Thanks for sharing this Carrie. I really enjoyed it! Deb

Tracyvine, I appreciate your response very much. That was exactly what I was looking for. Seamommy, I consider some of your comments to be offensive. For clarity purposes, I have gone to my library (which had nothing about HVX), I have googled, and I found nothing that provided in depth information about HVX. I figured someone here would have an AHS publication that may include a great article about HVX that I don't have access to. But apparently it's cheating to ask anyone for help finding something - especially being a subject that is not widely discussed.

I can't quite see why a computer can't extrapolate and "fill in the dots" to blow up low res picture fairly accurately. You can fill in the dots and enlarge a photo as long as you have enough original information to begin with. When we view a photo we hold it or stand back a distance that is relative to the photo's size. As the photo gets bigger we keep backing up. As we back up the requirement for fine detail in the photo goes down (our eye sight doesn't improve as we back up). Therefore there should be a "content threshold" for photos so that we can expect to enlarge them to whatever size and they'll still look good. For digital cameras that content threshold is between 5 and 6 megapixels. 3 and 4 megapixel photos will eventaully collapse but they're close enough to the threshold that they will hang in there for a long time. I've made 16x20 inch prints from 3 meagpixel photos that looked great. Someone with "photographer's disease" could walk up to a 16x20 print from a 3 megapixel file, stick their nose in it, and claim, "it's not sharp." They need help. There are two high end competing algorithms used to interpolate up the content of a digital image. Photoshop uses the bicubic interpolation algorithm and Genuine Fractals uses a fractal interpolation algorithm. The photos below are big, but necessary so you can see. I took an image from an 8 meagpixel camera and reduced it's content to 1.6 megapixel and .5 megapixel equivalents. Then I used Photoshop (PS) and Genuine Fractals to interpolate those photos back to the resolution of the original. The 1.6 megapixel file was enlarged over 200% to get back to the 8 megapixel original res. GF did an amazing job and there's no way you'd see a differenece in an 8x10 print between the original and the 1.6 megapixel file -- a little sharpening applied to the interpolated 1.6 megapixel file and it's going to look great. .5 megapixels is just too little information to work with. Joe has made this point a few times as I recall and he's right: Given average amateur usage (4x6 prints with occasional enlargements to 8x10), a quality 3 megapixel camera and good software will do the job. At 6 megapixel you've reached content threshold so that with the right software your photo can be enlarged to highway billboard size and look good. Why an 8 to 10 megapixel camera? -- the freedom to crop the image down and still have content threshold.

If you are not in a rush, take your time and keep your eye on your market. You do not need an agent, at this point. I am looking in to buy in two different states, NY & Florida. I have been watching listings on MLS in both states. In NY I have been looking for about 6 months and have seen prices slowly fall and inventory increase. Sellers have been very rigid about dropping prices but when I see properties sitting over 6 months, without selling, I feel justified making low offers. Watch the comps and note the DOM and final selling price. Look to see how many houses are for sale. This market is tricky. My area is desirable because of proximity to NYC. Prices have remained high but inventory has increased. I find high-end houses are selling but mid-price homes more slowly. I don't understand that. I could be wrong, but there is a glut of mid-price homes available. The comps are confusing because some homes are selling way below list price yet others are selling close to list. I've noticed bidding wars where the houses sold above list price. Hard to make heads or tail of this market. I am using an agent to gain access to properties only. I am not using her to do any searches for us. I have made an offer on a property which she submitted. It was considered a low offer and she was not supportive yet did submit it. The seller would not counter. I'm okay with that as there have been no other offers at this point. We can wait. I think the market in my area is starting to decline; later than other areas but definitely dropping. Sellers are dropping prices after a year. When they sell, they become the comps. My advice is to wait it out and keep an eye on your market. Let this listing sit for a while and watch what goes on in the neighborhood. Good luck, Jane