Thank you for that link. That feature does work for me too, but I still can't search thru current postings on the Exchange forums. That's what I'm primarily interested in searching. Thanks to mrbrownthumb, I posted a request to fix the Search function in the Suggestions forum. Here is a link that might be useful: My posting in the suggestions forum.

I grew up in a 1-story earth home (so no basement) and we currently live in a slab townhome (1500 sq ft). If you don't need the storage/rec space and if the lot you choose is flat, I don't see the need for a basement. Our lot is angled for a side walk-out basement so we're going to have a basement (unfinished for now, possibly forever.) I'm going to try posting my floorplans directly here. Looking at my floorplans and comparing them to your requirements, I think you could make 2500 sq ft work for a 4BR. We have that formal study (I work from home full time) AND the sun room (this will be our piano room)--two spaces it sounds like you wouldn't need. It's basically a modified version of this model home.

Hi - it's taking you down to "post a new message," BUUUUT directly above the new message part (look up then over to the center in the screen) is where the search box is... so really, it's redirecting you to the bottom of the page where the search input box lives, which happens to be just above the "post a new message" area. You have the choice to search just this forum or to search all of GW. Hope that helps!

OMG acountryfarm, I'm so sorry to hear about what you're going through. That sounds just awful. I really appreciate the support and wish you all the best in getting through your project too. It's so hard. I wish I had found this site before I started this project. I wish I had listened to my gut when I was deciding between this and another contractor. Such a mess. Fern4, I might be mis-stating the term "allowance". You're right, typically allowance is for materials that the owner will choose later, like tile or appliances, and the installation of these materials is included in the contract. However, like I said, the original proposal was for things like a stone bathroom, and I knew we'd be doing ceramic (which is less for material AND installation), so we put a figure in for the whole thing and now we're bidding it out (or rather I am). But one thing I can say for sure is that in no way should change orders carry a larger Profit and Overhead than the base contract. P and O should be the same amount no matter what, so that a Contractor doesn't have a benefit to changes, it should just be fair. Yes, change orders are usually items where you make a change. But they also include "unforeseen conditions" which can be a point of contention as well. What should an experienced contractor with 20 years under his belt have "foreseen"? Should they only look at the drawings and exclude everything else even if they know it's going to be necessary by Code, or whatever? It depends on the Contractor, their experience and integrity. I raise a glass to all of you GW's who are such a great source of support and knowledge.