Scott,

Thanks for the answer. I also looked up some other information and found this, as concerns the $1.00 option:

"This sort of free option, which converts to a payment only if you're successful with a funding body amounts to this:

I've got a lottery ticket; you want me to hand it to you so you can hold onto it until such time as the drawing is held. If it's a loser, well, then you'll give it back to me. And if it's a winner, then you'll make a small payment to me."

I apologize, I forgot to write down the name of the person who wrote this, but while those words drove me to the more conservative side of this decision, your words pulled me back to center. It also speaks a bit to your discussion about final purchase price and being more concerned with that than up front option money.

I'll be doing some more reading and I'm sure this will work out fine. Thanks for the help.
Marc

Hope it works out for you, Marc. Keep us posted on the progress of your project.