We're doing the same thing, but we're just in the framing stage right now. We post pictures to a blog at
www.hickoryhouse.blogspot.com

I installed a walk out door (and patio) after construction was complete. The front side of foundation is completely underground, the back side was 1/2 underground but house is on a grade to allow for walk out (too much money for walkout at time house built). Here are a few pics before and after patio and door installed, I still need to add trim around the doorway on the exterior and am still having interior worked on. Just realized I don't have pics of installed door...just the cut doorway. Well I will try to get one. You can see my project here:
www2.smoke-n-ashes.com/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=album02&page=1

We had our house built that way on a slope about 12 years ago, now if I can just find the photo's I'll scan and post. I'd have a hard time going back to a regular basement again, this one doesn't feel like a basement at all, bright and sunny. The laundry room and one bedroom on the front of the house are 1/2 below ground but still have large windows so even they don't have that basement feel to them.
Where we have our door going out onto the patio there is a small deck above coming off the kitchen nook, beside the door is a large window up to the corner and then another large window on the adjoining corner without a deck above it so plenty of light comes in. Further along the main wall I want to replace the windows with french style doors to really open it up to the patio outside.

LOve my walkout basement. It is a south back and we built our deck in a way that it would not block the light to the basement any more than we had to.

Here's a pic

Here is a link that might be useful:

ok - we have level land but DH insisted in a walk out -
sooooo we made a 'drive out - lol - an area inside that door is actually going to be insulated properly to house "toys" 4-wheelers (we have 2), lawnmower, and anything else we feel the need to buy in the future! It will also be storage for outdoor furniture -

it has remotes, keypad, etc...

a deck will eventually ruun the entire length of the house (to wrap around) and over the door are to the inlaw door...
providing coverage over the door too... and it will be a slope down - theres drainage all set in place already ;)

We are building a walkout basement as well, so I too, would appreciate any pictures of the finished product. We are building a 7' porch above our walk out basement, what materials have people used to support the upper porch or deck? We are thinking of matching the white columns used for the porch with same on the basement level. We want to keep maintenance down to a minimum, so we are looking at fiberglass columns. Does anyone have any experience with such a product? We have looked at a product from a company called PacificColumns.com.

I don't know how to post pics, but here is a great finished basement on a home we toured.

Here is a link that might be useful: 12324 Ridgeview