How to turn a profit with raw land and a custom builder?

[Vincent R. Pinello]

I'm 23 years old and trying to get into the investment real estate business as a means of becoming financially independent. I have been toying with the idea of purchasing raw land and, with the use of a personal custom builder/his team, building homes to sell or turn into rentals. What is the best way to finance this project? What are some major costs needed to take into account? Is it better to purchase the home before/during construction and not after it is built? Any other general advice would be much appreciated! This is my first post on the Bigger Pockets forum.