Hi guys! Well, to keep it on topic so we don't get the thread knocked off...I cut the Jasmine down so you can now see the top of the window box, and the window is now completely exposed because I cut the Plumbago all the way back because it was a mess. Now little sticks look funny, so I will probably take it out, add more dirt to raise the bed, and plant something else there. I also cut the Hibiscus again, but I think it is shovel time for that. It looks awful, and try and I did, it's a gonner. I cut the Yesterday back a bit as well, so it's not touching the wall. I'll finish everything next weekend. Right now it's either Dena or the native plant society who will hopefully come get the Strongbarks! People can't believe it when I tell them this, but I have NO idea if I am staying here in Fla. or not. I did check out NC and really like it. But I can't think about that until I sell my house. I have a friend of mine who can't sell his condo on Hollywood Beach, so I hope I sell before he does so I have someplace to go haha. Now as far as the agent....Golden, THANKS for giving me some things to think about. I feel as though it has been a very rocky road. It took me a month to get decent pictures up and have the front of the house be the first one people see and not an old dining room table. She even got frustrated and brought ME her camera!?? And her thinking that having pictures of a jungle in the front of the house is in my mind, questionable. I am very realistic about my house, it's in a good neighborhood, but there are very few upgrades and I am concerned in this market, with all of the shows people see, and staging tricks etc. I need to do more. Not go nuts like redo everything, set tables, rent furniture, but take care of most of the little eyesores that hopefully will help people overlook other things they may not like but know they can change. She wanted to start the house higher than I did, we've already lowered it a bit. But maybe that is a good thing because I don't believe it's going to be a buyers market forever and maybe I won't have to give it away. If they settle the proprty tax issue, I think the market will open back up. But that's just my humble opinion. She says agents don't attend agent showings "west of the highway" so we aren't doing that, we've had one Open House (and that was only because I asked if we were having one) and she says the paper doesn't work and that it will be an agent who brings in someone. That may ultimately be the case, but then what am I paying her for if we do sell? If she makes the process smooth, then yes it will be all worth it, but I was hoping there'd be more marketing. MY BAD for not clarfying. I think the biggest challenge (besides good pics and more marketing) is her thinking I don't have to do anything to my house to fix up. I am not talking big stuff like redo kitchens, bathrooms etc. those NEED upgrading but I can't afford it. But for instance, she doesn't think an ugly old door leading out to the patio, that you can replace for $100 is necessary, painting a bathroom that was peach with AQUA sponging (I could go on & on but I won't) and she thinks it's ok to have boxes everywhere "you're moving". Yes, my house is very clean, very uncluttered (except a lot of boxes in all of the closets - former family members stuff etc. LOL)and it was pretty much all freshly painted over the last 3 yrs. So in the meantime I hired a Handyman and we did a decent amount of good fix ups so I have cleaned up most of the little eyesores that a potential buyer would find obnoxious to have to do, and I got a storage unit and unloaded the boxes. This is someone who has been selling in this area for over 20 yrs. I am afraid that perhaps she is still doing things the old way and I just want to be sure we are doing everything that we CAN be doing. Asking for a marketing plan has gotten me nothing "oh I am sending out some cards soon". But I spoke with her over the weekend and was very vocal about my feelings (finally) but I think that will only get me the decent pics on the MLS. I will stop now, it is making me crazy, but if you have ideas, let me know :)

Ontario, There are two types of keypads for vantage. One type of keypad (a regular keypad) communicates with the central processor and does not have a lighting load wired directly to it. The other keypad is called a "scene point" and has a single lighting load connected to it, and also communicates to the central processor so it can control any lighting load that is on the system. We did this so we could the save the cost on adding another central processor as each processor can have 48 loads connected to it. I think we actually have 90 loads on the system so we would have had to buy two processors and a big bulk of the cost is in the processor. The only regular switches we have are basic lutron motion switches for closets, and then regular lutron maestro dimmers in a couple of guest bedrooms. These regular lutron switches/dimmers are completely separate from the vantage system. Wiring diagram for main floor: If you are doing 48loads are less then you do not have to worry about using "scene points" as I described above. You can just use a single central processor and then the normal keypads in each room. If however, you are doing more than 48 loads but less than 96loads then the method I described above will save you many thousands of dollars. Hope this helps!

I really like the color combination you have right now--your roof is dark brown, so it to me is a very restful but welcoming combination which is enhanced by the white trim. I also like the distinctive look the porch rail gives to the house. There is probably no area in which tastes can differ as much as color preference, but I did find one article that claimed that blue is a major preference amog adults: "Adults have been found cross-culturally to prefer blue to other colors. ItâÂÂs a nearly universal preference. But does this preference occur naturally, or do children and infants have different preferences? Prior to 2001, there wasnâÂÂt a definitive answer to this question. In that year, Marcel Zentner of the University of Geneva conducted a study that not only answered that question, but also sought to explore the relationship between color and emotion (âÂÂPreferences for colours and Colour-Emotion Combinations in Early Childhood,â Developmental Science, 2001)." [ http://scienceblogs.com/cognitivedaily/2005/06/13/color-preference-in-kids-and-a/ ] Another consideration would be how your chosen color is enhanced or detracted by the colors of surrounding houses. You might want to consult with a respected local realtor regarding preferred home colors in your area, since you are thinking of selling in a relatively short time. Realtors seem to be willing to be helpfut to possible future clients.

This is just a guess without seeing the floor plan but I think I would be inclined to take the dark granite off the fireplace and make the whole area including the alcove look like one feature wall ...shelving,cabinets and tv. Something simple to jive with the kitchen. Then, I would mostly just ignore trying to make use of just the fireplace section as a feature. It would then be a larger section of feature with the alcove included and you could float some furniture and have better use of the space. Maybe not just like the picture...but you get the idea. Edited to add: this way you could start your area rug all the way down from fireplace toward sliders. It will make your space appear larger.