I am somewhat like Jay.
I like pure white baserock...I don't want it to stay that way mind you, but I like to have 90% of the base rock and a few pieces of live....then watch as featherdusters, seasquirts, worms, polyps and other critters cover my white rock. Its neet to find new hitchikers on your live rock (and I like to have a few choice pieces of that) but to me it is even better to look in your tank one morning and see a purple spot on your white rock, or a couple feathers sticking out of a rock, where there was once no life.
So, if you ask me when you first set up, buy 90% dead base rock...then go out and find the most gorgeous life covered 10% that you have everseen, regardless of how much that 10% cost you, because it will be the base of the life that covers your 90%.
JMHO
Dave