Glenn,
I am sorry it has turned out this way for you. i certainly enjoyed our time together when we met in Athens, TN. We both had high hopes with the airplanes we flew out of there, didn't we? There has been a lot of good advice offered above, so I won't add to it. From my experience, and only mine, once I fixed the issues caused by poor maintenance in Tennessee (which cost enough to almost buy another commander), my 500B has flown "almost" flawlessly. I love every moment I am in her. I am probably flying 20 to 30 hours a month now...all for fun...and seeing very few maintenance issues. Now, I do take the plane to Darryl at Central Air for her Annual and again, 6 months later, for a look-over. I know you will find the perfect aircraft for your enjoyment and your work. Good luck in the search!
Ed