THINGS WE HAVE DONE RIGHT SO FAR

1. PREPARATION: Spent over two years designing our home, learning about the construction business, and learning how to be an owner builder (well over 1,000 hours), and started continuing dialogues with resources who are knowledgeable and supportive. Our log home company said they had NEVER had anyone ask as many questions as we did, and that they are going to publish them and their answers for future customers! Made preliminary decisions about what we wanted and priced all items down to the door knobs.
2. CONTRACTING: Learned about the bidding process & going rates and picked good contractors (quality over cost). We got to know them, treated them well, and understood that the reason they don't always show up on time is because other people want last minute changes or additions just like we did! (We needed and got a fireplace foundation built, french drains added, and the interior of the foundation leveled up without prior notice...course we also offered to pay cash!) Also, we complemented our subs and their employees a lot and were sure to tell bosses when they did something especially good or showed initiative.
3. FINANCES: Allowed enough of a reserve in our construction loan - and some personal cash - to cover potential overruns, staying on budget (so far). Set up via excel spreadsheets accounting methods to track every dime alloted and spent, showing at all times how much of a reserve is left.
4. SUPERVISION/SITE WORK: Been at the site every single day that contrators are there, sometimes up to three times a day, ready to answer questions, make decisons, run out for building supplies that were left off lists or otherwise ommitted, and more.
5. BOUGHT MATERIALS DIRECTLY AT A DISCOUNT: Always asked for owner-builder discounts (and almost always got them). Paid for most of the materials directly ourselves with either start-up funds, 0% charge cards, or by charging them to accounts we opened up at local building supply places. (Our subs who included materials in their bids were very greatful that we offered to do this, especially as the construction business is very slow right now and finances are tight.)
6. REMEMBERED TO LAUGH & STARTED A BLOG: (Well, OK, we haven't perfected the laughter part yet, but are trying, as building your own home is extremely stressful even on the best of marriages, and ours is in that category). At the end of the day we try to take time to relax together and to reflect on how very lucky we are. We also enjoy tracking our progress via our blog and weekly emails to family & friends.
7. OTHER RESOURCES: This is a magical place. Many of our new friends here have had experience in building their own home, two as owner-builders, one who had a GC, and one (a master carpenter) who is building his house himself from the ground up. All have been an enormous wealth of information about local contractors, prices, and suppliers. We've made it a point to meet our neighbors in the area where we are building, and they have also been very encouraging and supportive. This is a very small town and we've discovered that most of them knew who we were and had checked out our site before we even met them - fine with us! Some are still showing up on the site to introduce themselves and give us their opinions (S).