We also love sunlight but we do not want glare. Window companies make windows with properties tailored for various regions so MD window spec will be different than that in NM. We are in northern CA. We have two banks of windows shaded by a large Oak. Their ratings are: U=0.3, SHGC=0.34, VT=.48. Around noon, when looking at the oak leaves on the shaded ground through the VT=0.48 rated windows, we do not see the brighter sheen but we can make out more details of the leaves. Looking at the leaves without the windows, we can see the bright sheen even under the canopy but less details. So there is loss of light but the difference is not dramatic during the day. More like losing the glare to get more details. Around dawn and sunset is when it does get darker due to the windows. For windows without tree shades, the 0.48 rating cuts out glare to yield a clear and crisp external views. My guess is if you can get the right U-factor and SHGC value for your area, any VT value that is .48 and higher will do well.

Regarding budget, that is hard to say, I don't see where you posted specifics. On vinyl product, performance and quality is not an either-or proposition. High quality vinyl will have great performance, low quality will not. Mid range will be mid-range. -Better vinyl composition -thicker outer walls and superior design -more, better weatherstripping -TIGHTER MANUFACTURING TOLERANCES -thermally superior spacer options (composite, or stainless steel at minimum) -fully welded sloped sill ... and so on and so forth are just some of the things that separate quality. All of those little parts ultimately add up to better performance ratings and a longer life of the window.

Well, your post has been here for over 24 hours, with no takers.....let me take a whack at it. Marvin has a standard AAMA 2605 paint - really good UV protection of the aluminum cladding and will resist fading and chalking. Marvin's ultimate casement has a really cool new feature that allows you to disengage the sash temporarily and spin it around so you can clean the outside of the sash from the inside of the house. Marvin's is extruded aluminum frame and sash. Jeld-Wen Siteline is a 2604 standard paint...not bad, but not as good. I believe the Jeld-Wen custom line is 2605 standard but it's an extruded aluminum frame and a rollform aluminum sash. Rollform aluminum is softer and will dent (and will dent a lot in a hail storm)and is molded right up against the wood. They also have a builder grade window, which is the bottom of the line and I do not care for it. I think a lot of Jeld-Wen's perception is that customer's are not always aware of the different grades thinking that Jeld-Wen is Jeld-Wen is Jeld-Wen (which actually, Pozzi is now Jeld-Wen Custom, Norco is now Jeld-Wen Siteline, and Caradco is now Jeld-Wen Builders Series). Same issue with Andersen and Pella. They have a really el-cheapo window and a high end window and many unsuspecting homeowners didn't know that going in and I think may have had higher expectations of that fabulously priced product than it was actually capable of performing. Eagle is an Andersen product. I don't run up against it too much here, and generally the perception from my builder customers is that their experience with Eagle left a bad taste in their mouths as far as performance and customer service is concerned. I have a favorite window here and when I mention it's name, I will receive a thorough beating from some of my fellow posters here because they are not familiar with it and they think it is a vinyl window (IT'S NOT!!!) but it is a really good window (2604 paint, Lo E 366 standard glass with super spacer, lots of wood in the product and foam filled head and sill, a patented hinged extruded aluminum nail fin and integral extruded aluminum drip cap/head flashing, available in 26 standard colors). The name of this "miracle window" is Semco. I am in the southeast, but I happen to know that California is a market for Semco. It's a smaller company, family owned and it's mfg facilities are located in Wisconsin. If you really like the fit and finish of the Marvin Ultimate Casement, you really owe it to yourself to take a look at the Semco window. It is priced well below the Marvin and is a beautiful product to look at and will perform well for you.

Grande - I'm not promoting Pella at all I'm just offering my opinion as someone who has used them and from contractors I've spoken to. To say they are garbage is contrary to what I have experienced and heard, of course there are better windows and there are also personal preferences involved. However I would bet that you are a window salesman and your comments should have that disclosure so people can understand what your motive is. Comparing JW to Pella is laughable...just look at the comments on this thread. I also steer clear of anyone stating something as fact...with no eveidence to support their "facts". "Anyone in windows knows this, it's a fact" is a very adolescent type comment. If you don't like Pella fine, you're entitled to your opinion, but try to state reasons other than obscure comments packed with innuendos. I am not saying Pella are the best windows, I'm saying they are decent and in my opinion I would use them over JW just from a support perspective. I don't know the other windows you suggested but I did say there are many local manufacturers that offer good alternatives...perhaps those are but I personally don't know.