Get someone local to have a look.

Thanks, everyone, for your replies! I apologize- I've been super busy lately and haven't had the time to reply until now. I agree that changing the look from my original, utmost, desire- the farmhouse look- is a decision that needs to be weighed carefully. I definitely don't want to become unhappy with our exterior down the road. However, I have always liked the look of the Cedar Ridge by Don Gardner, and I think I could make that exterior look right with my first floor and still be happy. Do you think it would look ok as a farmhouse? A preliminary rendering of our design, for a comparison: Originally we wanted approx 2500sq ft house. Because of my requirements for the 1st floor, the house ballooned to 3600 sq ft, split nearly evenly. Now I'm worried, because of the increased sq footage, that we won't be able to afford the upgrades- nice kitchen, central vac, nice deck, etc. I also would like to make sure I can still take my kids on vacations and live a decent life. I don't want to invest all my money in a structure just because I'm drawn to certain look. I'm trying to find that balance between what I WANT and what I NEED. I definitely need to reserve room in the basement for all my equipment. We'll have a Waterfurnace and all the pipes for radiant heat, water softener, water heater, etc, etc. Can't forget to include that in my planning! Thanks for the reminder, @kymike1! I need to call my mortgage guy and just talk this over with him. @stillwaters- we want to do ICF from the basement, up to the roof. We'll spray foam the roof. We also want our first floor to be handicap friendly. We haven't received any actual quotes back yet, but with everything else that we've had quoted so far, we've been UNpleasantly suprised....so that's what we're expecting for the house quote! :) I know it will all be worth it some day- just can't wait for that day to get here!!!! I've started blogging about it, if you're interested in reading some of my thoughts. It's fairly new, and I don't post very often yet, but plan to do better as we get going on the build. Here is a link that might be useful: Kelly's ICF blog (just getting started on it!)

Ask a local contractor. Far too many variables ...

If the pooling spot against the house is because there is a low point, and the water is being added to that low point from runoff from higher areas of the yard, from falling off the roof, and/or from a downspout discharging, then that pooling could be problematic for your foundation. Over time the ground could settle there and what was once a 12" low spot has settled into a large 5' dip and now your slab has cracked 2' into the room from not having ground support. Capillary action then brings water up the crack into the floor finish. Since concrete retains moisture longer than the surrounding materials, dirt from under the flooring harbors mold growth. On the outside, the moist concrete is shaded and starts to show mildew or fungus grows on it. So yes, concrete can sit totally under water and it doesn't affect the purpose of what it was intended to do. However, the water can cause other problems. The landscaper may be right in that a french drain is not needed, as I also alluded to, but that is not the whole picture. Grade should be fixed to slope away at minimum. Gutters added and downspouts discharged far away. For grade I would start by leveling along the front, making sure it slopes away. Also lower the grade along the walk/driveway so water can run off into the grass instead of pooling on the hard surface, which could then flow back to the house too. This effort doesn't have to regrade the entire lot right now, just a couple feet next to these areas. You could even strip the sod with a spade and reset the sod back after digging out some soil.