There is no way in the world that it COSTS $400-450 per square foot for a builder to construct a house in Telluride or anywhere else in the Rockies unless it is made of solid gold and you throw the price of the land into the equation.

In the recent crazy real estate market (that is now in the process of a total meltdown including Telluride and every other resort in this country), builders might have gotten $400 per square foot from folks crazy enough to pay that price, but it did not COST the builder anywhere near that price to construct. Certainly, it costs more to build in Telluride than building in more easily accessible areas, but it sure ain't $400-450 per square foot. Materials are not anywhere near 4 to 5 times more expensive in T'ride than elsewhere and labor isn't either. The Home Depot in Montrose will certainly sell lumber and any other home building supplies for prices that are relatively close to prices they sell for in other parts of the country. No way, no how given market economics that it costs 4 to 5 times more to build in T'ride than elsewhere.