You want to work with someone who has experience in lending, specifically with construction loans. Not all lenders have construction lending experience. Most loans are underwritten, approved, and funded. Construction lending has an entirely different set of rules. The money is paid out as your project progresses. If you do not have a lender that understands the progress of a project you may end up paying out too much money for unfinished work. Work with someone that understands how to get you the money, and who knows about construction too.
For your custom built home, I believe it is important to have the correct loan in hand. Let’s face it, you do not do this every day. Your lender needs to understand your financial needs and put you in the program that makes sense for you. Construction lending offers different options for down payment, construction payment terms, size, and overall numbers of loans to take out.