Building dept. for Unincorporated Arapahoe County is apparently overwhelmed and understaffed.

Pull a building permit.

Quote from @MarieChele Porter: I highly recommend you join the California Apartment Association.

Purchase price: $142,000,000 Cash invested: $25,000 Syndication deal on a large multifamily apartment complex in the Phoenix area15.5% IRR1.98x multiplier exit in 2-5 year time frame

Also, what is the age of each building and the major systems?

End of the day though you can still buy existing homes there for less than replacement costs and until that changes you will continue to have very little competition from new builds.

An architect and a GC are only a part of the formula.

Make your own signs if you are determined to do this.I'm not a fan of open houses for a lot of reasons, so understand their reluctance to do it, but lots of agents want to do it, so normally in our office the experienced agents don't do them, but there are lots of new agents who have been told this is a good way to build their business.   

My plan is to essentially by up the scrap lots left in newer subdivision neighborhoods by big developers, build sub 2,000 sqf single family homes, and market them between 200,000$ and 300,000$.

In Charlotte there were many construction cranes, indicating active building going on there.