Hope this helps.I've been doing a lot of research on this the past year, and this is what I've found (I could be wrong of course):Material prices aren't too much different around the country if you shop around for suppliers (there are differences in areas where shipping is more difficult and costly), and labor prices are surprisingly consistent (though there is a range of about 25-35%) if you ignore the high priced areas.Obviously, there will be regional differences in both labor and materials (especially in places where climate, soil and natural conditions impact building codes), but if you ignore places like NY, NJ, California, etc, you'll find that prices generally fall within 25-50%.I see you're in NJ, so you can probably throw the prices I mention out the window, but for a surprisingly large % of the country (especially between the coasts), prices will be pretty consistent within a 25-35% range.All that said, this is a topic I'm very interested in, and would love other data points, as I could be wrong

im with John on investing in college towns though because its important to have schools,jobs hospitals and something about the area interesting like here are some examples. a nearby water feature like beach,ocean,port,major river,lake mountain w skiing, or mild climate.

Climate, Cotton, Copper, Construction.

We have did jobs were we had to put additives in the paint to do commercial work that was time sensitive .That 800# on the back on the can of paint that is for the engineers that will tell you if they cary a paint that will work in that climate

http://www.amazon.com/Weather-Makers-Changing-Climate-Means/dp/0871139359

Lots of them have nice grounds and are in tropical or ocean front climates.

Maybe less in the south east, due to the milder climate.

Depending on your climate, you may be able to get away with landscaping pavers.

+1Can't believe that a lender will call a performing note due in this climate.

However, this rule fails to take into account how well the home is insulated, how well it's sealed and the local climate.