Well I have to say it again, I'm so glad I told you my problem, you helped so much! Yes, I'm keeping the under counter lighting. And letting my new appliances to be delivered tomorrow. I went over to my GC's house tonight, I had seen his cabinets, which is why I'm using him for my kitchen, but didn't realize till I told him how I feel about the sofits that he has therm too. He has high hat lighting in them, and it does make them look like they belong. Do you like a D shape sink? Which do you have? My sink is on the long side of my countertop , 129 inches, and has an 80 inch window centered above it. I don't like the idea of a faucet in the corner, but think I can adjust since right now I like the D shape better. As for hardware I'm open, want simple brushed nickel knobs for cabinets, and was thinking of cup pulls for drawers, are they traditional? or something else, no idea what I will wind up with. The faucet will be Kohler Valeta, or something similar, any suggestions? . For the floor originally I wanted bamboo strand in a natural. Thought it would blend with my oak floors which I have over the house. Now looking at some laminates I thought were nice, but not sure I can go that route, a lot of thought has to go into it. ilene GC plans on starting March 6....I am glad I'm doing this! ilene

Incorrect. The fact that something broke marble does not mean it would have broken granite. Marble is softer. I have hit my granite with worse than the back of a hammer many times, and not a mark, scratch or dent has been left behind. Marble is soft. It stains, unless you seal it with unnatural substances. It always etches, no matter what you seal it with. It chips easily. It breaks. That is what it is. If you are happy with it aging and developing scars of various types, then it's a good material for you. If that disturbs you, then another material is a better choice. Since you already have marble, you should definitely see whether it can be repaired. It may be an easy fix. But what is more important is that you reconcile yourself now to the material you have chosen. Learn to love it rather than wish it were something else. Because when this chip is fixed, there will be another.

Some random thoughts... Re: the trees. Some maples are solid trees, some aren't as said so I'd get someone who knows trees to look at them. The real estate agent *can't* say anything against the house by obligation. They have a fiduciary obligation to the seller so never trust a real estate agent. They're out for the money. If they'll put it in writing that the trees are solid, fine, then they're responsible but of course they won't. Real estate agents rank very close to telemarketers IMO. Also, if you need to remove the trees, that can be rather costly. So be careful. However, again, they could be good trees and I'm a fan of trees. Re: the lawn. I like a big yard. If you're not too finicky, just get a riding mower and you can handle mowing. Or if you don't like it, hire it done or in the future you could hire someone. I've been hiring occasionally when I just can't handle it. Not very expensive and I find great value having distance between myself and the neighbors. Re: Standing water. Can be important or not. How much water? Can it be modified slightly to drain better? With the bottom of the outbuilding rotted it suggests an issue although that could depend on the age. Have you had an unusual amount of precipitation recently, snow and rain that would make this a fluke or is it normal amount of water? If it's normal, expect it. If it's going to pond water in the summer, you could have mosquito issues. What's the soil conditions? Sandy? Clay? If there's not very good drainage that would be a consideration. Re: the outbuilding. The owner saying it's good, well, that's a representation. If they don't make a disclosure you could have recourse against them if it turns out it's more rotted than you think. I might still have it inspected and do some negotiating that they misrepresented the place so they're not trustworthy. Are there any disclosures on the place about it, the drainage, etc? Re: Mailbox. You can buy a new mailbox for $10-$20 and up if the looks of the mailbox really bothers you. That wouldn't be a consideration to me nor would replacing the glass on the light fixture. That's petty cash expense. You'd spend more buying a piece of Tupperware than those two expenses combined! I wouldn't let that determine whether or not to buy a house. Re: Outside looks (brick, etc) To me, would see the inside of the house more than the outside so to me, the inside is more important. Much like I'm more concerned about holiday decorations *inside*, that I'll see, than outside. I'm not here to put on airs for others. Some people take a lot of pride in the outside looks of their houses and want it a certain way. If that's you, there's treatments for brick, even paint, which I dislike, but many like it. Options: Have sellers remove the trees, remove or repair the outbuilding or deduct from the price appropriately. As far as adding on... Are you going to get what the other house offers you, or a different house should you decide to keep looking? Remodeling can be expensive but doesn't have to be. If you can get what you want, and if you like where you live, then it's worth considering. Sit down and write out what you REALLY want in a house. Include room sizes, costs, payments if applicable, don't forget taxes, insurance, how close to shopping, doctors, recreation, etc. Then, see if the house you're looking at has it. How about the house you have? How does it compare? Then look at a few different modifications to the house. With it done, how would it compare? For me, an attached garage is a very important feature on a house so when I look for places, it really subtracts value if there's not at least a single attached garage. It helps if it would be able to be added easily. I've run across several places I really liked, but when I went home, sat down and looked at my priority list, well I haven't moved yet... Years ago I made a list of things I really like about my place and a list of things I really don't like, together with things I would like in a new place and might like. There's been things on other houses I've seen that impress me so I noted them. I know I'll never find "the perfect place" but it helps to evaluate different ones. And now as I'm getting older, accessibility is more and more important. But I try to keep it realistic. For instance a new place would be nice if it was one level living, however as long as there's the main rooms, a bathroom and a bedroom on the main floor, it would work for me. A place with all bedrooms and bathroom(s) upstairs would not. Also with looking at places I've seen some modifications to certain common style houses that were well done and really would work well for me. Maybe some of these would help you in your considerations. Kinda makes your head spin, I know. In most places, it's still more of a buyer's market so don't let a salesperson scam you. And keep in mind there's LOTS of houses for sale even if you don't get this one!

We were actually deciding between Yellow River and Golden Wave. Golden Wave might be close to Golden Beach depending upon the slabs. In the end, we made the choice for Yellow River because of the contrast between the ligher granite and the darker cherry cabinets. After comparing the two we decided the Golden Wave was darker and just not as interesting as the Yellow River. This is a picture of the Golden Wave that we were considering.