As I read your post it seemed to me that you pretty much said which house you want. And it sounds like a beauty ready and waiting for you to make it your own. I don't quite understand why you're waiting! I realize open ceilings are popular, but personally, I can live with or without them. I inspect homes so I've seen all there is to see. Our house doesn't have them and sometimes I think oh well that would have been nice maybe. I just tend to be simple and practical. From a monetary perspective, I didn't want to pay to heat or cool dead space just because it was the most popular trend of the moment. I also agree with Sweeby that lower ceilings can make an environment feel more cozy and not so cold. If given a choice between a new neighborhood or a mature neighborhood, I'd always choose older. Not only because I love mature trees and landscape, (which is obviously a concern to you since you mentioned it) but because they have character that newer neighborhoods seem to lack these days. From an investment perspective, you can see how the people around you have cared for their homes and that helps to give some insight on how well the neighborhood will stay maintained in the future. I'd also opt for a finished yard as opposed to having the expense to install a new one. I'm just not into gardening at ALL so that project could not/would not be DIY for us! :c) When we bought our house, we looked at homes for months but I couldn't ever see us living in any of them until we happened upon our house. I knew our house was "the one" because it was the first house I felt at ease in and wasn't in a hurry to leave. It was a fixer (in need of a lot of work) but when I looked around, I saw it fixed in my mind and I felt at home. You'll have to let us know which one you end up choosing! Good luck!

Caroline, Where in the Dakotas are you. I am in southern South Dakota and I know the western part of south Dakota got up to a foot of snow. My youngest daughter will be in the western part from May 17-July 20 and I told her to keep her shovel in the car as well as a winter coat of some sort. Last year on the first weekend in May they received a lot of snow and many parents were unable to make it to graduation. Hope you are not affected by the flooding at all. Deanna

Sue, I guess I'm coming to this post kinda late we have a new grandson too. I can't imagine what the horror of facing this kind of pain and risk is. I will hold all of you in my heart when I'm holding my little one. Courage and peace. I hope you are seeing that things are better at this point and encouraged about a full recovery. How wonderful it will be if at this young age he doesn't remember the pain of the struggle he's had and only the triumph.

Last treatment is something to celebrate and if Dark Chocolate Amaretto cupcakes won't keep the good luck flowing nothing will! Last year the HG had to go for 2 hours daily for six weeks. The staff treated him so kindly so I in turn provided them with goodies. They were very appreciative to the point where it seemed like that didn't happen often.