Reach out to some builders if you don't believe me.

The builder may also have committed a crime you can report to the police, https://law.justia.com/codes/g...

This is why having builder partners is so valuable to investment real estate.

I guess large, high volume builders could care less and simply float the cash flow irregularities (ie each scope is not an equal job cost for progress- nuts impression) and its just easier- lazier- to crank out contracts faster this way.

The negotiations came into play with the city permitting department, the lenders, and the builder.

@Scott Bartlett in regards to insurance, the proper policy during the build out will be a Builders Risk policy. 

There is so much cash in the market, that 2 to 5 more foreclosures are inconsequential.New home builders are offering us Realtors 1% and 2%, not the traditional numbers.

Atlanta has surplus builders material stores (I have used them before) so that could have given you higher end finishes at bargain prices.As others have said, expecting more because you put more in is a fallacy. 

My husband is a builder/contractor and we plan to build a vacation home in Truckee, CA that we can separate into 3 rentable units but all as part of a single house. 

I bought it directly from the builder before it hit the MLS.