Great question. It depends upon a few things: one is location (to build in Los Angeles is going to cost more than building in Austin). We are in San Marcos, which is usually 5-15% less than building in Austin. In this area we have found that it costs a minimum of $70-80 a sq. ft. to construct the shell of a home. The remaining amount varies by your selection of finishes, appliances, and plumbing fixtures. This home was constructed for just over $100 per sq. ft. in San Marcos. In Austin, that would have cost around $110-115 at the time. From conversations with my colleagues in Austin, I think you should probably count on $120-130 for a "mid-range" finish out. One thing to keep in mind, these numbers work as an estimate for houses under about 2700 sq. ft. When the house is larger, then the cost per sq. ft. goes down because there are so many sq. ft. with nothing in them (think of a really large living or game room). Conversely, the price goes up per sq. ft. as a project gets smaller. A bathroom remodel might end up costing $230-300 sq. ft. because of the finishes, hardware, and plumbing fixtures. If you have additional questions, feel free to contact me. Hope this helps.

Thank you so much for the info! This helps indeed.

Really nice looking home with views to match. So if you are comparing SM to Austin, what neighboring city could be 10-15% less than SM? :) Good job on this property - will keep you in mind.