You're Building In the Wrong Order

Plowed field beneath a blue sky with a line of leafless trees on the horizon

I see the same thing happen all the time.  Someone finds the perfect piece of land. They fall in love with a floor plan. They start talking with a builder and getting excited about what they’re going to build.


Then they call me about the financing.  And sometimes, the numbers don’t work the way they expected.

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Two-story house under construction with scaffolding, exposed framing, and tarps around the site

That’s why I tell clients: before you choose the builder and before you get too far down the road with a house plan, let’s figure out the financing.


Start by getting pre-qualified for a construction loan. That gives us a realistic budget and lets you make decisions based on actual numbers—not estimates or assumptions.


Next, look at the land. If you already own your lot, you may have equity that can be used toward the project. If you’re still shopping for land, we can factor that purchase into the overall financing strategy.

Yellow skid-steer loader moving dirt in a construction site under a blue sky

Then it’s time to choose your builder and finalize the plans. Now you’re having those conversations knowing what you can comfortably finance.


From there, we structure the construction loan around the project including the draw schedule, construction timeline, reserves and room for potential change orders.

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House under construction with plywood framing, lumber piles, and workers on the roof and scaffolding

Construction financing doesn’t have to be complicated. But the order matters.


If you own land, have a floor plan picked out, or you’re just starting to think about building, talk to me before you start putting all the pieces together.


Let’s build the financing plan first then build the house.

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