Search results

They actually still didn't want to allow us to review then but we pushed hard and they "did is a favor" with special permission. No, we needed five slabs for everything.

Methinks that's what our master tub is for. ;-p

Yes, that's correct, but we also upgraded all our bathroom countertops and the full kitchen back splash to the same stone, so they permitted us to review for approval. I didn't think approval was a big deal but the first slabs I saw had a big green splotch in the exact middle so I was very...

Here's a photo of one of our slabs at the slab yard (with a worker included for scale). Note that the sun is behind the slab so it looks darker in this photo than it actually is. Here's another photo with more foreground light (the reflection of the sky and other things also throws off the...

Just looked up our granite upgrade costs: - $1008 full back splash in kitchen - $1401 master bath countertop - $979 for each countertop in bath 2, 3, and 4 Shower doors may be annoying to clean, but at least you can clean them. Shower curtains are just stinky, clingy harbingers of funk. It's...

We took the Santa Cecilia standard countertop. It's very nice looking and we are very happy with it. It actually looks like an upgraded granite and is similar to the countertops in the model 2X kitchen. We also upgraded all the bathroom countertops with the same stone, which is a level 1...

True. If you really want the toilet cabinet, $600 isn't too much perhaps, but for me, I couldn't see the benefit to having it for that much. Yes, the baths are all very expensive. What we did is make the shower floor in bath 4 and the master bath small tiles and sort of a beige color. Also for...

Good stuff. We also got most of those upgrades. (Great minds think alike.) Couldn't bring myself to spend the money on the expensive above-the-toilet cabinet though. Also really like the soft-close cabinets and drawers throughout the house. They work well, but you have to make sure they really...

@Broda- Thanks for the reminder. There actually is an outstanding problem they had not yet fixed before they restricted our access into the home. I just pinged the design center to check if it's since been repaired. (That's an annoying thing. We visited as much as possible and found problems...

That would make sense wouldn't it? The problem is you're thinking like a rational human being. Most of the people I talked to either said they would have to use their own measurements or they would carefully avoid providing me their measurements. They seem to want to do whatever they can to not...

Doing all electrical options with IP as just makes sense. Also did countertops, upper cabinets, and shower options with them. Rain glass on shower doors is an elegant upgrade that's not too expensive. Oh, and definitely must have full-house insulation. It would be a terrible waste of a lot of...

Nearing our close of escrow we've been dealing with lots of flooring vendors, most of whom are horrible or terribly over-priced. Keeping in mind we already had a specific carpet and tile pre-decided, here is a bit of a verbose list with notes of everyone we've dealt with: Tompkins Flooring (in...

It just makes one wonder why they would create a separate non-licensed entity when they already had a licensed one. The only reason I can think of, and it makes sense, is that they wanted a company with the word "Shutters" in it for marketing purposes. I think we'll just be sticking with...

No, I haven't asked. I just spent a bit of time researching them online, starting with a California contractor's license search. In my research found there must be some connection between Express Blinds and Shutters King because they have the same address (kind of), but I didn't realize they...

They really don't have a contractor's license, but I'm going to take the risk with them anyway because using anyone else would just incur too great a cost. Plus, they've been in business for a few years and people who've actually received their shutters report no issues.

Oh, no, I guess I didn't explain the end result, which is that the old lender matched his offer, so I ended up staying with them. Their response is exactly what he predicted and my not switching to him is what he recommended.

@Irvinecommuter - I haven't heard anything about pre-qual deadlines. The whole process for me took about a day and a half. Within 10 minutes on the phone, John gave me his estimate then provided it to me in writing. That night I told the old lender about the offer and provided it to him. The...

I am in the latter stages of a purchase of a new build. Until recently I'd only been dealing with the lender that the builder requires you pre-qualify with. Once I finally got within striking distance of a rate lock-in, I decided it was time to explore other lenders. The only person I've had...

Can you please elaborate on that? What specifically were you not impressed with? Was it just dealing with them or were there problems with your shutters?

I'd never heard of them, but just called to get an estimate and set up a measure appointment. The person I spoke with sounds really competent and friendly. Photos of their recent work (http://www.garageexperts.com/location/recent_work/orange-county) look really good. I like their overhead...