As much as I’d like to live in a custom house, I’m not wealthy enough to have that choice.

Realtors can help find that “perfect” house for you. Just like the fashion consultant can find the “perfect” look for you. But the majority of people could dispense from the extra expense.

Honestly, if you buy a track house, any plan 3R, 4R would do just the same. If you buy a downtown condo, the 10th floor might do just a well as the 13th floor. Personally, I would not pay a big premium for small differences.

But taste is in the eyes of the beholder. I know people who spent a lot of money remodeling their houses with crown moulding, custom paint, tile, even the cabinet door knobs, etc… Suddendly, they think that their house is worth $50k more. If I had to buy such house I’d ask for a 50k price reduction to undo the uglyness.

asianautica is right that for track homes, small differences don’t justify the big premiums. If you have resale value in mind, the only thing that really matters is price per square foot.