I think its a bad idea for a first time home buyer. I have family land I could build on tomorrow and a ton of contruction family and friends and I wouldnt dare try to build my own house. My first one will be a newer home >10 years old and then I will live there for 5-10 years while updating it and when the market is prime I will build. And the most important thing to remember when building your own from scratch is you get what you pay for. Quality details make or break a houses value and resale.