So..... I want to update everyone especially because your comments and suggestions have been so appreciated. It touches my heart the way total strangers freely give thoughtful advice on Gardenweb. And the outcome of this story should give all house shoppers everywhere hope and maybe a few chills. We did not get Peggy's house. The why and the various problems with the deal and the communication between our crappy realtor and the listing agent do not matter. We didn't get the house. I cried. I threw tantrums. I gave my husband the silent treatment for a week. I threw my arms up and said 'ok, that's it. I guess we can't move. We've run out of time.'--- I am on a strict timeline because plants have to be dug up and moved before cold weather sets in. I was so bummed. We ditched the realtor. Then... Thursday... a house appeared on mls... on my absolute favorite street in the new city in the very best of neighborhoods... recently renovated at a very high end level with great finishes almost all of which I would have chosen myself. We called the listing agent directly and saw the house Saturday. First people to see it. Met the owner- a wonderful elderly lady who loves the home so much she was in tears about selling it. Her husband (who was a professor at the same University where my husband teaches) passed away and she has health and mobility issues and no family in this town and needs to move near her children. Gardens are glorious... need work but like Peggy's house the structure is there. Very private lot. Floorplan is a dream for how we actually live and use a house. Yard already fenced for our dogs. Truly I could not have imagined a more perfect house. We made an almost full price offer right then and there. (Because we thought the price was fair and we can afford it.) Accepted. Closing set. All of this happened I believe because we were able to meet the owner and tell her about us and assure her that we would care for the home and gardens. I know this is not the norm in real estate transactions but I really think the human dimension matters. I am still shaking. I can't believe this all happened so quickly. I am pinching myself. It doesn't feel real!

As I'm sure has been suggested before, I think that the meaning of a lack of comment/compliment by a guest can often be explained by the relationship or personality of the guest. People who are comfortable with themselves and their own homes are often more free with compliments (I find this to be true even outside of the home/decorating arena). When we visit my mother-in-law, she takes us around, shows us what she's updated/painted, etc., and we generously ooh and aah. When she visits us, she absolutley will not give out a compliment, but might acknowledge that something is new without saying anything nice. We have come to expect this. She may be a bit jealous and competitive, and wants her house to be the best. Oh well. I will continue to say nice things when she's done something nice to her house, because it's the right thing to do.

Hi Beachem, I can't comment on any Dynasty problems. As always, people tend to express themselves more when there is a problem vs. when they are satisfied. We did not have any issues with the cabinets as delivered. I did see that recent post about Crystal and the absolute mess with issues that were clearly not related to shipping. My cabs arrived on time and in the correct custom color, style, and form. No issues so far. I have noticed a few (very) small dings/chips so far, but those likely occurred during installation and the beehive of activity that has been our kitchen project. The designer/contractor told me they wait until the very end of the project before assessing what (if anything) needs to be reordered, and place one final request. This is assuming it cannot be fixed in place to be 100% perfect. Just like with cars, Omega or Crystal's client really is the dealer and not you. I am not involved in ordering the cabinets, paying for them, handling a replacement, etc...I have the dealer for all those things. So I think that making sure that the dealer is proactive and 100% focused on your satisfaction is just as important as choosing the cabinet maker.

Wow. I’m just gonna be straight. I’m very offended. I have no plans to do this myself. This started as just a question about COST. I get that it might be difficult to assess over the internet. I NEVER said I was doing the work myself. I WILL BE hiring a contractor. In fact I mentioned that one is coming on Monday. I was just trying to COST things out. I’m not an idiot. I don’t base decisions on HGTV. WTF? Just to help commenters in the future ... maybe you shouldn’t make assumptions about the OP’s motives, plans, capabilities, thought processes... I got some good info here but I really wasn’t expecting to be insulted in the process. So I’d appreciate it if everyone just dropped it. Pretend you never even read such a stupid question as “how much does this cost” so you can all sleep at night. Oh, and for those of you that think I’m an idiot for wanting to open the wall, please don’t waste my time. I asked about cost. Heck, I just expected someone to say that either there’s a huge cost difference, there’s no cost difference or it’s not possible to know without seeing it in person. I did get that last response and some great info from a few folks. But then I was called an idiot, that I lack a multitude of capabilities, that I base decisions on HGTV, that I have horrible tastes, etc. Wow. Maybe I just don’t know the etiquette. Is it okay to ask questions on Houzz that I don’t know the answer to? Is it okay to not be a professional contractor? Is it okay to not know what I don’t know? Maybe I’ll update this thread after I’ve destroyed my house and I’m living in a shed. Because I’m just that stupid, right?