StephanC, I built my own from the ground up and I can tell you I would never look down on someone who "could" just buy one, I just can't, I wish I could just write the check for that Kirkham I would love to have
it is just not in the cards for me, I am a operator in an
oil refinery, were talking a years wages here, I had no choice but to build as I went along, when I bought my first house we wanted a pool, but couldn't get the loan so I built it myself, took me 6 months of working like a dog, digging, tieing the steel, and such but it was all mine when done, no brighter than anyone else, that was the only way I was going swimming, and have done 3 others since then !!!
My wifes sister and her husband own a Garbage company, she is constantly asking my wife if I could fix this or that because he can't, he could but it would take away from fishing and hunting for him so it is easier to write someone else a check!! Economics forces me to try and be resourceful, I wish I could just write those checks!!!