Thanks to all who've chimed in. This sort of general discussion always provides helpful context. However, I am hoping for specific anecdotes about Jenn Air Pro Style and GE Cafe appliance purchases -- should any owners of those products stumble upon this thread. I have a sneaking suspicion we should be purchasing the extended warranty on the two most expensive items: GE Cafe Refrigerator (25.6cf; SxS; Stainless Steel) CSCP5UGXSS Jenn Air Pro Style Duel Fuel Range (4.6cf; Stainless Steel) JDS8860BDP I'm considering pulling the trigger on the GE refrigerator warranty simply because the product line is so new. As for the range, the often-repeated perceptions about Jenn Air's declining reputation for manufacturing quality has me wary. for the most part, I like the Jenn Air products so far, with some caveats. for instance, our old Maytag dishwasher had interior rack inserts with far superior layouts. And already, we've had to replace the Jenn Air microwave door using the basic warranty -- within the first two weeks! The two door latches stick out over an inch from the door frame, and one of them caught on a robe sleeve and broke in half. The latch wasn't steel, as it should be, but a cheap caste metal...

Just to come back and update this thread, I just really lucked out and decided to manage this rental hime myself. I advertised it on Zillow and had it rented quickly to a great family who took care of it very nicely. They lived there 18 months, I Re-listed it on Zillow and had 24 applications! I raised the rent, and now have a lovely small family that lives the neighborhood. This has been a great rental home investment.

Our most valuable outdoor space is our covered patio. We're in the Seattle area, so any outdoor lounging time needs to be under cover. But San Deigo sun might call for full cover too? Our best outdoor furniture is a patio take on our favorite indoor furniture. Dining set for meals, Adirondack chairs for lounging with coffee or cold drinks. Gas grill for cooking. For the preference you're giving, I think your needs are an attractive covered area with lounge furniture (sofas/arm chairs) centered on a TV, a fridge for outdoor snacks and beverages, and a dining set. A full outdoor kitchen seems like overkill for how you live. I like the first rendering, but put a generous-sized dining set under cover where the kitchen is pictured. At the end where the rendering has bar seating, put a small linear cooking area with a grill, a gas or electric burner, an under-cabinet fridge, and a couple of feet of countertop on each side of the grill. And a full vented hood, to protect your roof and your lungs.

Eld - There is zero doubt in my mind that you were trying to do the right thing. But perhaps part of the “thoughtful conversation” could be to point out the possibility that you’re wasting peoples’ time. In mentioning that you “finally spoke to a Quest rep” does that imply that it took a while to reach a human? If so, why do you think that is? When you did finally reach her, her level of interest should have been an indication of how important she found it. You persisted until it necessitated taking time out of a supervisor’s day. Again you were essentially told to ignore it, but again were seemingly unwilling to drop it. You said this was an appointment “confirmation”, meaning Jacqueline should already know about it. And maybe also got an email - my notices generally come in duplicate. Was there an option to confirm or cancel? If so, then simply ignoring the text would have done exactly what your phone calls did: let them know that Jacqueline may not have gotten the message. Perhaps more importantly than any lf that, it’s also a good time to remind everyone that you should NEVER click on links in emails or texts that you aren’t 100% sure are legit and intended for you. Scammers go through great lengths to trick you into doing this. Google phishing if you’re not familiar with the term.