Welcome Dusty and Sierra!
You'll get to chat to us in the Babble Thread. We'll be nice. I can't recall any instance of rudeness on the forum. I agree - everyone makes this forum/guide so great.
Dusty_Monk, the majority of the buildings in Sims 3 are open. Only some are Rabbit-Holes (A rabbit-hole is like the village shoppe. Sims go in, but you cannot see them.)