Your new hobby should be looking at new custom homes. That's a good start getting educated about the cost of building each of the homes you see. Understand today's price will escalate ___% per year (more than CPI rate).

When you see prices for construction, find out what it includes and doesn't. Permits, grading, design, landscape, septic, etc. are often not.

If you will be borrowing, find a lender that specializes in construction to perm loans, and understand what they will require of you.

As a non pro, I'd say look at as many open houses as you can in your area, to get a sense of what it costs for something similar to what you need, with the finishes you would like. Get the names of builders/architects/designers with products you like, in your ballpark price range. Start getting your financial ducks in a row, understand what the bank will loan you, and have a pretty good idea of what that will actually get you. And build in a margin for inevitable cost overruns.

“home starts at 200,000” Those are 'track' builders. Stay AWAY from them!!!! IMO......all they are trying to do is rip people off!! I would go to the local building supply houses and get recommendations for local GC's.

An architect is your starting point - One that specialises in custom residential work, and has some years of experience.
Not a large firm that designs industrial/commercial buildings primarily, or one with less than passionate figure-heads leaving the work to the a few green youth behind a pc. Get someone who designs on physical paper, those sketches are art :)

It's important to note that good architects do come at a cost, but they come with value too. The value of starting at the right point and working in the right direction outweighs the apparent saving of a tract builder or stock plan.
Also note that two houses costing the same $ can 'live' very differently, and this is where the right professionals are important.

The rationale behind an architect in a nutshell, is this: You need a design that works for your lifestyle & needs (current & future), as well as your land, your climate and code requirements, etc and is architecturally sound.
Stock plans will give you none of that, and will give you numerous ssues (angled walls, poor lighting, expansive closets because the Jones' have them, prominent garages, etc are some of the common ones) Architects are trained to do this and more.
Once you've found a good architect, ask them for recommendations for contractors. Kitchen designers too!

Get reviews. On everyone, for everything, always.

And be prepared to have huge setbacks, but try to enjoy it all!

It's not track building?????????

@Mark Bischak: you nailed it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Or should I say spiked it???????????????????????

There are builders that mainly stick to their set plans they offer, which may be thought of as a type of tract builder, but around here they are not tract builders unless they are building on their own lots/developments.

In my research, when a builder had a price for a house, that would include the listed finishes (which you should be able to easily obtain from the builder), but did not include excavation, basement, septic, well, driveway, and any engineering fees. Of course it depends GREATLY upon your lot, area, and how much work needs to be done, but for easy placements around here, usually $35-40K should cover it (but you need to do your homework to know if this budget needs to be increased).

Talking with and looking over the builders that offer set plans are a great starting place, to give you an idea of what may be included in a build, however, I would strongly suggest finding a true custom home builder that will give you full flexibility and better value for the money. At first glance, it seems as though the set plan builders offer a good deal, but any changes are charged through the roof, and are usually such a pain in the rear end it's just not worth it.....which is another reason I recommend custom home builders.

When it comes to choosing a builder, you want one who has EXCELLENT communication skills and patience. If he doesn't have those before the sale is made, it's not going to get any better!! Building a house is a long project, and you want someone who will work with you and answer questions throughout the entire process.

If you have a large budget, then, by all means, find a good architect!! I think an architect is an excellent pro to have in your corner. But if your budget is more modest, there are other ways.

I would also suggest talking with your local municipality to find out what permits needs to be obtained for a new build. Sometimes there are not nice surprises in this department!

Budget should not be the determining factor for using an architect.

Budget should not be the determining factor for using an architect.

You work for free?!?!?!?!?!

"You work for free?!?!?!?!?!"

I am a non-profit organization. Its not meant to be that way, that's just the way it turns out.

Many times an architect can save their clients money by helping them make cost efficient decisions and design efficient layouts. Many floor plans posted on Houzz have spaces larger than they need be, or have such poor layouts that they will have a hard time selling the house when that time comes. An architect can help save in construction cost, ease of use during the lifetime of the home, and be more attractive when the house goes up for sale; not to mention the countless number of hours some people spend hunting for the perfect floor plan.

There are various threads on this site that you may find benefit in at this stage. These are just a few. Have a look

https://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/3285825/what-makes-a-house-have-good-design?n=39

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/whats-a-well-designed-house-dsvw-vd~5370217

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5080730/tips-for-buying-land-designing-and-building-a-custom-home-part-1-of-3?n=3

Also of benefit would be to search the site using terms like "critique my floorplan" to get an idea of common errors in plans and the methods that led to them

I agree with Mark. My parents built their house using an architect. It’s worth about $250k now. Small town Iowa. It’s far from a mansion or McMansion but fits their lot well (river runs through backyard) and their needs/wants. It’s not All about price of house to use an architect or not.

The first step in any construction project (ideally, before you've committed to a land purchase or a home design) is to determine the budget since everything will flow from that. Then you'll need to allocate portions of the budget for the land, design work, review fees permits and developer fees (if any), infrastructure and site work, construction, landscaping, interior finishes and decorating.

Once you've determined your budget, it's time to see what that budget will deliver in your local market. Touring homes under construction is a great way to get calibrated with respect to cost, quality, and typical construction time. If you have custom, semi-custom and production builders in your market, tour homes by each and compare what you get. Then seek out those builders in your price point and interview them about their process, their capabilities and their availability to build a home. Ask them about whether they build strictly from their own plans or whether you can supply your own. If they offer design services, ask to see samples of the work and interview the designer/architect. If they don't, ask them which designers/architects they like working with.

Your objective is to assess whether any is a good fit for your project. They should be assessing whether you and your project are a good fit for them, too.

Landscape architecture can also be an important starting point depending on the specifics of your lot. Slopes, bedrock, water table etc. could influence the design of your home.

My 2 cents.... before you buy land or build on it check Fema Flood Plain Map. See if it's in the 100 year flood zone. We were surprised when they asked for extra money for flood insurance because we were so far away from a creek.

Definitely use your spare time searching & stalking the knowledge here on Houzz. There's so much valuable info here! Like all "crowd sourcing" on the internet, most things should be taken with a grain of salt, but the thought fodder is well worth it!!