1. Be willing to fire people if need be: basically you are going to hire a lot of subcontractors, so you need to be very clear on what you want, and really hold the subs to it. You are the one paying the bill, so you have the power, and you need to be able to put your foot down if necessary.

2. Be somewhat familiar with construction: Even if you know nothing about construction right off the bat, you have to at least be willing to learn about it. You have to know the lingo, and be able to talk knowledgably about different tasks that come up. However, your role is more of a manager, so you don't actually need to know how, just what.

3. Communication Skills: If you don't make your expectations crystal clear your subs will never meet them. You have to be understood, and communicate well with every level of education etc. You will be working with lots of people, and you have to be willing to make endless phone calls all day long if necessary.

4. Attention to detail: The way to get a great house is to have all the details, tiny as they may seem, done right. If you are going to be an owner-builder, you have to take the time to see that these are done right.

5. Job flexibility: basically if you are going to act as a general contractor, you have to be able to be at the site for at least a few hours a day. If you or your spouse can't do that, there is no sense wasting your time trying to be an owner-builder.

6. Determination and problem solving abilities: problems will happen, and if you roll over and die at the first sign of problem, you can't do this. You have to be able to stick with these problems until they are solved.

7. Financially Motivated: In order to get the most for your money, you are going to have to be creative. You are going to need to be financially motivated to find a good deal, or you simply won't. So, if you can't stick to a budget, and can't try to find the best price to keep your project under budget, then there is no point in trying to be an owner-builder.

8. Organized: As hard as it is to be organized on a project of this magnitude, if you aren't, you will never be able to complete it. As an owner-builder you are the manager, so, you have to tend to agreements, contracts, paying people on time, paperwork, schedules, and budgets. If you aren't organized enough to do this, you won't make a very good owner-builder.

9. A good shopper: basically you need to be able to tell the difference between a cheap item and one of quality. You need to be able to find a bargain, and you have to be able to say (and stick to it) that you won't overspend on anything.

10. A good student: Basically you have to be a fast learner. You have to ask the questions and be willing to get the answers, otherwise you won't make it as an owner-builder. If you aren't a fast learner, and especially if you don't learn from your mistakes, you will lose a lot of money in the process.