Do you want to build a snowman??

After listening to my little girl sing "Do you want to building a snowman?" for the 1,000th time and after spending way too much time watching the mens USA hockey team beat Russia, my mind was fixed on the frozen tundra, I am not sure why and I am not sure what these has to do with building a home but I hope to figure that out by the end of the post.
I have created a few simple steps to take when building a home.

First, figure out a budget of some sort. Figure out what you want to pay each month, and for how long. Most people I build a home plan on staying there for a long time, if that's not you then why do you want to build? Be smart about it, no one wants to house poor, especially if you are building your dream home. Learn whats its going to heat and cool your home. What much do you need for a down payment and money to furnish your new home.

Once, you have a number in your head I strongly suggest before doing any lot shopping or floor plan laying out that you meet with a loan office and find out exactly what you qualify for and what a monthly payment would be. You will have two loans, one is a construction loan that will be moved to a permanent loan once the construction is complete.

Typically building a home costs between $130-$160 a square foot. That does not include the lot and the more bells and whistles your home has the price will keep going up.

Once, you have decided upon numbers and budgets go find a contractor, talk to friends, talk to people who have built before. A good contractor will make all the difference, he will help with making every decision along the way, all the way from paint to sinks. He will have worked with good subcontractors and no all the ins and outs.

A lot of contractors know builders or if you already have found a lot make sure you know everything about the lot, setbacks, weird easements, etc...

Once you have built your home the loan will switch from temporary to permanent and you will be on your way to creating lasting memories and a place to build a snowman or watch the olympics on the big tv! (there I did it I came full circle)