@Eli Altman,I don't know about the additional soft and hard cost of the build-so I'll let someone else answer that one.

I know can do it but the time, effort, and soft costs just (unless it's a huge issue) don't make it worth the time.  

I probably (because I can be soft and non confrontational...which isn't a good thing in this business), would've subsidized half of what the increase was.

Mind it, that her personality is gentle and soft spoken; and she still did it.

But it would be for the "soft" reasons like I could visit "free" and so could family, we could invite friends, blah...blah...blah. 

What's plan B if the RE market goes soft?

They also use ResidentVerify so I know that when an application is screened that they are performing a criminal bg investigation on each prospective tenant along with a soft credit inquiry so I have everything I need to make informed decisions with very little effort.

For the soft costs, vacancy, maintenance (including capex) you should always plug in your own numbers based on what you believe to be reasonable costs over time. 

The houses that are affected most are those in the path of the water, often built on the banks of a river or on "soft land".  

The design process can take 4-8 months depending on your feedback and the level of detail required, and permitting can take another 2-6 months (depending on the jurisdiction processes and amount of projects they need to review).Consider all the soft costs- surveys, civil engineers, architect, structural engineers, geotechnical engineers, permitting, etc., and have your architect consult with a MEP engineer after you get the survey back to ensure you have enough electrical service and water/sewer supply for the size of the home.