I always get a little uneasy when I see houses on someone's web site with names, particularly when the names don't have much basis in architectural history. To me, it signals more of a marketing mentality than a knowledge of and focus on architecture and architectural history. It tends to suggest that the designs were developed for repetitious resale, rather than having anything to do with a given family or site. Only a few architect's web sites do this, IMO. Most architects tend to name their projects for their owners or for something unusual and unique about the project or site. In many cases, architects do not have the goal to resale their work, time and again in some sort of universal manner. Just a thought.

Blue Velvet Elvis -- since I live only an hour from you --- here is what I would do. You have a ton of options to have guests -- I would list it as a "guest house" -- contact the University of Iowa (would be great for game weekends) University of Iowa hospitals -- the Chamber of commerce in Kalona -- I would create a cute flyer or brochure and put them in the shops along Rte 1. The Rug Cottage -- Sisters Garden. Rte 1 has been listed at a great route to see fall foilage --- tap into that. Even if you don't serve breakfast -- keep the fridge stocked with some local fruit and cider this time of year. In the winter --- hot chocolate and mulled cider mixes would be nice. Really make it cute -- antique-y -- Iowa -- You have fantastic resources in the area. Also check with Riverside Chamber or Visitor center --- they should be able to put you on a list. Any ?'s -- you can email me directly. Cathy

I bought my first house about a year after college graduation, in a down market. Relocated 3 years later, took forever to sell, got out exactly what I had paid for it because it was still a down market. Swore I'd never buy again unless I was going to be somewhere for at least 5 years. The main reason is that houses are not liquid assets (can take time to sell) and they have high transaction costs (realtor fees, loan origination fees). I broke my rule 2 moves later, because my employer would cover the transaction costs of any future relocations, so that negative went away. It's also very true that maintenance costs add up. Not just stuff breaking, but you have to buy lawn care equipment and you'll want to change things to make it a nicer place to live. If I re-wound my life tape and was in your shoes again, I'd save up enough for the house plus an extra 3-6 months of living expenses, and pay cash for the house. Paying cash will save you a few grand out of the gate, not to mention the interest you'd be paying. And on a $16K house, $3K is a high percentage. Then cash flow the improvements you want to make. Also, look at the neighborhood and get an estimate of what the house could sell for if fixed up. Where I live, the $20K homes are undesirable neighborhoods where all the fixing up in the world won't budge the price more than a few thousand. That's because they're mostly low-end rentals, so your potential buyers would be mostly investors, who look solely at what they can rent it for, not how nice and homey the finishes look. Those neighborhoods have a limited number of people willing to live in them (i.e., those that can't afford anything else), and thus there's a ceiling on the rent they can charge. Now if you're talking about a $20K fixer in a neighborhood of $80K owner-occupied homes, that's a completely different story.

The concern in zone 5 is normally that of getting reliable bloomage. From the sound of your experience with the other mophead, there is a chance that the rebloomers ES and NB may perform as those rebloomers are intended to do. I doubt the shrubs may get 10' in places where winter kill dries out all the stems but, if the stems were not to die and the plant gets more than 6', you could do rejuvenation pruning and cut down 1/3 of the stems in three consecutive years. One concern is that some people in zones 4-5 have had issues with ES not blooming during their whole growing season. The landscaper's phrase 'will not survive winter' actually refers to the fact that in some cold zones like yours, the stems above the ground may dry out and die during winter (unless you winter protect). The roots should stay alive. The dead stems contain invisible flower buds developed on the prior August-September and the buds should usually open in the early Spring. But Winter in your zone will usually kill these stems & buds (unless you winter protect them). On the other hand, since ES and NB are considered rebloomers. They should still develop new growth (stems) from the base in Spring. And when the new stems get tall/old enough, the stems should develop flower buds and these flower buds should open... in mid to late summer. Other hydrangeas that bloom reliably and are not affected by winter kill in Z5 are the hydrangea paniculatas (white blooms that turn shades of pink) and the Annabelle-like hydrangeas. No blues or purples with those though. If you want to try ES & NB, try "baby steps" first to see what happens. I would then buy a Nantucket Blue and observe how it performs. Fertilize once in Spring and do not prune it after the month of June. The next year, buy more NB if all goes well...