[mreid]

Slightly off topic, but important. My wife and I are building a summer home on a lake in NY. You won't have the NY related issues we are having: protecting the lake from runoff, protecting any trees over 8" in diameter, 100' setback from any wetlands, local approval (neighbors) of home plan, and the latest ensuring the long eared bat is not nesting in the area.

Site preparation on raw land can be very expensive. Ours is wooded and perched between a mountain and the lake. We do not have any utilities other than electric and internet/cable at the entrance. Between the well ($8-10k), septic ($12-20k), driveway (1/4 mile, $30k), clearing and grading ($7-10k/acre), electricity ($10/foot), permits, surveying ($5-20k) and other costs you would be surprised how quickly site prep adds up. Spend some time analyzing the entire cost if you haven't already. Be prepared, don't be surprised. A watertight shell may be a small part of the overall project cost.