Where? southern New Mexico Median household income in my city: $40,040. 31% have a BA. 16% have a graduate or professional degree. Median value of owner-occupied housing in my city is $151,700. Average listing price in my zip code is $139,150. It's an older neighborhood, and our house is one of the larger older homes, so we're already valued higher than average for the neighborhood (ruh roh!) The neighborhood attaches to a golf course built in 1930. In the 60’s this place was the cat’s meow! A few years after we bought our house, the golf course went up for sale, and eventually closed. (ruh roh!) Now we’re attached to 100 acres of vandalized buildings and dead trees. But there's hope; construction of a new hospital/medical park starts soon on the land. Our state still isn’t experiencing a recovery in real estate values. Statewide, home values lost more ground in 2014 (come on, economy!) Common kitchen countertop material: - older homes: laminate or tile, some remodeled to granite, granite tiles or solid surface - new homes (builder grade low price) laminate, 12" ceramic tile, some solid surface - new homes (custom or high price) granite, and a surprising amount of tile I’m still waiting to see my first marble or soapstone counters in the annual Builders Parade of Homes, or anywhere. Wood counters are rare too. Recently I asked about induction ranges at a local appliance store (a national chain) and the salesman had never heard of induction. Do most in your area DIY, or hire out? – It seems like this should be a strong DIY area, due to low income levels, but we don’t see it. Maybe the older folks don’t want to tackle it, the younger folks don’t know how, and it’s only a few in the middle who have the skill sets and interest? Most everyone we know hires work done, except for a few friends who flip houses for a living. (Currently flipping is more of a slow roll.) Kitchen $ – Still watching values, and waiting to pull the trigger. Budget under $20,000, but that will include changes to walls affecting two adjacent rooms as well. Our biggest expense will be labor, for changes to walls/ceiling, and electrical upgrades. We’ll keep cabinets, most appliances, and flooring. Counters will probably be laminate or DIY wood, so material costs won’t be high.

We sell kitchens to everyone. We simply insist that our customers make sensible decisions that we know will work. We won't sell a kitchen if it doesn't work, or is dangerous, or against building code. For example, many kitchen designers and appliance suppliers were guilty for a decade of selling and recommending high CFM blowers without replacement air systems. So they knowingly or unknowingly poisoning their clients. We always refused to do this and require that our recommended appliance sales people insist on selling our customers the replacement air systems they need to be safe, whether they want it or not. I believe all professionals should "first do no harm". Giving people what the want is the easy road. Helping them make good decisions is harder but is also why our company grows at a rate of about 30% per year.

Looks like I am hijacking this thread! :-) Mostly, I love the look of the bathroom above, but it also fits the Universal Design idea – right? It sounds like staying warm is the main drawback and I am willing to ditch the idea if necessary. However, I would like to explore ideas for keeping the room warm. I like the idea of warm floors, but not sure of the cost, and some of you don’t think this will work. I like the idea of a baseboard heater if that would work, but what about something dedicated to the task? What about a Fan/Heat combination like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001CJUKZS/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=190489761596&hvpos=1t1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4158767817143482295&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031150&hvtargid=kwd-295772741219&ref=pd_sl_fbqrluz4i_b#customerReviews What about heated towel bars – might they help?

@Beth, my tile store displays lots of Lunada Bay--I've been drooling over it for months (it was a serious contender for master bath until I gave in to a more sedate Porcelanosa). That herringbone is so alluring, I want to get a couple SF and frame it for my wall! Those colors remind me of tidepools in the late afternoon sun. Gorgeous. We're just starting to pack for the move so I think I'll plan to try out some large sample boards after I recover from the move. :) @Dixie, thanks for that visual. I'm not sure what my resistance to subway tile is all about (a resistance to ubiquitousness?). But if I went that route, I'd stack 'em vertically, as Beth has suggested. It's funny (kind of) to look back on all the things I thought I was SO sure I wanted over the past year only to change my mind shortly after!