D.J.

We used CHWF Inc, and they did a very nice job. Price was fair. Everyone comments about how good they look. I think this co. was an old recommendation from Flipper.

Get someone who is a licensed drainage engineer. We did, and he worked wonders. Unfortunately, I've lost the card for the guy we used.

Thanks, do you remember about how much it cost you to get an evaluation and plan drawn up?

We would like to fix some minor drainage problems in our yard, but we don’t know how to go about doing this. Part of the yard is mysteriously marshy all of the time, which could be a leaking pipe or messed up old drain, and areas of the yard pool with water after a rain. It seems that it would be wise to have an engineer write up a survey and do a plan for us, but this might be expensive, and we would have to pay for that before even getting a contractor to do the work. What is the process that most people follow to fix these problems in Houston? I’ve seen a lot of landscaping company ads that list “drainage” as a service, but I don’t know if it’s smart to hire someone without an engineering background to do this work. With as much rain as we can get in Houston, I wouldn’t want any changes to screw up and flood my house or my neighbor’s house. Does anyone have any advice for the best process to follow? Companies you could recommend? Appreciate your responses. Thanks in advance.

Same here (it seems the girl preferred it too). You just know they're going to be unhappy in a few years once the reality sets in that they have no outdoor space. They obviously have the money if they decide to move though.

I agree - seemed like she had some taste in looking at homes with character and had a better sense of quality and longevity. The guy just seemed nervous and drawn to the new, flashy stuff. It's too bad she couldn't persuade him. They'll probably live there three years and then move on to whatever is "new" then.

That has nothing to do with the new forum software. I made a change to the www.thehaif.com domain name to make it faster and more reliable. It will take a couple of hours for your ISP to catch up to the changes.

The main site is actually http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/ and is what you should have bookmarked. TheHAIF.com is merely a shortcut.

So "ugh" yourself.

Sorry, I know you're doing the best you can. For the record, I don't use "thehaif.com." I'm old school and type in "www.houstonarchitecture.com" each time. All of the forum links on that main home took me to the parking lot place, but it seems to be working now. I'm not sure if that info. is helpful to your troubleshooting, but I hope so!

Ugh. All of the forum links from the main site are directing me to http://www.directnicparking.com/. The new site really frustrates me.

I agree with Random. There aren't many cities in the U.S. where you can live affordably so close to rich cultural areas. The quality of restaurants and variety of cuisine here are amazing. And the people are courteous and friendly, which goes a long way. Since I'm not originally from here, I do feel depressed - or maybe embarrassed - each time I fly in and drive home from the airport. It reminds me of the sprawl, the billboards, the concrete, the haze - just the general unattractiveness of the city. I think, "God, why on earth do I choose to live here?" But I would have a hard time giving up my life in Houston. Plus, even after 10+ years, the lack of zoning continues to offer uniqueness that can't be found anywhere else. Where else can you drive down what appears to be a generic residential street and find such a strange range of architecture, history, cafes, stores, bars ... It's a real-life dreamscape.

You may want to check out Willow Meadows, Meyerland or surrounding neighborhoods. Convenient to freeways, Galleria, downtown, med center, Rice/Village area - lots of shopping and restaurants nearby at Meyerland Plaza, too. Homes are a bit larger with nice lots sometimes. You may need to devote some elbow grease to stay under $300, depending on the neighborhood. School zoning ranges from fair/good to excellent.

http://search.har.com/engine/dispSearch.cfm?mlnum=56399484&backButton=Y&Address=4727%20Omeara

http://search.har.com/engine/dispSearch.cfm?mlnum=4435009&backButton=Y&Address=5034%20Cheena%20Dr

We've used Vonage for about 1 1/2 years and haven't had any problems. Overseas calls to Europe and Asia are good quality and cheap, and they have some nice services. Monthly cost is OK.

Flipper, what color stain and what type of finish did you use on the wood floors? They look great.

We've been with Startex for about 2 1/2 years now and have been pleased. The best rates are usually posted early spring, but I think that's true with all of them. Anyway, I did a two year contract and now we're on another two year. I think it's about 11 cents. I like that I usually get through to a real person pretty quickly when I call, and the call process - set up or change service, etc. - is pretty fast. When we've had problems, like after Ike, Centerpoint handles everything, just like with everyone else. Good luck!

Our immediate need is only about 70 sq. ft. I don't know how much tiling labor normally costs, so I don't know how much to expect to pay. We would welcome bids to do the whole thing (about 250 sq.ft.) to see if we could afford it all. We don't have tile selected yet but have some ideas. Thanks for your help.

We need to tear out an old linoleum floor, either entirely or partially, and want to put down some type of tile. We may be able to get out the linoleum ourselves, but we're not sure about what is under it. Anyway, does anyone have a good tile person? We're on a tight budget, but this floor may expand into the kitchen immediately or in the future, so we definitely want a quality job. Thanks for your advice.

Booze cruze sounds good to me. What are your thoughts on Silestone? Expensive but low-maintenance. Saw bamboo counters over the weekend on TV. Sort of interesting. Are wood countertops tacky or is the wood/butcher block look timeless?

Greaser, what alternatives do you suggest? We'll be in the same boat soon. Thanks.

Thanks, I've always wondered. It's hard to tell the order of things from renovating shows. I figured the floors would come last since they probably get messed up during the work, plus all the sanding dust, etc.

Do you normally do the interior paint first or refinish the hardwood first? Or does it not matter? Thanks!

Thanks for the reply. I drove through there with him this weekend, and I agree with you about the neighborhood closest to the loop. The other areas seem to be nicer. The Randall's strip (I think it's called Meyer Park) didn't look that bad, but if just a few more places went out of business, it would seem a little abandoned.

He may buy in this area but is still unsure. Someone at his work told him that many families send their kids to private school. That area may top out in terms of resale at some point because why not pay just a little more (as prices are rising) to the west or north and use good public schools?

Anyway, thanks again for your opinion.

Try Fredlyn Nut Company on Westpark. It's a local business with quality products and customer service. They might be able to help you out.

http://www.fredlyn.com

A friend is looking at houses in this area, but I'm not much help as I'm unfamiliar with this part of town. Does anyone have any input as to pros/cons? He asked me about the Randall's shopping center at Bellfort and Post Oak, but I didn't know much about it. He is worried that it may bring down property values or increase crime. (Apparently much of the strip is empty.) Are there plans to renovate? Also, he said there are some industrial park buildings and rundown apartments scattered nearby, maybe closer to Stella Link. Are these an issue to those who live there? Thanks in advance.

I always use Blackmon Mooring. They show up on time and do a good job.

http://www.blackmonmooring.com/

Homeowners Hope to Shame Bad Bars

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=...&id=6651841

When it rains it pours. We are seeing condensation in one of our double-paned windows. Does anyone know if you have to replace all of the glass? It seems like you would be able to remove it, dry it out and then reseal it? If anyone has experience with this, I would appreciate recommendations for companies that do this. Thanks again.

Thanks a lot, I'll give them a call.

Can anyone recommend a wood refinisher? We need to fix an area of our wood floor, about 2 feet by 3 inches where wear and tear/water, etc. have started to discolor the finish and buckle the wood a little. We're hoping it doesn't need to be cut out - maybe just sanded and stained to match. Thanks in advance.