The problem was that the acquisition cost for the part of the country I'd build in was astronomical.

Even if you are under 3 employees, go ahead and get a ghost worker compensation insurance policy and build your experience rating... do not get 2-3 years down the road, hire that third employee, and suddenly get faced with astronomical workers compensation insurance bills.

I was using State Farm for my homeowners insurance, but the quotes they are giving me for flood are astronomical.  

This sounds obvious, but a few months ago, even at astronomically high prices, what was selling well was NICE FINISHES.

I agree those types of returns are unheard of in the US, but having personally spent a lot of time in the Middle East and other emerging markets, they’re not necessarily as astronomical as they might sound.

I do think they will continue to appreciate but not astronomically so.

Astronomical.

I understand prices are going up but for a single-story house under 2000 sf, with drywall already opened up, that seems astronomical.

While you won't have astronomical cash flow, the cash on cash return will still be pretty decent.

I've never read a book touting the astronomical benefits of month-to-month leases . . . .