It may benefit many growers here to buy 1" thick rigid Styrofoam insulation, build a case and surround the grow area. It holds in heat, reflects light, blocks drafts, keeps inquiring minds, well you know the rest. Its washable and reusable, easy to store, inexpensive, easy to find.

No offense, but your question is equivalent to someone asking what they should pay for a red car. Just not enough info. Some big variables: -what paver? by what mfr? -the walls to raise the patio, and the seat wall- what's the material? -what are the riser faces made of? -what are the steps made from? -most important, what's the skill level and reputation of the install co? I couldn't begin to give a price on this job without that info. To be honest, I still wouldn't, because it's such a complex job and there are a ton of variables, I'd hate to miss something and make you think you weren't getting a fair price. Your best bet is getting multiple bids from local contractors. I wish I could be more help, but this job could fall anywhere in a range of tens of thousands of dollars. Dave

Carolyn .. I am in Arlington, Tx We are still negotiating, but I think I am about to walk and look elsewhere. I discovered that the supposed recent comps sent to me by the broker actually had much older deed dates. Out of the 26 I based my offer on, only 5 were sold in 2006..some of the others were as old as 2001. I reevaluated my offer, due to the comp price average being much higer based on the 5 that sold in 2006. I countered with $74,000 with me still paying my closing costs. The declined it and stayed firm on 78,000 with me paying my closing costs. I researched it further, checked out homes in the area that were listed within a $3,000 higher or lower range and found that they didn't meet or exceed the quality of the one I am looking at buying. I found out about an available grant to 1st time home buyers and being as keeping my monthly payment in my affordable range is the most important thing for me..I checked into it. It turns out that I meet the criteria so, based on that I made the decision to go with their asking price of $78,000 with the contingency that the house pass the inspection arranged by the agency issuing the grant. The grant money, which I would use as a down payment would keep my paments where I need them to be. I went to a 6 hour class yesterday that is required for the grant and they had a real estate broker, mortgage lender, insurance representative and an inpector for the Texas Real Estate Commission conducting workshops. It was really informative and I asked the inspector if the house being older and not having the electrical outlets grounded would cause it to fail inspection. (the inspection for the the grant is different than a standard inpection..in this one it passes or fails and no grant if it fails) He told me it wouldn't be a problem, but that they could not have 3 prong outlets installed if it wasnt grounded. Basically, can't appear to be grounded when it isn't. Well .. it has 3 prong outlets and when I told the real estate broker, he said "that's the problem they had with the last attempted sale .. same thing caused it to not pass FHA code" Now I know the reason that they insisted on only accepting a conventional loan offer from me and based on all they have said, I find it highly doubtful that they will switch out the outlets plates to make the sale. Although there would be a little rewiring involved ... from what I was told, it is a matter of just 2 wires per outlet and very simple and inexpensive to do. I checked with an electrician, then called the real estate broker and told him I would pay for it to be done. It was less than $200.00 and was worth it to me. I meet with the broker this afternoon to finalize the contract at their asking price .. with the contingency of the inspection for the grant added and my offer to pay for the electrical switch. He says they are firm on not changing it, based on what they told him about the last experience with this, but said he will present it to them. If they decline .. I give lol .. it will be time to move on. Hopefully, I will know something this evening or tomorrow.

Posted by billl (My Page) on Mon, Dec 13, 10 at 9:08 "The RE system is a parasitic business." Well, by that logic, everything except the direct manufacturing of goods is a parasitic business. RE is essentially a service industry in transition. Just think about how you bought a house just 15 short years ago. The internet was still a baby. If you wanted to buy a house, you could either spend every waking moment driving around neighborhoods looking for signs, or you could pay a RE agent to compile a list of homes that meet your criteria and then get private, guided tours of them. Then the agent helps negotiate a price and coordinates all aspects of the sale. At that point, 6% seems like a pretty good deal. Now, the industry is in transition. The internet has created the belief that information should be available to anyone, at anytime, for little or no money. That is running head on into the reality that someone has a monopoly on that information via the MLS. That isn't a sustainable situation. Eventually, the rules off the business will change and a lot of the costs will be eliminated for the system. That doesn't mean the end of agents. It just means their costs will go down, so the final cost to consumers will go down. *********************************************** I disagree. RE is parasitic in the sense that in that 6%, there is so much beaurocracy and charges attached to that commission that the person doing the actual work is subjected to all these stupid laws,expenses, middlemen to the middlemen, and waiting for a tiny sliver of that commission check, which may never arrive. Most of these entities are NOT warranted. I would gladly consult and/or open door for a client. The attorney or title Company can draw up a contract.....DONE! I can be like an Accountant. A person comes to ME and "I" provide as much or as little service as they require for a fee paid at the time of the service!!!!!! But no, the RE industry grew LAWS, feet, legs, heads, all in the name of parasitically sponging off sellers and buyers. THE CONSUMER PAYS. Agents don't don't make that much after everybody is paid off (LOL- Sounds like the MAFIA). All that stuff is NOT necessary. Too many hands in the cookie jar. Streamline the money grubbers. I hope the MLS collapses. Someone still can have a central website for listings, and charge people , or their consultants for using it, without all the hoopla the MLS is attached to now....having to belong to all those boards, MLS, the fees, lockboxes. Then you have the games where some websites that allow agents to post listings and charge agents different prices depending if they work for a large comapany or a small one. There should be ONE FEE, and everybody should be allowed to post, agents and private sellers. IT's all fixed and controlled for the RE industry. Poor consumer cannot cut through the thicket. The RE lobbyists in Washington are doing a fabulous job. I've bought and sold my own houses without agents. I realize that some people may not know what to do. But if that is the case, they should be able to go to a "consultant" (not a con artist with six middlemen) who can charge them per activity, like an Accountant does. The rest of the industry needs to be dismantled, because the truth is that Buyers or Sellers are really NOT protected. All these stupid Ethics, continuing education, charges, whatever. It's all hogwash. Why a broker additionally to an agent? Why all the boards, MLS? The RE industry is piled high and deep. Realtors say or do what's necessary to make a sale. RE laws are made to protect the commission. Wooo, and there are lots of games there, too. I had to get this off my chest, because the truth is that if you try to buy or sell yourself, the agents will boycott you. The consumer is held hostage to utilize the services of this parasitic game. Just sayin.