You guys have been a great help so far, as I'm sure you can tell, I'm not very hi-tech savy. Let me ask you this: If you were in my situation, what would you do? Is this something that could be fixed? And at what cost? Can you come over? LOL! Just trying to figure out where to start...
1. Being an old guy who is still techno geekish, I would try and salvage, only because it sounds like Home Base Pro is so heavily entwined in the house it might be as much problem and expense to divorce the two as to try and salvage the system.
2. Probably, but how much time and money you have to throw at it is the answer.
3. See #2
4. Doubt it, mom won't let me cross road by myself. Where are you at? We might be neighbors and not know it although I live in the middle of an Indiana corn field (sorta).
Camelot, this may be easy and cheap if you get very lucky, here is what I would do if in your situation.
1. Try and find the original contractor though the original owner or the neighbor who continually saw the "Bob's Home Automation and Bait Shop" van parked outside the house.
2. Depending on the location of this estate, check yellow pages for home automation and security companies within 20 miles and call each one asking if they ever customized the home.
3. Scour the home for anything, any paperwork indicating automation contractor.
4. Contact selling realtor who may know more details.
5. It sounds like the house was built for Home Base system so do you know the original construction contractor? (realtor may know).
If I hit brick walls at every turn I would take a weeks vacation and, I being technical, would try a trace every wire on Home Base to get a picture of how entertwined it is. I might even spend 300 bucks and buy HAL taking a big chance that I would be able to connect to Home Base and get it to talk to me. Truthfully, I would be having fun.
Unfortunately you would probably not consider it fun so you might consider calling in a HVAC contractor to at least get the furnace and floors working. Try and find a honest contractor because right now you will look like fresh meat to a shark. Most X10 wall switches have local control so I would continue using them unless there was lights I could not control and that would require an electrician so again try and use someone you know.
You could also put classified add in local newspaper advertising for someone who knows Home Base Pro equipment. Do the same in the various internet user groups dedicated to home automation. Brian H can probably supply more user groups names than I. I just frequent the X10 forum, and Cocoon tech.com.
Brian H do you know if Robert Bass is still with us? I think he used to sell Home Base.
Again good luck.