Thank you, Victoria. We live in Kansas City area. Do you have any suggestions on how to go about finding a good architect?

Also, one other note, we do not have land or lot identified. And, given that we are not final on the design, I don't know how big of a lot we would need. Is finding a lot an activity you do in parallel to meeting with an architect, or do you work with one to help you identify land for the project?

We are planning to build a custom house in Austin, TX. I would advise you to start looking for a lot as soon as possible. If you have children and are interested in specific school districts it can take quite a while to find a lot that fits your criteria. It took us 6-7 months to find a lot. You can do this while you find & meet with an architect. If you don't already have one, lining up a real estate attorney now would be a good idea.

Yes, I'd suggest looking for a lot too but I'm in the UK where plots are scarce.

Build a simple home first before you build a custom home. That way you will learn to understand the process.