I mean for CA, my insurance premiums alone ran 15k before I even landed on my first project, another 5k to acquire the license and entity.

If you want a turn-key project, you will have to pay premium, and that will cost thousands, if you are willing to pay that, then sure, you will have better contractors, some don't even accept any project lower than 100k. 

If you think of it as a savings vehicle you need to know that you'll probably do better taking your life insurance premiums and stacking it under your mattress.

Perhaps things are done very differently in your neck of the woods and maybe that is why our cost of housing is probably less than half of what it is on the west coast. 

You should be able to get a nice job for $1,000 for the concrete, $800 for the labor and about $500 for lumber and essentials = $2300 and to do the job with wood stairs will not be less. 

I am considered (and consider myself) a carpenter, but I learned several other trades before I was even basically good at working with wood.

My best buddy has an amazing forest lodge in the woods on 6 acres just north of Seattle. 4/3 with 3000 sqft.

For example, bamboo is a popular alternative to wood.

The basement was supported by original 8'x8' wood beams.

It will be a lot of fungicide sprays in that area… most of the vineyards in the Hill Country are small for premium production due to high farming costs or are strictly for show.80%+ of Texas grapes are produced up here in the high plains AVA where it’s much easier and cheaper to grow.