+1 to Wow's advice on all counts. I have installed the vinyl units that you mentioned and also the higher grade units, and I can say with certainty that the number of complaints received about "draftiness" , and cold air correlate directly with the air infiltration ratings of the windows. The first 3 that you mentioned are around .1cfm or more (the Great lakes is .19), while the Softlites, Okna, etc are down well below that, as low as .01 in their top offerings. Regarding price, that will vary by dealer. It is not at all out of the question that you may be able to get a Sunrise window for less than a Great lakes for instance. You'll have to shop around. I'd say that a reasonable price premium is worth it anyway, but again, it will vary by dealer. On the comments regarding the vinyl color coating warranty that "isn't that great", that seems a bit funny then to recommend a product of which the entire unit is only a 10 yr warranty, no? On fiberglass, it is a good material. The downside for me is that they typically come at a premium price, even though they don't offer much that a good vinyl choice does. The primary benefit is that you can paint the inyterior and exterior. The domestic fiberglass choices don't boast very impressive performance, although there are some Canadian models that are very good.

What your seeing is completely normal and I'm not sure there is anything that can be done. Actually if you look at your second photo you'll also notice the white on the right side of the photo. Where the left sash slides over the facing of it is white. Now if that photo were to show the window closed you would see all that white in the center just as you do on yours. This also typically happens with double hung windows also. The jambs aren't painted because the operating panels sliding will rub/scratch the paint off if they were to be painted.

First of all, love your house. Looks like a gray roof so that would really be the only thing that limits color choices (e.g. a dark brown wouldn't look good with the shingles). Other than that the grays, blues, etc. would look great. If you really like the navy then go for it. When you do paint I would remove and not reinstall the shutters on the second floor window. I would leave the windows and trim white as that will high light them. I would also paint the front door a bright color to draw the eye to the entrance. If you're interested in seeing some virtual makeovers check my web site, Creative Visual Concepts.

Could you clarify what's the plan for the brick, color, go or stay ? I would hit pause and before proceeding with Sherwin Williams paint, research and get a plan in place for long term preservation of brick - limeworks.us is a fantastic resource - people there so very helpful even for DIY homeowners ( like I was). Brick and mortar of that age is particularly vulnerable to damage due to it being much softer than modern brick. The problem with usual acrylic house paint is it traps moisture behind the paint film which ultimately deteriorates the brick - since you already have paint on I'm not sure what your next step should be - hence my advice to consult with someone. It would be a lot of work to take off the existing paint - perhaps switch over to mineral based paint as the acrylic paint starts to fail/peel off? Oh, you might want to check with beeckmineralpaints.com as well - I think one of their mineral paints can go over housepaint . They too are very helpful!