Hi Everyone,

I'm an investor from the Chicago market and have had great success finding quality suppliers and installers for nearly everything other than countertops. In Chicago, the thing is Quartz - Minneapolis seems 70-30 Granite to Quartz. Quartz in Minneapolis is high compared to the Chicago market.

Maple Grove  and Plymouth are our markets and my question is, do you think it's worth it to pay the premium for *Quartz? With the prevalence and abundance of Granite, should I just go for my Super White or Princess White instead?

Lastly, who's your gal, your guy, your go to? Who have you had a great experience that provides great value for the price. I greatly appreciate all your help!

@Chaz Black , it all depends on the property's price point. If you can afford quarts, go with it. There is a white quartz at that's White granite will stain very quickly from oils and wine, so the saving might not be worth it! I like the Nougat especially with dark cabinets.

Call jason Hobbs with Stoneworx. 

 Personally I would go with granite. There's no real advantage to quarts other than the expense is more. 

@Chaz Black ironically Cambria which has a ton of market share is made in Minnesota.  I use granite when appropriate for the same reasons @Todd Dexheimer mentioned. I like http://www.tcdiscountgranite.com/

@Chaz Black -  Like @Lumi Ispas said, depends on your target customer.  If it's a really high end flip, quartz might give enough return to warrant the cost.  However, if it's more of a nice flip or rental, I'd say go with granite.  I recently got granite installed at my place for about $40/sqft, so pretty affordable!  PM me if you want contact info.  

@Eli Sunderland and @Chaz Black , I am getting white quartz installed for $40/sqft. You just have to know what to ask for! If you do chose granite, make sure the colors are dark.

Thank you everyone. This has been very helpful. @Tim Swierczek and @Todd Dexheimer , thank you for your recommendations. I've already made calls in! The hunt continues :)

@Lumi Ispas , I'm getting quartz for $42-45 right now but in Chicago as well. I know it's possible in MN too! 

@Chaz Black would you mind reporting back & tagging me?

First off - stay away from using marble on anything you plan to own.  On a recent flip we used white cararra marble because it went well with the design but that stuff stains very easily.  We had a tool sitting on a section overnight and although the tool wasn't rusty at all it left a rust stain on it.  We were able to remove it after a little work but imagine what a glass of red wine would do...

Granite is typically cheaper, can be had for ~$30-$35 on the low end but the sky is the limit for the price of granite.  Quartz is maintenance free unlike some granite and other stones and I think that is why companies try to charge more for quarts in our area.

I work with a counter top installer and we typically purchase from MSI Stone or Amsum & Ash.  The guy I work with does good work but if he says he will be there tomorrow there is a greater chance it won't happen until a later day.    

I personally like Quartz. For my personal places I pick quartz especially black. It looks so good to me. Granite is nice too but I’m giving the nod to Quartz. Both can be high end rehabs. 

I had this dilemma when I remodeled my kitchen, fell in love with super white I believe but after taking a sample home I put some wine and lemon on the sample and the next morning some nasty stains that I couldn't remove, went with a white quartz and looks great and no stains anywhere! More expensive though.

@Chaz Black I personally use granite is all my projects, I know the big concern with granite is the potential of staining. Just make sure it is sealed probably and if you do have a stain, just use a baking soda pumice recipe and cover with plastic wrap overnight and then wipe up in the morning. Here is one from Angie’s list

https://www.angieslist.com/articles/how-clean-different-types-countertops.htm

I find lighter granite counter tops to be very popular right now, with some light grey tones. (Chicago market) Pairing with either dark cabinets or white cabinets. Depending on your project or budget if there are current cabinets and they are salvageable in a rehab, painting is a low cost option.