Not really. I have a local testing server (XAMPP) on my PC that I use for my development work. Once I'm done, I just take the files and upload them to the live server (well, for personal sites and niche markets that I trust explicitly). Otherwise I'll convert them using a mass find/replace function. Or use WordPress as a CMS.
Exactly what I do. I have developed a very powerful and full seo'd CMS which I use for everything (I do change the logo)..