Jacobs travels around the United States talking to homebuilders and architects, trying to find the ideal help and the ideal location to build her dream house for only $100,000.

While I did learn about some interesting companies and organizations (such as Yestermorrow, a design/build school), the author and I have pretty different ideas about what makes the ideal home, and she mostly revolved this book around her own preferences. In short, she likes modern design and I don't. Jacobs is convinced that modern design should be the standard, not the exception, to newly built construction; but there's a reason that it's not - the majority of homebuyers here in the U.S. don't prefer it!

And despite her claim that she's serious about finding her ideally designed, affordable house, she ends up purchasing an apartment in Brooklyn while writing this very book. In the end, the book seemed just an excuse for her to travel and earn a living. I'd be curious to know if she ended up building her dream house post-publication. (Since this book was published 15 years ago.)

The book was also too long for what it contained - it began to drag and I had to force myself to finish.

Note: There is some profanity, including God's name used in vain. ( )

I Wish I'd Had This Book Five Years Ago: I wish I had gotten this book about five years ago. In early 2002 I set out on almost the same voyage. To be sure, we set out with slightly different goals. She was looking for affordable (under $100,000) housing. I was looking for a place to live, and for a house to live in.

Ms. Jacobs seemed to have only one goal, the 'Perfect $100,000 House.' As she discovered, there is no 'Perfect $100,000 House.' In fact I question that there is a 'Perfect House' at any price. Every house I've ever seen has some problems, if nothing else, too big (I'm not big on cleaning).

So, can you get an adequate house for $100,000, absolutely. She is right that you can build something small, dramatic looking, a good place to live for that much. But you have to compromise somewhere. You can't afford a $100,000 lot for instance. And you can't afford even a telephone booth in New York City at that price. And her comment about resale value is right on.

Did I suceed, yes. My list started with:

1. A small town - Check
2. In the desert west - Check
3. Inexpensive House - Check (I paid $37.000 then spent about $7,000 fixing it up)
4. An Hour from a fairly large city - No Two Hours
5. A small, single person house - Check
6. A few other points, but they were minor.

I also found that like her, I spend a fair amount of time thinking about building a really inexpensive house. There's an interesting vacant for sale lot a couple of blocks away. But then again, there's a very interesting piece of ground across town -- I've asked a local realtor to keep me in mind if it ever goes up for sale.