Nothing at all impressive about them. They appear to be a builder grade option at best.

We are about to break ground on our forever home. We have saved up enough to build it out of our pocket, but the wife insists on windows with a black exterior. Any recommendations on what brand would be the best bang for our buck?

Marvin Essential or Elevate, depending on wood interior. They are both fiberglass.

What are your thoughts on Andersen or PlyGem?

What series Andersen? PlyGem would not be on my possibility list.

I haven’t researched Andersen supervised you know enough to form an opinion. Are there any particular Anderson windows to stay away from for new construction?

" supervised you know enough to form an opinion "

Why are you surprised? I would get the best window you can for you the budget. I probably would not go with anything Anderson. I would look at a minimum Marvin Elevate or Essentials. If I had the budget Marvin Ultimate's or Kolbe Sterling Heritage.

Sorry, talk to text screwed me up on my reply. It would appear that when it comes to windows, there really isn’t a middle ground? You either buy the cheap builder grade windows, or you spend twice as much for a good one I suppose.

" You either buy the cheap builder grade windows, or you spend twice as much for a good one I suppose. "

There are middle brands (Essential or Elevate). The cheap builder grade windows will cost you more in the long run as they will need to be replaced considerably sooner.