I definitely think that antss comments are worth paying heed to. I have a Bosch DW - some sort of 500 series that is now 4 years old. It is brilliant. I like it very much. It cleans spotlessly despite that it has to clean things that have been put into it 3-4 days prior, it dries excellently; the only "smell" I've ever had out of it was when we had a blocked discharge line that produced the DW smell and then - most noticeably - backed into the kitchen sink (upon clearing that blockage, no more DW smell either); it is quiet, water consumption low, looks good, has been very reliable and truly handles *everything*. So, my experience has been manifestly excellent. But I've always wondered about the complaints I've read here - some misplaced but surely not all! So I've been gravitating to just about the same conclusion that Antss espoused here that while they make good stuff (my DW experience couldn't have been *such* a fluke! I'm never that lucky), the high noise/complaint level does indicate that they can't quite take care of their clientele, selling through every tom-dick-and-harry (HD, Lowes, Best Buy etc) generates volumes of sales but before going down that route, it is imperative that the process for generating that volume of sales AND the after-market support must also be present. The squawk sheet to me would indicate that perhaps it isn't locked down quite so well. Antss has inside or at least more direct knowledge; my observations are anecdotal. Still, I believe his assessment because my speculations were leading me entirely that way. I continue to be delightedly happy with my DW. It truly handles everything - and usually 3-4 day old eveything, to boot. However, I'm getting increasingly anxious should the day arrive when it needs some tending to. Parts do fail - it happens. But you want the company to be responsive & provide the support for when that does happen. I'm going to cross my fingers, but the security that at least thus far you can expect from Miele is manifestly more reassuring than having to rely upon crossed fingers & toes!

willow, If youi are talking fireplaces, I recommend the Lennox Village Vista which is the same as Security Chimneys BIS Panorama. Lennox owns Security Chimneys and that is why these are the same firplace. Lennox also markets the Panorama under its own name as the Village Vista I don't think the Laval is a high efficiency fireplace so if real heat output is a concern go with the Village Vista/Panorama.

It happens with very elastic things all the time. Real Estate is a bit tougher. In the 80s when Barbra Striesand, Steven Spielberg, Diane Keaton et al., were hot for Stickley, they would pay $100K for a rare sideboard because it wasn't a big deal for them, but it drove the prices of ALL of it up. Now that it doesn't have the same cache, some big names have sold off their collections and Stickley themselves reproduce the same pieces, values have fallen. Compared to "more reasonable" real estate however, the fluctuations havent been so elastic, at least not around here> And urban houses May have more intrinsic value than a suburban development house, because in the burbs a newer sibling of the house may be a few minutes further down the road. Urban desirability may vary by the block. I had set a price when I started looking and in my target neighborhood found that it was simply impossible to find. I recently offered on a house that needed a full rehab but was full of potential. It was Not underpriced, and almost $100K over my (original, Unrealistic) target. There were four offers on it in a week, one for all cash, one for Over asking price, mine and another. Not in 2007, two weeks ago. Luckily, I don't Have to move right now and my target still well within my qualifying limit. Its pretty simple to say...just refuse to pay more than X...I could do that right now and live miles from here in a neighborhood that lacks infrastructure such as close grocery stores and public transportation, and perhaps even lacks a level of safety and security I desire. (and I am pretty adventurous when it comes to that).

Oh dadoes, I just saw your comment. I did get the specs and the DD requires 23 5/8" for the inner cavity. I've talked with a contractor who will be bidding on my kitchen facelift. He thinks I'll need to use a 27" cabinet. The walls of a 24" only leave 22.5" internal cavity and the cutout for the doors is only 21" wide. So, it looks like we'll be going with a 27" cabinet. I looked at the installation manual for the double DD, which does not require a cabinet. It just slides in between two cabinets, so there are no side walls or door/drawer cutouts to contend with. I still have to figure out what is the maximum sink depth, w/drain, that we can use to fit into the space above the DD. Any thoughts on that?