Amanda is right, about how to go about it. Our house took two years, and we were told we were lucky it went so fast.
I came down every month to check up, and every month something had to be redone, or renegotiated. There was a hurricane that held up mahogany lumber for a while for the roof. We found there is a great art of making excuses here. After saying we don't want excuses lets just move forward many times the builder and workers finally understood.
Also be prepared to ship stuff via Hyde from Fla, and pay customs. Builders often say they can't get what you want. I have shipped appliances, lighting fixtures, stainless bathroom fixtures, and high tech varnish. Building down here is grueling, but worth it if you want something they don't already build here.