It's always been a given that you can buy wood from a place like Lonestar and hardware at the cheapest available source and build a plane as cheaply, if not moreso, than a manufactured kit IF you don't count your time. The plane WILL be better since you have complete control over the wood selection for the purpose and the hardware selection. It will be perfect for your needs. It WILL take longer to build, and will be more "labor-intensive".

Dr.1