Soap Box Rant

Idiot Appraisers or Why HVCC is worthless

The last two weeks I have had to deal with an appraisal problem that has really brought the problem with real estate to new heights with me. In 2009 there was a new law put in effect that makes it illegal for me to contact an appraiser. It's more complicated than that but that is the basic result. I had an appraisal completed and it came in ridiculously low. I appealed and provided new comparables. It was rejected yesterday basically because the appraiser doesn't have make changes if he uses comparables within the law.

Now here is my problem. Because the appraiser has already been paid, is not contactable (it can be harassment if I do it to influence the value), and has no interest in the results he is done. We should all be concerned with this type of appraiser. Since he did a slipshod job he has contributed to the current economic conditions staying low. How so you ask? By keeping property values lower than comparables say it should be there are fewer home owners who have the ability to refinance to take advantage of these historically low rates. Keeping the homeowners in higher rate loans restricts their cash flow which in turn effects the economy by having those same consumers unable to spend money that they are still having to use for their higher interest mortgage payment. So, the conclusion here? Appraisers need to keep to the one of the real estate use mottoes, "Highest and Best Use Always".

Two Teens & a Tween

It was Tylor's 13th birthday this week. Thirteen is an odd age; you can't go to dances or Primary activities, you can't date - or more likely you don't even like girls, you can't drive, you aren't top dog at school. Tylor has been trying on his "teen attitude" lately with, "Whatev's." and plenty of "Well, why not?" or "I do it all the time.". Uh-huh. If I hear it one more time I'm thinking it's going to be "Whatev's." for him.... Here's to hoping he makes it to 14.

Dining Room Art

For Christmas I might have picked out my own gifts. Maybe. Okay, well, I did. I wanted art for the dining room and found some that I liked and were fun. They lightened up the possible formal feel.

I really wanted one more but the others had weird sayings on them.

Now I will have to make an FHE chart in the same style. Any suggestions?

Sometimes You Feel Like A Nut

and sometimes you don't! A friend and I made Mounds a couple of weeks ago but they didn't turn out great. I brought mine home and Jim really liked them but the kids said, "Meh.". Well, I decided I would try to make them better. I read up on about 15 blogs, 30 recipes and picked out what I thought would work better and came up with these. They are a little less sweet and stick together really well.


Homemade Mounds or Almond Joys

1 package sweetened coconut flakes
3/4 of a bag of powdered sugar
3/4 cup mashed potatoes (make the instant as directed)
2 Tablespoons melted butter

1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 Tablespoons shortening (NOT oil!)

For Almond Joys: toast about 45 whole raw almonds in the oven at 400' for 10 minutes
1 package milk chocolate chips
3 Tablespoons shortening


Fill a double boiler as directed and place powdered sugar and butter over boiling water. Stir constantly until a thick liquid. Stir in mashed potatoes until smooth. Add the coconut flakes and stir for about 3 minutes. Take off stove and place in freezer for 30 minutes stirring half way through.

Spread out 1/4 of the coconut mixture on a wax paper sheet. Put the rest in the refriderator. Flatten mixture to about 1/2" high and cut with a very sharp knife so the pieces are about 3/4" wide by 1" long. I wanted something that was 2 bites. (If you are making Almond Joys press toasted nuts into the top now.) Place these on a baking sheet on wax paper. Repeat until done with coconut mixture. Place molded pieces back in the freezer for 30 minutes.

About 5 minutes before you take the molded pieces out of the freezer boil water in the double boiler and melt appropriate type of chocolate and shortening for dipping.

Working quickly dip each molded piece in the chocolate. (Note: I used two forks and would dip, tap off excess, drag back of fork over edge and replace on the wax paper.) Once completely done it will take about an hour for the chocolate to be set. These will last nicely for about 4 days and, if you are desperate, for about a week.

The recipes that call for sweetened condensed milk are too sweet and mushy. I like this one because they don't fall apart due to the starch in the potatoes and the potatoes cut the sweetness just enough to make me want to eat more than one at a time.