I have the John Deere X320, bought in 2006. It has a 48" 3 blade deck, which I put the mulching kit on, including mulching blades. I live on a hillside, and have some steep hills. I've never had any problems at all, including when I pull around my 48" core aerator and trailor full of who knows what. I did put two of the suitcase weights on the back to help with traction on the hills. I also have many blue spruces to mow around, so I slapped a grill gaurd on the front, which actually does help, even though I wanted it for the cool look. The cut is good, but I follow a pattern, so it looks better. I keep the mowing height at 2.75", which is healthier for the lawn, but is also the lowest I can go before I get too close to scalping on the hill crests. The deck is easy enough to take off and put on, but leveling the deck is a pain, although not hard to do. As for leaving grass clumps with the mulch deck, well, it ONLY happens when I have let the lawn grow too long, and it is wet. In that case, I just drive over it a 2nd time and it goes away. All in all, I am VERY happy with my X320, and really enjoy mowing with it. Oh, and about the 4-wheel steer, I was told by the guy at the dealership to avoid it if you have steep hills, as you risk a rollover if you have to turn on a hill, which I do. Joe

This floor if properly installed can last as long as a solid unfinished. It is not an inexpensive option, but will last as long as the solid. It has a 'wear surface' as thick as the 'wear surface' of a solid. This 1/4" top layer is a sawn veneer, so the appearance is exactly like a solid. It is the caddilac of this type of flooring. There is a similar brand, but the name escapes me. Install it with the recommended adhesive for going on a slab. Don't cheap out on the adhesive! Test the slab for moisture content and migration. Mitigate any moisture issues with the slab and, if a moisture retarder is recommended, install one. These can be a liquid applied membrane or a physical membrane that is adhered to the slab. Lots of options here, but the product manufacturer will have installation instructions you can download for the latest guidelines. Don't assume that your slab is flat enough for a new floor such as this. Test for flatness and grind down any high spots and fill any 'birdbaths' with a professional grade flooring underlayment compound that the manufacturer recommends. Don't cheap out on that either. Most true professionals will test for moisture and flatness and correct any deficiencies. Finally, choose someone who is good at finishing wood floors and will do a top notch job with high quality professional finishes. The stuff you can buy at HD or Lowes is not in that category, although I have been informed that Lowes may begin to distribute BonaKemi professional use floor finishing materials soon, if they have not already started. Ask to see work that a finisher has done to know the level of work that finisher can perform. You sound like someone who will get her ducks all in a row, so best of luck with this floor.

Pam533, I first copied the link and pasted it in a Google search and it just came back to this post. I had to paste it in my address book to look at which not many people will do. I am glad now there is a link to get opinions. I feel the smaller ones do not have enough variation and the bigger ones look more like real stone. I like the look of bigger tiles for an updated look. I installed at the end of 2007, 12.4 X 12.4 Akoya Bone Tiles that I still adore in my small foyers as they look so real and are not slippery. I bought but have not installed yet rectified tile that is not quite 18 X 18 if I remember correctly as I have it in my outside storage since I did not realize other factors. I dislike my cabinets and kept going back and forth on replacing them or painting them but now I think I will replace them. I love your cabinets. Maybe the tiles look different in person but I like the bigger ones better. Can you get the color of the smaller tiles in a larger format?

I have seen homes with what the builder called a "bonus room" that could be finished out later. They are usually off a hallway and closed out, used as walk-in attic space until someone decides they have a greater need for the space finished out. I don't think anyone would offer less for a home like that than another 4 BR home of similar square footage and other features. In fact, they might offer more because of the easy access to seasonal storage and easy conversion to another room if they need it. I wouldn't expect to be able to sell it as a 5BR with the higher square footage though. It would compare with 4BR 2500 sq ft homes but have easy access storage space (called a TX basement here) or a potential additional room -- a bit of a bonus, but likely no as much as that space finished out. It sounds like you are underwater now -- the house is worth less than when you bought it. Finishing out the space may or may not change that. I think what happens in the marketplace will make a greater difference on your bottom line, but I don't see that you couldn't expect to get at least the $6K back at resale. I'm in TX, not the NE, so its a very different market, but 400 sq ft could add $40,000 - $60,000 to the price of a newer and/or custom home in a good neighborhood ($100-150 sq ft). If you added a bathroom, the price could go up another $10,000 or more. But that assumes there is a demand for larger homes with more rooms and that the house wouldn't be overbuilt for your neighborhood in terms of BRs and sq footage. The other thing I would consider is that you have different market trends -- smaller and more efficient houses on the one hand and homes for larger families and extended families on the other. Yours might play well into the later with more rooms for families with a lot of children or space for mom and/or dad when they can't be living on their own. That's something that's hard to put a value on (though senior care can be $3-6K month or more), but I've personally known several families who have had those place for Mom & Dad searches. For them, the right place was priceless. The question is whether your neighborhood is attractive to the families that will face those issues in 5-10 years. If not, having a built-in storage room might be the more attractive option.