I closed my account due to conflicts at work and the pressure of designing, implementing, and managing the PPP loan origination process.

I personally am not a fan of design build firms, there is usually a very steep price premium for the one-stop-shop convenience and and I've seen some pretty bad layouts by their in-house designers.   

and maintain some level of control of designation of trustee as bene of your irrevocable trust : )

If the job / skill that you choose to learn so happens to be a mix of design, architecture, and contracting, and you spend your time adding value to the units you purchase, you’ll be well ahead of the game.

Prob is there's not much around me at the moment and whats being built is awful from the standpoint of design, land usage, etc etc.

@Jaden AdamsJaden, do not pursue an Architecture degree unless you love the art and science of designing buildings.

You hired him/her for their expertise and knowledge of design, codes, building and construction.

The quality just wasn't good and even though the samples they have posted seem to depict the level of creativity and quality of design, the end product was nothing like it.

Just decks or even NO yard at all, I wouldn't recommend that kind of design for you with a 3/2 your likely going to have family with kids.. they need outdoor space.Also did you verify the area has good internet?

Your Architect should be able to guide you through the rest of the process of design, permits and construction.