Just one other question regarding the rug ring.

Take the time to review the reputation of the local schools, (not the districts), as well: there are a a couple of schools, for instance, that fall into the well regarded Elk Grove school district even though they are located in more rugged, South Sacramento zip codes.I did a zip code analysis for most of the Sacramento region zip codes a few years ago for a hedge fund that was considering getting into the single family market and wanted an unvarnished local opinion on prospective areas.  

Example I got a rug that was customer return and to be honest the store wanted it gone.

yea...i have to say a van is not very manly, but when you pull up to a Wisconsin Home Depot with a light drizzle in March, you will be glad that you can stick 35 sheets of drywall, lumber, nail guns, compressor, tools, etc in the back of your minivan, and its snug as bug in a rug, and out of the elements. 

Out of curiousity, does Justin Ford talk about the dangers of choking on hotdogs and peanuts, tripping over area rugs and extension cords, or falling off a chair while trying to reach the mixing bowl on the upper shelf?

None of those chew on moldings, scratch windowsills, mark the territory on the rug, bite the mailman, ruin the landscaping or chase neighbor kids.Just my 2 cents and good luck in whatever you decide

Fabrics should be performance grade and area rugs poly or wool blends with low piles.

If you want to warm up a living room the tenants can get a great area rug designer on sale for cheap like 99 dollars and throw it down.Make sure with the tiles they are not the slippery kind with no grit to them.Those kinds can get wet and make people slip and fall.Much better to spend about 6 cents more a sq ft and get the cheap kind but they have the grip coating and not the ultra smooth slippery surface.

Do you allow shoddy work to be done on your home, and just sweep it under the rug?

You will not be doing them a favor by making them believe they can afford a place like your yours, only to rip the rug from underneath them a year down the road.