I can't comment on marble in the kitchen as I am going with soapstone, (though I do have honed marble in my bathroom--used to be a wall in the local hospital!--it's been there forever and while it is scratched and worn I think that just makes it look better--but then again I'm not eating and drinking in there!) but I will say in my opinion the white inset with your brick fireplace sounds lovely. I myself am doing a brick-look floor with off-white inset, and we also have a brick chimney we are hoping to uncover and restore in the kitchen as well. We don't really have kitchen designers in my area. Who is doing your cabinets? I have found that cabinet makers/companies often have "designers" who at least help with the layout and also can guide you on door styles, moldings, trims, etc. But if I had the opportunity, I might hire someone to help tie everything together--I have floor, backsplash, cabinets, counters--but I am stuck on paint color for the walls and don't even talk to me about lighting! LOL Good luck! I am also married to an Italian and he and our 3 boys do love to cook and make a mess in the kitchen; I am not worried about the white cabinets, just think we will all have to clean up after ourselves a little better! :-)

you were smart to walk away--and that is not a real stucco house I bet--I bet it is something like Dryvit that is used in the north TX area for a stucco-look.... my realtor has someone w/fake stucco exterior home priced to see at over 500.000---he has gotten 3 contracts but when the inspection report notes that "FUTURE" problems might develop because of the nature of the exterior wall surface, the buyers decline to continue... his options are to scrape all exterior fake stucco off and redo w/real stucco--at least 35 thousand to do or to have concrete ledge poured around exterior and just rebrick--which will be more expensive... Does not think he can sell w/o doing that... Everyone should make sure that any changes--even a new water heater installed in home is done to current city code...we had to have water heater replaced. It was in closet in garage..also had one upstairs in attic that had been replaced several years before...the house is 20 years old--between the first and second one being replaced the code was revised twice--we anticipate selling the house soon, so I had both of them brought up to code when the second one was replaced...cost a little more, but at least the inspector won't have a knock about them...

You poor thing. You do need to move. But keep your head about it. I was in a similar situation, only worse. The stress was so bad, I'm surprised I'm still alive. Just to be clear, it was not the last house I sold, but the one before that. You can do a search for "Neighbors from hell"--I'm sure I shared the story. But long story short, it involved me getting assaulted with a hammer, robbery, the poisoning of my dogs, vandalism, harassment, guns, fires... Oh, I could go on and on. Sometimes, no matter how careful you are, you can't tell that you are buying next door to the neighbors from hell. I actually purchased that house FROM the neighbors from hell; they were my only neighbors; and at first I thought we were going to be great friends. I liked them! That lasted about a month before they started in on me because the woman was... can I say "psycho?" Anyway, I loved the house and endured all that for two years until the assault and the poisoning of the dogs and then I wished I would have left when I was first considering it, about a year into it. But how was I going to sell that place when the market crashed and without the neighbors knowing because they would have sabotaged the deal? As it was, they were piling up junk on their land (this was in the country) to annoy me because I'm a clean freak and then setting it on fire to scare me. Cinders would float over to my 100-year-old wooden farmhouse. Every day the pile was getting higher and higher. Not only was it dangerous, but it was a real eyesore--truck tires, tractor parts, animal cages, household trash. I knew I had to get out of there lickity split before it got worse and I couldn't GIVE the house away. I priced it right. Luckily I didn't owe more than it was worth and I priced it to sell. I had to think, was my sanity, or maybe even my life, worth X amount of dollars? That was crucial. I did NOT put a for-sale sign on the lawn. I didn't even put advertisements in any of the local publications (I was a FSBO) because I was afraid the Evils (that's what they were known as) would see it and find out I was selling. I leaned my for-sale sign against the house in the back yard so that when potential buyers came around, I pretended like I was getting ready to put it up. I also scheduled my buyers to look at the house when I knew the Evils would be unlikely to be around because whenever I had company, they'd start yelling things--obscenities, etc. I felt bad for a long time selling that house to the buyers but in my defense, it was priced to sell and they got a deal. (It sold in about two months to maybe the fifth person who looked at it.) Also, they were meant to be there. They were instrumental in getting the Evils arrested and the Evils' house eventually went into foreclosure and my buyers are very happy there. We've become friends and we talk about the Evils often and enjoy sharing the stuff we hear about them through the grapevine. Lots of karma going on. So get out of there. Price it right. Don't put up a for-sale sign. And in the meantime, keep your enemy close. Try to get along with those neighbors. In fact, if I was you, I'd try to befriend them. You don't want them to know you're selling. They will know why and it will get them mad at you and make things worse. Later, if they find out, by that time you will be friends and you can make up some sad excuse about a death in the family or something. You have to do what you have to do to save your sanity and get out of there. Personally, I don't rent. I just go and buy another one because I have a child in school and I can't keep changing her schools, plus I have horses. I always ask for some time after closing before I have to move out. I buy the next one "contingent upon the successful closing" of the one I'm selling. It's hairy but I'd rather do it that way then move another time. The worst part about doing it this way is if you find a house you want to get and then the buyer of the house you're selling can't get a mortgage. It's very hard getting mortgages nowadays and the last house I sold, I think I lost three people I was in contract with because the banks rejected them--one of them two days before closing. I hope this was helpful. Very long. I guess I am making up for lost time because I haven't been on here a while--busy fixing up my new place.

That drywall job is awful, do some people really let stuff like that slide? Many years ago I was with a friend negotiating for a car. She was not an aggressive person, and we both thought she might get steamrolled. But then the salesman made a critical mistake - he said "are you REALLY going to make such a big deal over $120?" My sweet, kind friend remembered what it took for her to earn that $120 (she was a floor nurse) and then had all the backbone she needed. If you feel uncertain about standing up for yourself, stand up for the next customer - you are doing her a favor if you help this guy learn to do things right in the first place.