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If you wanted to do your own granite countertop install by buying directly from a "granite yard", how much would it cost approximately by sqft?

I understand it's hard to come up with an exact figure without seeing the layout and the shapes it needs to be cut into but let's just at least assume rounded edges?

thanks all for the comments.

Can someone tell me if granite is indeed the standard for most new construction countertops? I was originally going to go with granite but it costs 50/sqft with install. And there isn't anyway to do your own installation unless you use tiled granite. Companies refuse to fabricate it unless you are also planning on hiring them to install.

On the otherhand you can actually order Corian pre-cut to your specifications and it starts at 20-25/sqft.

So my question is, do you think most people consider Corian countertops a step up or down from Granite countertops?

And if you are on a budget, does it make more sense to go with Corian if you feel like you are handy?

kerty9,

I am sorry for your loses but I think once again like I said before you need to think clearly and consider the facts. Everything you just mentioned above is simply wishful thinking at best. But if you take a step back and consider the facts, you will realize there was no way in hell all investors would get paid in full.

Let's break it down (numbers might be a tad off). They had something close to 40mil of business 2005 and close to 60mil in 2006 before getting shut down. That's approximately 100mil they are forced by contract to pay 25% returns on, 25mil.

Thus far though investors have paid there has not been ANY EVIDENCE whatsoever that Pinnacle was actually running a legit business unless you consider selling yourself your own properties a business. So, unless can actually has heard something different, Pinnacle was generating ZERO income for the last 2 years. I don't think you can argue with me on this point, and it's very critical you agree with me on this point.

Assuming you accept the fact Pinnacle had no real business model that generated any legit income besides taking in new investor's money.

They had to payout 25mil + referral bonuses + operating expenses(lease, overhead, utilities) + travel & entertainment...

Where, kerty9, are you telling me this money could have come from? I don't care if investors were getting paid on time, that's not a valid argument. All that shows is that investors were getting paid by new investors, which is exactly how a ponzi works. In sept he stopped taking in new inevestments which meant all his reserves would have dried up. If you really think Gene was going to pay everyone a combined 25mil+, you are living in a dream world. If he had 25mil+ of personal assets you think he would have even started this shady operation in the first place? Just so he can use his own personal assets to pay investors amazing returns? Because his business, once again, was obviously not generating ANY income.

Think about it.

I agree with Taxum.

I feel that all those post from angry investors about how they would have gotten paid if the SEC waited are ridiculous. OK, I understand some are emotional and I don't mean to offend those investors but please consider the macro, bigger picture view and stop thinking about yourself.

Like Taxum said, either they have enough to pay investors out or they don't.

So...let's say they really do have enough money to have paid out all the investors in the next 2 months before they launched their consulting business. Congratulations. If SEC and Haysconsulting do their jobs properly, then that money should still be there to pay out the investors.

If they don't have the money. Then even if the SEC waited two months, the investors on the tailend would have been screwed majorly. Why? Because they DON'T have the money to pay.

So right now you are in the best possible situation given the circumstances. Stop complaining that the Good guys [SEC] moved in. In both scenarios of whether they have the money or not, you have to decide if you want the Bad guys [Pinnacle, Gene] or the Good guys deciding how to pay out. Granted the Good guys get paid from the investors money, but the amount they get paid is a tiny slice of a huge pie, and ultimately they are trying to do it in a much more equitable fashion.

1. What is the average price for a Granite countertop by sqft?

2. Have you ever seen a tiled Granite countertop? Is that just plain weird?

3. Does anyone know any contacts in Chicago that might offer me a good price on about 50 sqft of Black style Granite countertop?

vdini,

I believe it depends on whether you are logged in. If you are not a registered user and logged in, you will not be able to see that section.

I could be wrong but I ran across the same exact issue not that long ago.

Bodhi,

I was trying to be positive :\

I wonder if this was something straight out of the Boiler Room and if everyone at Pinnacle was in on it. It's unfair to to knock the employees at Pinnacle because there is a good chance they didn't know what was going on. The employees I'm referring to are the receptionists, janitors, security guards, etc... as for some of the other people, who knows. Some people are just really good Customer Support people and just spew out lines without understanding the product. You have to consider the fact a bunch of people just lost their jobs because of this and had been an unknowing pawn. I've never been to their HQ so I have no idea how large their workforce is.

Like BiggerPro said, If it's too good to be true... this is just another example of why we need to keep reminding ourselves of that.

Well, now that the proverbial poop has hit the fan. Let's just hope with his assets frozen, after it's all over there is enough to pay back most of the investors. But most must realize that...Pinnacle essentially used the money you used as an investment to pay for all their business expenses (think about all those free plane rides and hotel accomodations) for the last few years without actually generating any actual income that has been documented. So what I'm getting at is that you have to prepare to forget about your 25% returns or even your original investment since it's highly unlikely they has the funds to cover that.

With respect to the current investors, does anyone know with all of their [Pinnacle and Gene] assests frozen, how does that affect the checks that are in that 10 day limbo period? It sounds like the checks might not clear now that it has nothing to draw against? I have no idea about what happens when assets are frozen but I am sure there are a lot of people who would like to know.

Rdc,

I completely agree. If people need to be corrected from false claims then a forum is the perfect way to do it. Even better is when you back up your arguments with references to documents.

I'm assuming you are referring to TMS's allegations that Pinnacle has in fact broken 3 laws.

At this point I don't think either side can definitively say Pinnacle has done anything illegal but the fact remains they [Pinnacle] are being investigated for those allegations and for all intents and purposes, my personal opinion is that given the evidence, it does not look good for Pinnacle.

So I'm not sure who has the legitamacy to correct TMS but I don't think it's anyone on this forum. I think the only person who can do that is the Federal and State authorities since they are the ones investigating and trying to build the case against Pinnacle.

Should/can we argue the allegations that TMS brought up? I think that's fine. In fact I think it's great because everyone of us reading gets a deeper understanding of NASD, SEC, and about all the various licenses and registrations.