Can you go to some bigger local appliance stores (as opposed to big box stores) and see if they have inventory or returns?
I watched several episodes of Flip or Flop yesterday while cleaning windows. Are they bogus? Every episode is the same it seems-- we have never bought such a mess, we did not anticipate this, no other house is listed for this much and then they sell for a huge profit
^^I second that. Sometimes stuff that is not for sale is on sale if you ask. 
I have bought floor samples from Albert Lee this way.
I actually experience the same thing that they do. Buy something and always find many surprises I did not anticipate and bleed a lot more money than I ever expected. When they start out during initial walkthrough the budget always comes up to something like $35,000. I sit there and go ‘NO WAY’, and inevitably the remodel ends up costing $65,000 to $75,000 which is much more realistic. Another thing I notice is that they seem to pay a lot more for tile square footage than I do, but their tile doesn’t look any better than my jobs.
But the part I don’t understand is how they can price above market and they seem to get it most of the time.
Their ‘profit’ numbers at the end of the show are not correct. There are many carrying costs that they are not sharing with the viewing public. First, they sell the houses themselves so they save about 2.5% in real estate commission, as compared to other flippers - so more power to them, good job. But, they are not sharing the property taxes, staging costs (they show the $$ cost for the staging, but they don’t seem to show it in the final numbers), insurance, hard money interest, etc. I know for a fact that they don’t have that much cash so they have a lot of loan investors to get the cash needed. I’m not sure if they don’t show it because it’s complicated and hard to understand, or just to make it look like a higher profit.
It could be that they carry a lot of blanket insurance policies and blanket loans and a lot of the carrying costs are part of their overhead that comes out of that profit later.
Oooo – I didn’t realize it was a 36-inch, and I certainly didn’t realize it was nine years old.
Here’s what I want:
http://www.capital-cooking.com/product/391
I’d go for the model with 6 burners and a 12" grill. And the wok ring. :x
And for wall ovens:
http://www.americanstoves.com/french-door-ovens.html
Sigh.
Lowe’s is having a 10% sale on appliances right now, and they have a number of 30" gas cooktops on their web site for under $800. Use your Lowe’s card and you get an extra 5% off. Using the contractor desk might save you even more.
If you miss the sale (ends 8/4) you can buy 10% Lowe’s coupons for $1 or so on eBay.
Usually Home Depot will match the prices (actually it appears HD is doing 10% as well right now), and if you tell them you have a Lowe’s CC and ask for the discount, you will get an extra 5% off (works for everything! And (at my HD at least) they never ask to see the Lowe’s card, meaning if you don’t have a Lowe’s card you could tell a little white lie… 
)
http://www.lowes.com/pd_480929-2251-FFGC3010QS_1z10e4l__?productId=50371058&Ns=p_product_price
http://www.lowes.com/pd_642852-46-MGC7430DS_1z10e4l__?productId=50273929&Ns=p_product_price
http://www.lowes.com/pd_472459-39047-NGM5055UC_1z10e4l__?productId=50161495&Ns=p_product_price
http://www.lowes.com/pd_394729-83-JGP333SETSS_1z10e4l__?productId=3762887&Ns=p_product_price
Yes, I have quite a stash of the Lowe’s 10% coupons in my purse. I use them both at Lowe’s and HD
Yes, I’m leaning towards the Bosch 500. I can get it at another appliance store for $720
Not to complicate things further…
About the cooktop Consolation posted, I definitely wanted knobs in front rather than on top (and got them). If you can manage it, Coralbrook, it’s a nice benefit.
The Bosch is $720 right now at Lowe’s, and you should be able to get an extra 5% off with your Lowe’s card.
Regarding knob placement, knobs on top maintain an uninterrupted look to the facade of cabinet/counter edge, so I’d prefer that option rather than knobs on front as long as there’s sufficient burner space on top (as it looks like there will be with the options you’re considering).
What about this Dacor? It’s only four burners but I don’t think I’ve ever used all five burners at once on my Dacor cooktop. The continuous grate configuration is really nice for moving things around.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_339389-25685-SGM304S___?productId=3345106&pl=1&Ntt=dacor+cooktop+30+inch+gas
I have knobs on top. Never again. If there is a bigger than normal pan and you want to turn heat down, you have to move pan…and that knob is hot! I seem to spill right on and around knob. Last stove had knobs on front and it was never an issue…
I don’t think it’s an issue at all for coralbrook’s flip. The brand is most important, not the knob placement. If one is redoing one’s own kitchen, then of course.
gosmom, I’m sure it depends on the brand and model. The knobs on my Dacor don’t get hot at all.
The knobs on my Thermador cooktop are on the top, to the right of the burners. I like that arrangement. If I had little kids, I’d be concerned with them reaching the knobs in the front of the stove. Probably not an issue for CB’s empty nester house!
I’ve had 2 sets of Dacor cooktops and ovens over the past 25 years- never had any problems with either ovens or cooktops
As I said, cooktops are like hammers. There is little that can go wrong. Mainly, it is the buner design and the looks that matter. I think both Bosch and Dacor have plenty of “brand name snobbery” for this flip!
Ah, but what I want is a rangetop, not a cooktop. Significant different in size, power, design, and price.