Learning the Details

I hope that we would finally be able to buy or build our dream house in a few years' time. I'm starting to make inquiries about what needs to be done and who we need to consult if and when the time comes that we may be able to start on it. There are so many things I take for granted but what I should know if ever we push through with it. For example, we need to get a building permit. We need to get several professionals, among them architects and engineers (electrical, sanitary and mechanical, for example. Of course, it's best to hire a good contractor, who will take care of practically anything. Our architect friend also told us that there's such a thing as a california mechanics lien which should cover for structural inadequacies within a certain number of years. I didn't know that. It looks like I really have a lot to learn if we're going to build our house up from scratch.