Hello Everyone, After reading through it, I couldnÂt resist posting on this thread. I agree with Toni and otherÂs good opinion of Brite LeafÂs trees. I have 4  2 in pots and 2 in the ground. They are 2-3 year olds now, and all want to be big. The lime is doing the best, fruiting for the first time this year, with plenty of fruit, if they all hold. Last I checked Brite LeafÂs site was working, but they hadnÂt restocked yet. They also have many new varieties, including some more expensive versions on flying dragon rootstock. I want to add an endorsement for Stan McKenzie at McKenzie-farms in Scranton, SC. He does cold hardy citrus on trifoliate rootstock. I have 4 from him also with 2 in the ground and 2 in pots. My observation is they will stay smaller. He has some great varieties, and I may not be done buying from him yet. At 17 trees, most would say IÂm at my limit, but Toni has introduced me to Harris, so who knows Sorry I canÂt share pics, but I also bought a BuddhaÂs hand this year. WeÂll have to start a subgroup within citrus forum for folks with young BH trees. I bought mine from Four Winds, the first tree IÂve gotten from them, because I wanted a dwarf and found no other online source for one. My other trees stay out over the winter, but of course the BH canÂt do that. I couldnÂt imagine getting a mature BH tree in the house every winter. I have limited sunny space and may need some of it for other plants, so it has to be a dwarf. I bought a 2-year old because thatÂs all they had in the BH, and paid more for it than I ever have for a tree. ItÂs been doing well since I got it in May and has plenty of new growth. It came with 2 tiny fruit, but they didnÂt hold on. Maybe the adjustment going from one coast to the other was too much for the tree to hang onto fruit this year. IÂll be curious how all of your BH trees do in the coming years. Any growing tips would be appreciated. IÂve been a citrus hobbiest for less than 3 years and still have much to learn. Marj

I built a beach house with Hiline Homes 2 years ago. I actually blogged about it specifically so people could see what our experience was like because I too could not find anything online. I haven't updated the blog with what the house has been like since we moved into it because I got burned out. But overall, I think the house was pretty solidly built. The build experience was far from perfect but that is also true of my sister's super high end build that I got to hear about going up as well. I will say the fixes and responses to getting things fixed on the higher end home were a lot better than what Hiline has done. But our house itself seems like a very good value to me. All inclusive with our land, permits, driveway, excavation/ground prep, etc, we paid about $118 per sq foot. With the builder we quoted with, the cost would have been $160 per sq ft. and the quality at that price would have been comparable to Hiline's since the builder also would have been using similar materials to get their quote that low. (By similar materials I mean the finishing touches like countertops, carpet, flooring, etc. They would have used the same construction materials, and in some cases, Hiline's construction materials were actually nicer.) So, I think you could go with one of these companies and come out okay, though I can only speak for one of them. We had a terrible project manager but he was fired after our build. Hopefully their next one is better.) Here's a link to my blog if you want to read about it. I always meant to go back and pull out the salient details that people would want to know, but I never did. So it's mostly an online journal, I'm sure it's incredibly painful to read! http://myhilinehome.com/

the suggestion above for $2550 in improvements is really over $4000 if one includes labor with NO appliances. I would NOT renovate that kitchen. I would stage it with a couple hundred dollars. it has been shown time and time again that it is a MYTH that a renovated kitchen returns your money. REal Eastate agents say it does because $25K in renovations if done immediately prior to sale gets you on average $20k in increased price meaning increased commission for them but a net loss for you. The fact is if the kitchen is functional the great majority of people - ESPECIALLY empty nesters -- often have very different taste than you. Do not confuse "best reutun on your money" for profit. Getting $10k more in sales price for $12k in renovations is a "good return" but still a loss. REnovations LOSE money. It has been shown time and time again in every study of improvements and sales price: http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/article/0,,408045,00.html Renovating before a sale will make Home Depot, a contractor, and the Real Estate agent richer -- and you poorer.

Thank you Plumejunkie I will give that a try when it's time I was going to get tobas fire but I was going to wait to the spring. I have a greenhouse but I need to get indoor lighting which I was planning to do this winter for my seedlings. Where abouts do you reside in the Bay Area