May I add another path to this fractuous thread? There is a difference in what would be appropriate to the highly-visible front yard and the fenced-in, very private backyard. For example, we want to be consistent with our neighbors in the front yard landscaping. Well, I should say the "range of consistent" since some neighbors do nothing more than the obligatory foundation generic shrub and stop there. I refuse to stop there!! We have a very large flower bed (120 square feet) lining the walkway to the door, but it is in the roses/azalea/lantana cottage style of the neighborhood. Very neat, very cottage. But the hidden, private backyard is a complete departure from the neighborhood. It's the proverbial clearing in the tropical jungle. (Atleast that's what I'm aiming for!!) I hope this adds to the discussion.

Definitely see a credit counsellor, but first check with your local consumer protection agency (here it's through the Attorney Generals Office) to make sure they're legit. Nothing could be worse than signing up with a shady credit counsellor and finding yourself worse off than before. Don't fall for payday loans or other quick-relief schemes. And tell your friend you're handling it. My in-laws listened to a 'friend' and filed bankruptcy even though their credit was sterling. The only deal was that they couldn't make their car payment and credit card payments and still have enough to get by every month comfortably. Meaning there was no cushion. They didn't even have their cards charged up to the max, and were not behind on payments, EVER. Their total debt less than $10,000...most of that being the car loan. Some shyster got them to file bankruptcy using scare tactics and the same baloney logic you seem to be getting from your friend. Later, after it was discharged, they financed another car, but because of the bankruptcy they had a very high interest rate. Then those payments got too high for their comfort, so they traded in that car and got the balance added to the new loan (negative equity) so now they drive a car worth no more than $3000 that they owe $17,000 on and their payments were lowered only $20/mo, but spread out for 7 years. All because some one told them to file bankruptcy. How far out on your car loan are you? Can you sell it and get out from under it with any equity? Any way to unload the other party? Or at least make them start contributing? Best of luck, I feel for you!

Wolf claims it’s “cosmetic” and not a defect so therefore they weren’t going to pay for the labor, only the parts. The labor is the most expensive thing! I mentioned the past lawsuit and this and other threads. Also they aren’t going to guarantee that it won’t happen again, and almost suggested that it WILL keep happening. They came across that it is no big deal and these things happen with heavy use and it’s never going to look as good as day one. LOL. Ridiculous. We have had it for a year and don’t use it very often. They say since it’s porcelain, that’s what happens. Are you kidding me!?!? A classic case of gaslighting. There are huge cracks/gouges and I have never used the self cleaning feature (their first question for some reason) or scrubbed/scraped it. Had I known, I never would have bought this oven. Cheap ovens for 1/6 the price look better after a year…. They also said it’s safe to have the blue flakes as it’s only porcelain, a natural material, and they have never heard of it getting into the food. HA HA HA…I was in disbelief. Laughable!

We are in the early stages of building our first house. So the plan is that -- for now -- your college student gets the basement room with privacy, and your 10-year old is near you ... in the future, when the college student is out of the house, your X-year old child goes downstairs to the basement? That's a good plan. I don't know autism well, but is an exterior exit in the basement okay? I mean, is wandering out of the house likely to be an issue? Thoughts on the downstairs bedroom /bathroom: - It's a very practical design -- simple shapes, inexpensive to build - I'd make the walk-in closet into a room-wide reach-in. Two reasons: You've drawn the closet 6' wide ... clothing needs 2' on each side, so you'll only have 2' of walking space, which is do-able but hardly ideal. Second, as drawn, you'll have 6' + 4' (10' total) of hanging space in this walk-in closet ... whereas, the reach-in closet will give you 13' total of hanging space AND more space in the bedroom. The little alcove looks kind of useless. A bedroom this big will be great for an adult child. - In the unfinished space, you have another little alcove ... I don't see any purpose ... these alcoves seem to be "I had these spaces and had no idea what to do with them" spots. Since you're building that space anyway, I'd enlarge the bathroom. Instead of a tiny shower, open it across the back of the room ... stick with a single sink, but make it a large, comfortable vanity, and add a linen closet next to the door. This still isn't a fancy bathroom, but the added size will be nice. - You could open a second bathroom door between the bedroom and the bathroom, though since only one child at a time will live in the basement, privacy likely isn't a big issue. - I like that you have a window at the top of the stairs ... light on the stairs will be appreciated. - I also like that you've placed the kitchenette at the foot of the stairs. It'll be more convenient than carrying food down the stairs AND across the basement. - Overall, I think you have too much square footage allocated to bedrooms and not quite enough to closets and bathrooms. My husband cuts grass for a living. He comes in with grass all over his clothes, so we really would like a laundry/mud room area he can come straight into from outside. Question: Where will he enter the house after work? Front door? Back door? I think you're missing the mark here: you need to get the master bedroom, bathroom and laundry closer together ... and then provide an exterior door into these spaces. Without knowing where he'll enter, I wonder about flip-flopping the master and upstairs bedrooms ... this would allow the alcove to become an outdoor entrance to the master bedroom. Two notes on the master bath: a vanity this size cannot support two sinks ... yes, you can squish in two tiny sinks, but that means no drawer storage at the vanity, and two people won't be able to use them at the same time ... none of that's what a storage-starved family wants. I think all your bathrooms need more storage: an 18" - 24" linen tower provides an amazing amount of storage. We would like 2 bedrooms on the main floor. We have considered a master on the main and 2 in the basement, but at this time, we aren’t comfortable having our youngest on a separate floor. Your basement is nicely laid out for a potential second bedroom in the now-unfinished space. Could you do this instead: For now, place your office downstairs in the basement ... and give your son a small bedroom near yours ... then when he's ready to move farther away from you, switch the rooms. Below is our sketched up plan. I have read some posts here that speak of a “fat” plan. I think that means the inside is going to be dark??? I think this one is that way but not sure how to compromise on our porches and get things lighter. The way you've drawn your plans, yes, you're keeping light out of your house. You want a big screened porch ... does it have to be across the back? Couldn't you get the same effect by putting it on the SIDE of the house? It'd still be accessible from your family room and kitchen. How do you envision using these porches? What you want to do with them is everything. The best naturally light-filled homes are 1-1.5, no more than 2, rooms deep, including covered porches and garages. :-) So, redesigning the house so that it is 1 room deep + porch will get you a fantastically well-lit interior. Keep in mind that porches ARE "rooms". By the time your home is built, your 10 year old will be 11 or 12. Do you really want to live with a compromised master suite with a 15 year old living across the hall? Yes, I'm caught between this thought ... and the idea that I do not really know an autistic child's needs. I'd like the house better ... and it would be most practical ... to use the two basement bedrooms and the one bathroom for the children, and to stretch the master across the left side of the house. They could also reduce the overall square footage with this concept. Consider this: The above (though poorly executed) shows how -- without the second main floor bedroom -- you could put in a half-bath, which would serve the master bath AND guests ... then a room with a good-sized vanity and shower ... a closet and laundry. Your husband could enter the laundry room directly from the front porch, then would have immediate access to the shower and clean clothes. Note that this gets you a small coat closet by the half-bath. You could flip-flop the half bath and shower room easily. Every one of these rooms could have nice windows. Do note that too many doors are squished together in this little hallway. This could be done better. And it's less square footage ... look how much I chopped off the edge of the plan. I was thinking we could do 2 or 3 windows over the sink with an eyebrow window above those. Also, I’m really concerned about the shallow but long kitchen. I don't like the kitchen's window plan at all. I agree that the kitchen lacks proportion. A bigger kitchen isn't better -- and at 20', you'll constantly be walking back and forth, and a 20' kitchen will be extremely expensive (cabinets and countertops are one of your most expensive interior items). I'd cut this kitchen down significantly ... add a pantry for storage ... and add a real dining area. Last thought -- office space: I understand your desire for a small office. Instead of adding an expensive bump-out on the side, I think you could put it in the alcove in the bedroom ... if you flip-flop the two main-floor bedrooms. Also, consider that YOU may not need a big office, but you're also saying that your special needs child may live with you as an adult. He will work, and with more and more people working at home, he may need a full-fledged office. Will you be able to carve this out in the basement? Actual last thought: Do note that you have a pinch-point at the foyer entrance; that is, a point where the stairs and the edge of the kitchen force everyone into a little bottleneck.