Engine will run a LONG time if properly serviced. Transmission will typically run 100k to 150k so you will need to plan a new tranny soon. That will probably be your biggest expense. The other minor things can add up if you try to keep this vehicle in like new condition. I have had good luck with a 97 truck it now has over 337k and is only on its third transmission. Lots of little things have happened along the way most have been repaired some have not. I guess the key here is not to expect to much from a vehicle. kinda like the old Harley Davidson motorcycle repair guy told his customer that kept returning his new bike for repairs and complaining about it, he told him "Son you gotta kinda look at it this way, little babies die every day, and GOD made them!" So what do you really expect from a car truck anyway?

I've been doing some reading, lots of reading, LOL, and came across an article saying that home designs like ours, two stories with a vaulted entryway and staircase are a nightmare for HVAC. It recommended two systems: one up, one down for real comfort and said it was really more economical than a two-zone single system. We've thought about putting a second unit in the attic, but it's something that probably has to wait until the house is paid off. In the meantime, I've been thinking and finally realized that there is a place we could put another supply duct. It would be on the far side of the door into the garage. The current duct trunk is on the other side of that door. It's right above the closet in the guest room, so we should be able to go through there and straight up to the attic--hope the attic joists aren't in the way. The run would be about 10"-11" x 24" in size and approx 58' long with 2 right angle turns. We're thinking it could handle about 900 CFM and hoping we could take our master bedroom and vaulted ceiling bath off the current duct and supply them with that. Our bedroom gets a little, but our bath is at the end of the current run and gets basically no air. With our master suite off the main trunk, I'm pretty sure the other upstairs rooms would have plenty. Does that sound like a duct that would work? Hubby is also thinking that if we did it with ductboard, he'd be able to do most of it himself, except for the connection to the plenum. He's pretty good with carpentry, plumbing and electrical, but has only worked on a/c in cars. And if I hadn't mentioned it, after measuring our house, we're really around 2,600 sq ft, not the 2,400 sq ft we had thought we had. Sorry, one more thing, if we have 1410 CFM now and add 900 CFM with another duct, going to about 2500 CFM, does that mean we'd need any certain blower size? Or do we just go with what the manual J says, assuming I can find the manual or a tech to do the calcs for us?

$250,000 for a single kitchen? Yeah, that's a stretch. If it had to be used JUST for my kitchen, I could do all the expected things ... plus the attached pantry /laundry ... plus the attached breakfast table ... then perhaps cut a space for a slider /create a new outdoor kitchen ... which would need its own eating area, of course. Still, $250,000 would be hard to spend on JUST a kitchen.

Thanks everyone for your input. I think the 3 contractors/dealers are tired of me asking questions. I've decided to go with the Trane system, 5-ton single stage air conditioner 15 SEER, 120k BTU 2-stage variable speed 96% efficient furnace. The HVAC contractors are pretty much the same in this area, the one I signed up with is a big outfit and has good reviews. My house was custom built 23.5 years ago, the Tempstar system was sized for the 2,900 sq' main level (I knew nothing about building a house, there wasn't any HGTV back then). The system has served me well, the current furnace uses a 24" x 24" filter, I think they told me the new one will use a 20" x 25" x 1" filter (will believe it when I see it). The current duct work should do fine, I hope. I had an emergency repair in January when we had an unusual cold spell of 10 degree days for 10 days straight and the exhaust blower died. Cost $891 for the emergency repair (luckily they were able to locate a replacement exhaust blower the next day). The Tempstar dealer was worthless, they told me my furnace is too old, that they don't make those parts anymore and other parts will start to fail too. It was the Trane dealer who did the emergency repair at night and returned the next day with the replacement part (they repair all brands of HVAC). They will be the one to replace my HVAC system. Figured that it's time to have a new HVAC system for peace of mind. 100k BTU furnace supposedly will keep the house at 72 F when temperature is 16 F outside, that the numbers they use for Asheville, NC for sizing the furnace. However, there are days in winter that temperature can dip below 10 F or less, and with climate change you just never know. The 120k BTU 2-stage variable speed with ECM furnace will keep the house above 72 F even if it is 0 F outside (that's what my Tempstar furnace has been doing all these years). Anyway, I put 50% down already, just waiting for the install. This Trane dealer will also cut 2 holes in the main return duct in the lower level to put in 2 returns. The main return and supply lines are both at the ceiling of the lower level, bisecting the length of the finished basement - both lines easily accessible. They will charge me time and material for the 2 "returns", shouldn't take that long to cut 2 holes in the main return duct to insert the return registers.