After installing the granite, I am now contemplating staining or painting them a different color, perhaps a dark espresso stain OR paint them a beige cream either of which would match the granite.  

What about cream or forest green?

The cream of the crop are side by side units with garages (my opinion) Without knowing the details about your needs, expectations and pricing its hard to say what areas you would consider "good."

His lawyer told him that if she got in front of the judge with that  plastic bag of paint chips, he would get creamed.

@Brian GawronskiBrian - As a newbie to Birmingham I have to ask if you have Johnny Ray's BBQ and tried any of the cream pies? 

The cream of the crop means the properties that will provide our clients with good returns while minimizing the risk as much as possible.

Originally posted by @Jay Hinrichs:Hands down the most risky and complicated of the Real Estate investing models that's is talked about on BP.. if anyone is talking about these on a pod cast and just glossing over the risk  then I think you hit the nail on the head your only getting Blue Sky feed back.You see what I mean Jay with only talking about puppy dogs and ice cream on those podcasts?

An OZ is a good concept and if you got in early you got some cream. 

If you had a choice between Chocolate Cake, or Chocolate ice cream, which would you choose? 

In general:A neighborhood- I would love to live thereB neighborhood- I would be happy to live thereC neighborhood- I would live there if I needed to, but it wouldn't be my first choiceD neighborhood- I would live there if I had no other choiceF neighborhood- I would call everyone I know to find a place to stay in order to not live here"A" neighborhoods are the cream of the crop with the best locations, high end amenities/view right there, in the heart of the city.