Q. I'm living with my "rich uncle" for about a year. It's a long story, please don't ask. He has put me in charge of setting up the sound system in his new home theater. He built a 25' x 30' addition on to the house exclusively for this. There is a large fireplace on the back wall. He runs a construction firm and a company that cleans the grease out of the hoods on fast food joints so he is kind of loaded. But he is also very busy. He set the budget at: "See if you can keep it under eight grand." As I have electronics experience I don't think I will have a problem hooking components up but when it comes to home audio my expertise is limited and my knowlege is dated. I have a nice stereo, a Vector Research receiver, JBL speakers and a Sony CD player so I guess that, and my experience in the Army Signal Corps qualifies me in his eyes as an audio expert. However I got that stuff a long time ago and I know most everything has changed in home audio / home theater or whatever they call hi-fi these days. Uncle has gotten himself a 60" (I think, - it's huge) TV, a baby grand piano and that's about it. Quite frankly he could just hire someone to do this but I'm pretty sure he is trying to prove something with me and keep me busy. He likes to have musician friends over and likes to listen to classic rock, jazz and classical so this will be a music system as well as a home theater system. Getting to the basic question; what are some brands to favor? What are some brands to avoid? I did some reading and I discovered 5.1, 7.1 and now see that there is a 9.2. I know what the numbers represent but when will the escalation stop and how many channels are enough? I forgot. People don't read the whole question here. We have the TV and the video components have already been ordered. I'm in charge of the AUDIO gear only.

A. Good question. I wish I had that kind of money and a room like that. Lemme think about this. I'll get back to you. In the mean time: Bose,.. Haha! With this kind of situation you are thinking separates. Total separates. No receiver. Separate power amps and a pre-amp. Lets start at the speaker end. Velodyne has always been regarded as the king of subwoofers. Here's a site about high-end subwoofers: http://www.audiofederation.com/catalog/subwoofers/index.htm As for the full range speakers you have to audition them and trust your ears. It's like a car. I'd never buy a speaker without test driving it. Personally I would use electrostatic speakers for the fronts. Martin Logan and Quad have been the big name for years. B&W, Paradigm, NHT, Energy, Hsu Research, Definitive Technology, Linn are a few reliable brands. One of the keys to speaker brands is that they should specialize in speakers. Yamaha makes decent speakers (and receivers, pianos, motorcycles etc,.) but they definitely aren't high-end. Bose is a joke for people with tin ears who don't like to look at anything that looks remotely functional. Go to a high-end home theater / audio shop and audition. As far power amps I like Haflers. They are very clean sounding amps and very durable. However again, you should audition them. If you really want to score brownie points with audiophiles pick up some vintage amps and have them reconditioned. Phase Linear, SAE, Marantz. The Marantz 250 is one of my favorites. Pre-amps too need to be auditioned but I don't see how you could fail with a B&K. I have the Reference 30 and it's sound is flawless to my ears. Marantz, Parasound and others also make preamp / processors and I'm sure the shops that you visit will have an assortment. Personally I can't see a need for more than 7.1 and even at that 5.1 was probably enough. I think they are doing overkill in a big way with 9.2 and as stated only one brand offers it. While you are spending you uncle's money on all this stuff, don't forget power distribution. A good stable source of AC current is rather important as I'm sure you know as you were in the Signal Corps (See... I read the whole question). I have a Belkin power conditioner but I suspect that there are preferred brands used by the HT geeks. Ask a salesman. One other thing: You might want to consider the acoustical treatment of the room. It's a big part of any sound system. Too much much reflective area, like bare walls and big windows can do nasty things. Do some research into acoustical treatments for home theaters.

Q. What process must one follow to go about having a custom home built? And in your opinion do you believe having a custom home built will create more headaches (and be more expensive) than buying a home directly from a builder ?

A. There are plenty of reputable custom home builders out there , ask at your local lumber yard(not home depot or Lowe's) for recommendations. In my opinion a custom home is the way to go. It's your home ,for your life ..design it, insulate it, heat it, cool it,wire it, plumb it to suit you and your family's needs.If you want to save the extra money each month... drive a Honda.

Q. She is 87 senile doubly incontinent and cannot feed herself, she is having care visitors 4 x daily in her own home. But social services wish to remove her to a care home to be assessed for 4 weeks, then move her yet again into a permanent home. She is quite happy in her bed at home and I have stated my wish for my mother to die at home rather than face a lot of upheaval.

A. If someone is with her around the care I think it would be appropriate as long as she is getting skilled care at home. In the end social services may prevail as they have a lot of clout.

Q. In the Philippines, it is not common for most families to entrust the care of their elderly to nursing home facilities. But there are a few nursing home facilities who offer services that feel almost like home.

A. I know there's a nursing home, in Metro Manila, I think it's located in Marikina Heights. The Order of Ministers of the Infirm, the Camillians, manage this nursing home that also offers adult daycare services. The name's Camillus MedHaven Nursing Home -- the place is quite large, and it's just in the suburban area. The staff are all professionals, and I heard they even have resident gerontologists. Check this out

Q. A place were you can buy pieces or segements, (like walls and roof, that are already put together for you so i could a home addtion to my home. i live in mass. thankyou

A. 84 Lumber for one and Home Depot maybe and good Lumber Co.

Q. My husband and I are are looking to buying a home in the next 5 years probably...give or take some! We want a custom home so I was wondering...Ive heard of all these home building softwares out there but I wanna know which one is the best one to use? About how muh is it and what features does it have that makes it good

A. AutoCAD is the only one I know of but you have to learn that tuboCAD, i think it's called, is getting put on computers now days 3d home, or something like that, was one of the firsts and easiest

Q. There is a home that is for sale by owner...they added a sunroom with a seperate airconditioner unit...they are saying the home is now 2500 sq ft. But tax records show the home is 1780 sq ft. If I buy this home will they see the new sq ft and tax me on it?

A. Yes, either that or make you tear it down, it sounds like the addition is not legal.

Q. If I pay cash for a new home that I'm buying from a custom home builder will I still have all the regular fees at closing? There is no realtor involved with the sell.

A. Look at your contract. Either way, you'll want title insurance. It's a nice thing to know you'll always have legal claim to the property your home is on.