In either case, the differential is not astronomical. 

I agree old windermere is not much but the prices there are also astronomical.

I called traditional plumbers and their rates were astronomical and primarily focused on copper plumbing which we had problems with. 

the cost of repair service is astronomical (twice the cost of utah)...now maybe my tenants are getting taken but 400 to fix a gas fireplace, 400 to fix an ice maker in the fridge...the list goes on and on.  

I've received quotes from the dedicated waterproofing companies and they were astronomical in my opinion for what it is.  

Maybe its me or the way I'm phrasing what I need when talking to insurance agents but it seems astronomically difficult to find loss insurance for a vacant property in DC.

I thought maybe $1mil, but even the cost to make it livable would be astronomical, so I put that one in the pipe dream folder along with being a Princess.

We do a lot of work in flood zones and from what I've heard regarding "stilts"(we call them pilings) is you're looking at 20-30k extra over a traditional slab with a crawl space....Most of our footings are within a couple feet of sea level so we've never needed pilings but if you're indeed that deep you defintiely can't pour a footing on top of muck.....The other concern is flood insurance - the lower your first floor elevation the higher the flood insurance - I'd imagine if your first floor is under 10' the insurance would be astronomical.....your best bet is to talk to an engineer, get a survey, and go from there.

I have a 6-plex that got astronomical bills last winter.  

Having a general idea of what things cost will allow you to recognize a reasonable quote by your contractor from an astronomical quote.