23109VC your rationale sounds quite good. I dislike 2 stories as well, there is a glut of them relative to the aging population . You got the things covered that matter to you. Good Job.
On the topic of what it costs to build these tract homes. I would be suprised to find that the builders can do it for less than $80-$100/ sq.ft depending on upgrades. I am just making an educated guess. I don’t know what the lots/infrastructure cost them. As far as owner builder or spec houses $125-$150/sq.ft+site work for similiar housing would be very reasonable in this area. Custom is higher. $200 sq.ft is a number I have frequently heard for replacing the houses from the cedar fires. That includes demo and site preparation.This is all ballpark for good but not exceptional houses.