It's a classic case of the expert giving textbook advice without knowing your full picture. Realtors see a lot of deals, but they don't live your budget or know your future plans. Locking up all that cash in a down payment can leave you house poor and stuck. Sometimes the safe move on paper is the risky move in real life. You have to run your own numbers and trust your gut.

My cat died and a stranger just said "pets leave holes".

Ever try to find parking for that thing? The official name is Lane County Fair, but everyone just calls it the Eugene fair. If you're looking it up online or trying to get tickets, you gotta use the full name or you'll end up in the wrong place. I learned that the hard way a few years back when I showed up at the wrong fairgrounds. Always double check the event listing for the official title.

Survey company foot the bill for the extra work?

My neighbor's unpermitted deck collapsed, and the lawsuit cost him triple the repair.