Always nice when you can save on materials.  

It is really helpful to receive books and system referrals because you can waste a lot of time reading mediocre material.

You could consider a Land Contract, which retains an ownership interest on your part.

Any deviation from in-kind materials will need to be approved by the historic commission.

We will land at roughly 26k in materials for this project… a 14’x26’ garage.

Also, in terms of flooring for the storefront what material would be best in terms of money and quality? 

You may pay a bit more and make a little less, but playing the long term game is key in real estate.The types of structures could be lump sum (one price) or cost plus (meaning you pay the cost of material and labor plus a flat fee—more of an open-book model).I see some investors who want to pay for ALL the materials, which is excellent for the investor (more control of finishes & cost) and general contractor (if they are getting paid well).  

You are not in a financial position to fund a long drawn out legal battle nor pay a significant retainer to an attorney3.

This rapid lease-up highlights the strong demand for quality office space in the region.Germany: Alstria Office REIT Faces Pressure to Maintain REIT StatusAlstria Office REIT, owned by Brookfield, must increase its public float from 4.6% to 15% to retain its REIT status.

I'd need to go to about 250K with 10/15K in materials to get around 320K and that's pushing it.