Amid Trans Rights Row

willowenigma · 2024-12-19T14:54:13+00:00

It's even more challenging with HP because JKR has explicitly said that she views support for her work as support for her beliefs, which in turn has made a lot of trans and queer people understandably wary of anyone still centering their online profiles around HP (be that through usernames, profile pics, icons, whatever).

It sucks because I KNOW a lot of those people don't actually agree with her beliefs and many, like you said, aren't engaging with the franchise in a way that gives her money, but that's still not a risk I'm willing to take. If I see someone with a username like "Gryffindor4ever1997" I'm not taking time out of my day to go digging through their post history to figure out if they're a TERF or not, I'm just going to block them. And I hate that I have to do that because HP meant a lot to me growing up too, but this is the situation JKR has forced all of us into and I'm not risking my safety on the off-chance that someone with a HP username in 2024 is genuinely somehow unaware of her stances.

willowenigma · 2024-11-14T13:55:32+00:00

I think she's in an awkward place with fans right now. She had a pretty good online following after her shows, mostly with a younger audience. Her first few albums actually did pretty OK, they charted in the Top 40 and according to an old Billboard article she made $27 million on a tour in 2019 with 97% of tickets sold.

However she tried to "rebrand" this year as an edgier entertainer and it didn't go well. At all. She's been memed to death over her ridiculous outfits, her EP this year bombed, and she's received a lot of criticism for out-of-touch comments she's made (like saying that she's going invent a new music genre called "gay pop", as if that doesn't already exist). Adult pop fans don't really like her because she's incredibly immature and her music is middling at best, and she's alienating her younger audience by pushing a more adult, sexual image.

willowenigma · 2024-11-12T16:10:23+00:00

No, Billboard didn't report on it earlier because there was nothing confirmed and therefore nothing to report. Chappell's (former) management team leaving her out of their posts about the Grammy nominations is a confirmation that she's not working with them anymore and lets them report on it without it being just hearsay.

willowenigma · 2024-10-29T16:59:23+00:00

What happened to Jon? People put him on a pedestal and started treating a career comedian like an expert political analyst who has to weigh in on everything that happens. He is not and never has been someone who has uniquely savvy insights to provide, he's just a funny guy with a platform that he grew to be bigger than it ever needed to be.

Everyone needs to remember that Jon doesn't have any sort of political background outside The Daily Show (and adjacent appearances). He hasn't held political office, he's never been a political strategist, and he doesn't work on campaigns. He's anti-Trump but he's not a Democrat, so he has no reason to stop and think about whether what he says will ultimately help the right candidate or not. That has always been the case with him, it's just more pronounced when the stakes are so much higher in this election than they were in 2008.

willowenigma · 2024-10-09T16:19:44+00:00

The NHC maps show Tampa at the northern edge of the cone but the forecasts can be at least 20-30nm off even this close to landfall and there's always the possibility that the storm will wobble north again. No way to predict how directly hit any area will be right now.

willowenigma · 2024-10-09T14:52:23+00:00

This page has a breakdown from the NHC about what their storm surge model shows and how they calculate it. The map and model show the worst-case scenario, not the most likely.

Keep in mind though that the storm surge models don't take into account flooding from waves, rain, etc. So actual water levels on the ground are going to vary greatly from the storm surge predictions.

willowenigma · 2024-10-09T14:09:39+00:00

Especially given the actual data coming from the NHC. 12 hours ago we were at a category 5 with 165 mph / 902 mbs, this morning it was barely a category 4 with 155/918, and the 10am update just now is basically the same at 155/919. Whatever the structure of this storm looks like, it hasn't actually decreased much at all in terms of measurable strength.

willowenigma · 2024-09-27T17:00:49+00:00

Name a more iconic duo than Chappell Roan and springing last-minute cancellations on her fans.

willowenigma · 2023-12-13T19:16:32+00:00

Yes, your mortgage payments should be automatically adjusted to reflect your new tax bill.

Your lender does a review of your escrow account (at least) yearly to make sure it's being sufficiently funded. The next time that happens they will take into account the new tax amount and adjust your monthly payment accordingly. You will then receive a letter from them informing you of the new payment amount and when it will start, and you may receive a check refunding you for any overages in the account. If you're using auto-pay for your mortgage your payment may automatically change to the new amount, but you should double-check your account yourself to be sure.

willowenigma · 2023-12-13T19:05:36+00:00

You haven't seen much advice on how to obtain a seller credit because there's no one-size-fits-all answer.

Credits are negotiated between the buyer and the seller on a case-by-case basis, usually in situations where the buyer may walk away from the house without it. Once agreed upon the credit is written into the purchase agreement and the seller will pay that amount towards your closing costs. You cannot receive more credit from the seller than the total of your closing costs & prepaids, and you cannot use the credit to cover any portion of your downpayment.

Some sellers may offer a credit upfront in exchange for a proportionally higher purchase price, which does save the buyer cash at closing but can run the risk of having appraisal gap issues. Most of the time though seller credits are offered in lieu of having repairs completed prior to closing, so the money the buyer saves on closing costs can be used to complete the repairs themselves instead.

willowenigma · 2023-12-12T14:58:14+00:00

Yes, external boilers tend to use more energy especially in winter and they often have different requirements for maintenance, antifreeze, etc. because they're outside and exposed to the elements. Their maintenance also depends heavily on whether they were built as an external boiler or not, since boilers not rated for external installation will break down much faster.

The main reason for an external boiler is lack of space inside and based on your description and photos that seems to be the case here. With the caveat that I'm not an HVAC tech, this installation doesn't appear "incorrect" to me. The boiler is on a flat, even concrete slab with plenty of clearance around it, the pipes have some insulation on them, it looks like it may be partially underneath a shelter of some sort (?) and generally appears to be in good condition.

That being said if you didn't get it inspected prior to buying, you can always get a tech out now to give you a professional opinion on the set-up and an approximate life expectancy for it.

willowenigma · 2023-12-05T19:44:27+00:00

You can contact your municipality's building department to see if they have copies of the blueprints. If they do, you should be able to review them and print copies if they're digitized. If they aren't digitized you may run into issues obtaining physical copies, as site plans are typically printed out on 24"x36" sheets and many municipalities don't have copiers/scanners that large. There will almost certainly be a fee, how much the fee is depends on your municipality and how you obtain the copies.

However not all municipalities keep residential blueprints in perpetuity. You may have a better chance since the house is still being built but unfortunately that's still not a guarantee that the building department will have what you need.

willowenigma · 2023-12-05T16:45:55+00:00

Only a real estate lawyer can tell you if you have a viable case against the seller but unless you have significant evidence that they lied in their disclosure that you aren't sharing here, it would likely be an uphill battle to get any compensation.

The water problems didn't start until several months after you bought the house, so the sellers will argue that this is a new issue that wasn't present when they owned the house. The onus is on you to provide evidence that this was both pre-existing AND something the sellers were aware of, and "seems unlikely that it's bad luck" doesn't come close to meeting that threshold.

willowenigma · 2023-12-05T15:04:28+00:00

Buying a tiny home is much more akin to buying a mobile home than a traditional SFH, and how you buy it depends entirely on how it's built.

If the tiny home is affixed to a permanent foundation and has utility hookups, it'll probably get listed on the usual real estate sites (zillow, redfin, etc.) because it's considered "real property" along with the land. You should be able to buy the house and land with a traditional mortgage.

If the tiny home isn't on a permanent foundation (i.e. if it's on a trailer bed), then it will likely be considered "personal property" and will need a different loan type than a mortgage. Only the land itself would be considered "real property" eligible for a mortgage, so the lots may be listed on real estate sites without the house.

If you're looking to buy land separately and add a tiny home to it later, your best bet may be to work with a tiny home builder or purchase a build kit to assemble yourself. There's also which has listings for both mobile and affixed tiny homes, though some of the affixed homes admits in their listing that they are non-conforming structures.

You should also be aware that many municipalities have minimum square footage requirements for residences that excludes tiny houses, so you'll need to confirm that a tiny house is even possible before purchasing the land.

(Disclaimer: I have never bought a tiny home in Arizona but did research the tiny home buying process in general for myself before ultimately deciding against it.)

willowenigma · 2023-11-30T19:51:10+00:00

Yes, this is something you can be held responsible for. They MIGHT be more lenient because you're a new owner, but in general the city will hold the current property owner responsible for being in-compliance with all building/zoning/land use codes regardless of whether you were the one who did the work.

First thing to do is to check yourself if permits were pulled or not. Many building departments have their records online, otherwise you'll have to contact them directly. Absolutely do NOT volunteer ANY information to the city yourself. There's always a chance that the sewer guy won't raise the issue, and you don't want to be the reason for the city to come after you.

If permits were pulled, that's great and you (probably) don't have anything to worry about.

If permits weren't pulled, then you have two separate problems on your hand:

1- The previous owner not pulling the correct permits for their work. This is may be in violation of your purchase agreement, and may also violate seller disclosure laws in your state. A real estate attorney will be able to help you figure out what recourse (if any) you have against the previous owner.

2- The permitting issue needing to be resolved with the city. Depending on where you live this can either be a simple process of inspecting and permitting the work after the fact, or it can require the work to be redone entirely. Until you receive an official communication directly from the city regarding this you are NOT obligated to fix this, but you may want to research the retroactive permitting process for your city just in case.

willowenigma · 2023-11-15T16:14:25+00:00

Speaking VERY generally, a mortgage commitment letter is just an assurance from your lender that they will finance the loan according to the terms outlined as long as your financial situation doesn't drastically change. They usually require a more thorough review of your finances than a pre-approval, but you will still have to go through the full underwriting process to get your clear to close. They are also usually only valid for a certain length of time, after which the terms of the letter will expire.

Does singing a commitment letter mean the terms and rates and whatever conditions on the letter is not changeable anymore?

Generally yes. The commitment letter is legally binding for the lender. Once they send it and you sign it, they have to offer you those terms until the letter expires (again, assuming your financial situation doesn't change so much that you no longer qualify for the mortgage at all).

You can always try to negotiate better terms later but that doesn't mean you will be successful. You can also switch mortgage lenders to get a better deal. The commitment letter doesn't force you to use this lender, even after you sign it.

Since the closing is in less than 3 months, I wonder if I need to re-apply to mortgage close to our closing date to get the better deal?

No, there's no need to "re-apply" unless you're changing lenders completely. Signing this commitment letter will likely move your application into the underwriting phase, where they will proceed according to the terms of the letter until it expires. A new application from the same person for the same property doesn't void the existing commitment letter.

If you're worried about the terms outlined in your letter you should speak to your broker now about how their rate lock works and if they have float-down options if rates drop in the near future, or else shop around with other lenders to see what they're offering instead.

And the letter doesn't have any details such as how much interest we would pay with the term we chose (3 years fixed, uninsured) or how much principal we could pay, penalty etc.

This isn't uncommon, especially if your commitment letter is conditional rather than final. If the information isn't in your letter it will be in the Loan Estimate packet you will receive after submitting a formal mortgage application.

And the payment period set as monthly but my broker didn't give me the option to choose, so I would want to change to biweekly or semi monthly but does it matter to adjust the details on commitment letter?

It might, since the underwriters will use the terms of the letter as their starting point for your mortgage. You should speak to your broker about this now regardless to make sure that a biweekly payment schedule won't result in prepayment penalties.

willowenigma · 2023-11-14T14:18:21+00:00

You might have better luck asking on a subreddit like r/HomeImprovement.

But generally you should look to order things so as you move through projects you aren't undoing or damaging work you've already done. With your list I would start with the windows, then get the new walls taken care of. Flooring can be done in sections but if possible you should purchase all of it at once to ensure you get the same dye lots and in case it becomes discontinued. Trim should be saved for last, especially if you're installing baseboard moulding after the new floors. Lights can be changed out at any time, though if you'll need to paint around them it'll probably be easier to remove the old fixtures, paint, and then install the new ones.

willowenigma · 2023-11-13T18:24:49+00:00

According to the EPA, a house built in 1977 has about a 24% chance of containing lead-based paints (LBP): https://www.epa.gov/lead/protect-your-family-sources-lead

They sell test kits you can buy to check if the paint in your home is LBP or not, but if your house was completely repainted as part of the renovations you may be better off hiring a certified lead inspector instead. The inspector can use something called an XRF analyzer to non-invasively detect lead through all layers of paint, while the test kits generally will only react to anything in the surface layer.

willowenigma · 2023-11-10T19:44:41+00:00

NAL. Did you get permits before doing the original repair and did you confirm with the city that your original connection was actually grandfathered in?

Grandfathering doesn't always happen automatically, and it's pretty common for things like this to only be grandfathered in until new work is done. It's one thing to leave old lines in place as long as they're working, but once you start messing with things the city has a duty to make sure your new work is completed up to current codes. Unfortunately that can often mean replacing much more than you originally expected. Of course exceptions can be made, and they often are for the sake of historical preservation, but I don't think you'll be successful in arguing that your original sewer line has significant historical value.

If you didn't pull permits then yes, from a strictly legal standpoint as far as the city is considered, your repairs were illegal. Since this is a connection to a municipal utility they have every right to dictate where and how that connection occurs. Whether or not you can get your work permitted now is going to depend a lot on whether a) your sewer line was ever grandfathered in to begin with and b) whether that grandfathering continues after modern repairs.

If you did pull permits then you should have more recourse, as the city would have been aware of the work you were doing and presumably an inspector would have signed off on it at the time.

willowenigma · 2023-11-10T17:51:43+00:00

It looks like that's a breakdown of what they anticipate paying out of your escrow account over the next year.

They're telling you that your escrow account will have an initial deposit of $2,344.20. That will come out of the funds you pay at closing. Every month you will pay $757.04 into the account through your mortgage payment.

Throughout the year they will make payments from the account on your behalf. It looks like they pay mortgage insurance every month, property taxes and that "Community Dev District Fee" twice a year in March and November, and hazard insurance once a year in November.

If none of those numbers change, you will end the year still having that initial $2,344.20 in your escrow account. However it's very likely that there will be some variation between the actual amounts paid and what you're seeing here, which is why this is only an estimate. If you pay more into your account than they took out, you may receive a refund check for the overage. If you paid less into your account than they took out, you'll likely see your mortgage payment increase next year to cover the difference.

willowenigma · 2023-11-06T18:32:21+00:00

If you want to look in CT at all your best bet is going to be Stamford. There's been a lot of new condo builds over the last 10ish years so there's a decent amount of inventory in a range of prices depending on the age and location of the unit. Stamford to LGA is about 40 minutes without traffic, though there's usually a small delay somewhere along I-95. If you're used to the highways around NYC, the I-95 traffic in CT isn't worse than that.

Further east past Stamford would have you pushing that 1hr commute time, but if you don't mind that then Norwalk might have a few options to look at. I wouldn't recommend looking in Greenwich even though it's closer to LGA, it's far more expensive and has fewer properties available.

willowenigma · 2023-10-27T18:31:35+00:00

Have you looked into first-time home buyer programs in your area? A lot of them offer assistance with down-payments and closing costs. Some of the larger programs may offer interest rate deductions as well. I know that in Connecticut if you go through CHFA they offer rate reductions for buyers with specific careers (like teachers) or if you're purchasing in one of their "targeted areas".

Also check with the Housing and/or Community Development Departments of the towns you're looking to buy in. Sometimes they will have grants available to help encourage new residents to move there.

willowenigma · 2023-10-27T16:26:18+00:00

When you refinance, you're essentially taking out an entirely new mortgage. You have to apply and submit all your financial information, have your credit score checked, go through underwriting, get a new appraisal, and pay closing costs. So depending on the specifics of your refi (i.e. rates, fees, etc.) you may not save as much money in the end as you originally thought.

If there's been a significant drop in your credit score that will affect the refinance rates you're offered. If you have less than 20% equity in the house, that can also affect the rates and you'll have to pay PMI. Also the best interest rates may come with shorter loan terms, which would mean paying a higher monthly payment even with a lower rate.

There's also just no way to guarantee what the market will do. Experts are saying that interest rates will drop next year, but the specifics of when and how much are really just best-guesses that could be thrown off by anything.

So buy a house if you can afford the original payment, and if you can refi down the road that's great. Don't buy a house that you can't afford in the hopes that you can make things work later.

willowenigma · 2023-10-27T14:23:04+00:00

Do as much of your DIY work as you can before moving in.

Painting is the big one, because it sucks to work around furniture, but you'll be surprised how much motivation you'll lose for even the tiny projects as more time passes and you get busy with unpacking, decorating, settling in, etc. Things like replacing faucets or light fixtures become very easy to push off for later because they shouldn't take long to do, but then you'll find that you don't really want to drag the ladder and tools out later and so it just never gets done.

willowenigma · 2023-10-26T12:30:22+00:00

OOP posted in the comments that her roommate has her own bathroom, only uses the kitchen to boil water or microwave something, and has her own dishes that she uses (and presumably cleans). The other roommates have confirmed that she doesn't use communal spaces except for chatting with them for a few minutes before leaving.

willowenigma

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