I Must Be Out of My Damn Mind

I bought "Building Your Home for Dummies" for my NOOK last night. What have we gotten ourselves into?????? Feeling overwhelmed. At least it's informative.

I think we'll need to have the plans BEFORE we find a lot (not land- I learned the difference between land and a lot. thanks, BYH4D), because you have to have approval of the plans to build. And since this house was designed 30+ years ago, some neighborhoods may not want it there; it may not "fit," aesthetically speaking. Shiiiiiiit.

In other news, BYH4D gave the link to the American Institute of Architects. There is the possibility I called the wrong guy... same name, but since I've left two voicemails and haven't received a response... at least this way I can better search for him.

Sigh

I am so torn. I really miss the Sugar Land/Missouri City area, and really don't like Crosby. The land is a hell of a lot cheaper out here, though. Big time cheaper. Lots of space, lower prices. I suppose we'll have to bite the bullet and pay a higher price, because I don't want to take the chance of being completely miserable in a part of the area I hate, even though we'd be in our own house, built the way we want, with more "bells and whistles." Building out here would enable us to divert money that would've been spent on land into the house itself. On the other hand, it pretty much sucks out here- no culture, no diversity, etc. And, on the off-chance my daughter decides to move back during high school, well... the schools suck here. I guess this makes my decision pretty easy, but still...

On another note, questions for any of you who may have built a house: How much (ballpark, obviously) does it cost to clear a lot? Is the "pain in the ass factor" higher than paying more for a lot that is already cleared? Thanks for any guidance you can give.