I want to build a house in Texas Hill Country (Hays)........... (Burnet: flat fee, city hall)

[TamaraSavannah]

............................how do I go about it?

The land is bought and owned, the well is drilled, but I need a home on it and a septic system.

Where do I look, who do I find, how do I go about it without looking like the innocent babe in the woods that I think I am?

[need4speed2012]

Contact the "HCBA" Hill Country Builders Association and they will be able to better help you.

830.798.2266

[TamaraSavannah]

Thank you, they might have an answer or two, but, from their website

"Our territory spans 10 counties: Blanco, Burnet Gillespie, Kerr, Kimble, Llano, Mason, McCulloch, Menard and San Saba.".

So, others, please keep those answers rolling in.

[lonestar2007]

Start asking people around the area (your neighbors, people in town - ask at the lumber yard, paint stores, local cafes) if they or anyone they know could recommend a good builder. Get a few names and then follow up on that.

A good framer who has been in the area can usually build a house for you if they have the time and are so inclined. They usually know all the different contractors and you could pay the individual contractors draws as they progress. If you're not that savvy on all the building aspects, you could pay the town's inspector to come out and make inspections to see that everyone is doing everything right. Of course, then he'll want everything to be by code and that can sometimes be a PITA, but being out of the city limits, that will be your call. It is an insurance the contractors will do right by you if they know an inspector is working with you.

Or, you might just want to get a builder and pay them X amount of dollars a sq. ft. and let them do everything. Or, there are some builders out there who will charge you a flat fee (usually in 4 draws) to oversee everything, line up all the contractors and he will collect the draws from you to pay the contractors. This is basically what the framer would do, except the builder might have better success getting the guys out if they work for him on other projects.

I'm assuming you already have your plans drawn up and just needing a builder. I'd also go to city hall and talk to them and see who they could suggest. Just get some names and then talk to them and see how it goes.

Good luck with it.

[TamaraSavannah]

Originally Posted by lonestar2007

...........I'm assuming you already have your plans drawn up and just needing a builder. I'd also go to city hall and talk to them and see who they could suggest. Just get some names and then talk to them and see how it goes.

Good luck with it.

Well, no, I don't, which is part of the issue.

I have ten acres of land, I have a well drilled with a storage tank in place.

I have around $200K free cash plus probably another $100K available without having to go to a bank.

What I don't have is much of a connection between my dreams and reality, in what I can afford to build, what I should build, and how/where to build on a slight slope.

Now, trying to figure out a reality of my dreams has been a slowly ongoing process, as illustrated in
How do you figure out how you want to live?
................................

........................but I can dream forever and never get anything done. What I need to do, I think, is find someone to help me "put foundations under my castle in the sky".....without making me use up more money than needed.

[lonestar2007]

Need4Speed gave you good advice. Make the call, connect with a few builders and see what each one has to say and go from there. You are not obligated, but at least you will be getting started on deciding what it is you want.